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  Raine doesn’t even glance over at Aiden. It’s like he never spoke. She keeps her eyes locked on mine. “You are coming over tomorrow, though. Aren’t you?”

  “Yeah. I mean, that’s the plan and all.”

  She smiles more naturally this time and gives me a playful push on the shoulder.

  “Good, because I have a BIG surprise for you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  Aiden has started ogling her ass like there’s some kind of national breaking news story scrolling across it. The kid has no class whatsoever.

  “You should come early, before everyone else gets there,” she says.

  “Right. No problem.”

  “Great.” She licks her cherry red lips and turns to go. And then it hits me. If I just show up with the new girl at my side, it’s going to look totally weird. But I can’t ditch Natalia—after all, I told her I’d pick her up. So it’s probably best that I say something now and make it casual.

  “Oh, hey, I almost forgot,” I say as Raine’s leaving.

  “Yeah?” She turns back around, walks backwards for a moment. She’s wearing one of those tiny sweaters that doesn’t quite cover her perfectly flat and tan stomach.

  “Just wanted to make sure it’s cool if Natalia comes early too, since I’m giving her a ride. She’s new in town so I thought…you know…just making her feel welcome.”

  Raine stops dead in her tracks. For a moment I’m sure she’s going to tell me to go fuck myself. But instead she just smiles and waves off my concern. “Oh. Yeah, the new girl. Of course you can bring her. Don’t be silly. Everyone’s welcome!”

  “Including me?” Aiden calls after her.

  “Not really!” she calls back at him and then walks off.

  “What the fuck was that?” Aiden says as we get in the car.

  “Hey, don’t be a hater. It’s not your scene.”

  “I’m not talking about Raine telling me I can’t go,” Aiden says, buckling his seat belt as I turn the ignition.

  “Oh.”

  “I’m talking about you bringing that new chick, Natalie—“

  “Natalia.”

  “Well, what are you doing man?”

  I pull out of the parking spot and head onto the street. “I’m not doing anything, I’m just giving the girl a ride. She’s new to school, doesn’t know anyone—”

  “And suddenly you’re mister hospitality?”

  I give him a look. “What do you care?”

  “You’re going to blow it with the hottest, most amazing girl in this town—maybe in the whole world.”

  “Exaggerate much?”

  “They haven’t done a scientific study on it yet, but Raine Marsden might just be the hottest girl in the entire free world. And you’re going to piss her off by bringing some random chick to her party.”

  “Maybe the reason I can pull a chick like Raine is because I don’t really give a shit what she thinks.”

  We stop at a red light.

  Aiden smirks. “Sure you don’t. Keep telling yourself that, Cam.”

  “And you keep telling yourself that I’m bringing you to the party.”

  “Why can’t I go? You’ll bring that weird new chick and not your best friend in the whole world?”

  I don’t answer.

  He shakes his head. “This new girl. What’s so special about her?”

  “Nothing. Nothing’s special about her. It’s not a big deal and you need to lay off me already. Raine doesn’t even care so why should you?”

  We don’t say much for the rest of the ride home. I let him off at his house and he gets out of the car, nodding his head at me, grabbing his backpack and slamming the door as he goes. Aiden doesn’t usually get pissed off at me like this, but I can’t feel bad about it. Just because he lives his life through me doesn’t mean I have to make my decisions based on what will make him happiest.

  When I get to my house, I see Brody’s Range Rover in my driveway. What the hell? I get out and notice that his car engine is still ticking softly. So he only just arrived.

  When I walk inside, I can hear him and my mom gabbing away like old friends.

  It feels like an invasion.

  Mom’s laughing at something. “Oh, Brody, you’re such a character.”

  “You know me, Mrs. Elliot. I’m just crazy like that.” I see Brody hanging out over by the counter where mom is fixing a sandwich.

  “Do you want mayonnaise, Brody?”

  “Please. And lots of it.” He sees me and grins.

  Mom looks up. “Hi, honey! Look who stopped by?”

  “Oh. What a surprise.”

  “What, not happy to see me?”

  “Course I am.” I drop my bag on the floor and walk into the kitchen. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Nothing. Just missed you guys. Especially your mom’s awesome turkey club sandwiches.” He brings his fingers to his mouth and makes a kissing sound.

  “MMM…sooo good!”

  “Right. You came by for a sandwich.”

  Mom goes back to making it. “You want one too, hon?”

  “No thanks,” I say.

  “Did Cam mention that he’s got a big important date tomorrow night, Mrs.

  Elliot?”

  Mom gasps. “Why, no he did not! Cam? You have a date?”

  “Only with the most beautiful, most popular girl in school—Raine Marsden.”

  I feel my face redden as mom gasps again. She puts a hand to her chest. “Raine is gorgeous. And so sweet. In fact, I just ran into her the other day on my way to work, when I was getting gas. She actually went inside and got me a coffee while I pumped.

  What a little gem she is.” She brings the sandwich to Brody like a servant feeding a king.

  He smiles at me as he takes it and chomps an enormous bite. Chews for a long time.

  I want to punch his stupid face.

  Finally he swallows. “A-ma-zing.”

  “Glad you like it, darling,” mom says. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone.” And then she leaves the room.

  “You know, there’s this new invention called the cell phone,” I say, sitting down at the kitchen table. “You might want to try it sometime.”

  Brody’s phony smile evaporates. His face hardens. “Word is you’re trying to bring that little skank Natalia to Raine’s soiree.”

  “So?”

  “So, you better get your head on straight. She’s not wanted.”

  “Says who?”

  “Says me. And that’s enough.”

  I stare at him. I can’t believe he came to my house, ate my mom’s food and then thinks he can tell me what to do or who to see. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  “I made you.”

  “You what?”

  Brody stands up, and I suddenly realize that he wants to hurt me as bad—no worse—than I want to hurt him.

  “I took your scrawny ass from zero to hero—dragged you to the weight room every goddamn morning. Fed you like a baby. And now look at you. Girls want you, you’re on the football team, everything you have is because of me.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, bro. If that’s what keeps you going, man, you just keep telling yourself that.” My hands are clenched but I haven’t moved. Yet.

  “You’re not bringing that chick to the party.”

  “Dude, you’re crazy. Maybe the rumors are true after all.”

  “Rumors?”

  “I mean, this whole scene just screams ‘roid rage.”

  “So now you got jokes, huh? Mister comedian.” He bends down and places his hands on my chair, pinning me in. “Just remember what I said, Cam. You’ll come alone.

  Or you’ll regret it.” Then he backs up and throws on his varsity jacket. “Tell your mom thanks for the awesome sandwich.”

  And then he’s gone.

  Chapter Seven

  Natalia

  When I get home from school (an hour and a half later than normal because
I accidentally got on the wrong bus, which was completely embarrassing, since most seniors don’t even ride the bus, and also because the bus driver made this big scene about it and then the right bus had to come and pick me up), I throw out the stupid note I found in my locker. Out of sight, out of mind.

  Then I make myself a cup of tea, sit down at the kitchen table, pull out my books, and get ready to start on my homework. I have a lot of catching up to do. Santa Anna seems crazy hard.

  My cell phone rings on the table next to me as I’m paging through my chemistry reading, and I jump. I had to get a new cell phone after everything that went down at my old school, and even though I know all that’s behind me, and I’ve done my absolute best to keep my new number a secret, I still get nervous every time it rings.

  But it’s just my mom.

  “Hi,” I say, cradling the phone on my shoulder and adding some more sugar to my tea.

  “Hi, honey,” she says, “How was your first day of school?”

  “Interesting,” I say, “A lot different than public school.” I decide not to mention the note that was in my locker. My mom and I are close, but still. Telling my mom about how the hottest guy in school talked to me and then some girls left a threatening note in my locker would not be a good idea. My mom’s the type that would want to call the school and make a big fuss.

  “I can’t wait to hear about it,” she says, “Maybe tomorrow? I’m getting out early. We could have dinner at that Thai place you love.” My mom’s a lawyer at a firm in the city, which means her commute is an hour each way, and since she works ten hour days to begin with, she’s not home a lot. But like I said, we’ve always had a good relationship, probably because my dad left when I was little, so she’s all I have.

  Having dinner with her tomorrow sounds perfect. But still, I hesitate.

  Tomorrow’s the day I’m supposed to hang out at Raine’s house with Cam and his friends.

  But after seeing that note… I don’t know what to do. “Sure,” I say finally, figuring I can make up some excuse to tell Cam tomorrow. “That sounds great.”

  The doorbell rings then. Cam, I think for some reason, which makes no sense because obviously he doesn’t know where I live and even if he did he wouldn’t just be showing up at my house.

  “Hold on,” I say to my mom, and then heave myself up from the table. A quick glance through the curtains shows me it’s not Cam. It is one of the kids from Santa Anna, though, a guy who was sitting at Raine and Cam’s lunch table. He’s in my math class. Brody, I think?

  He sees me peering through the window and gives me a friendly wave. Great.

  Any thought of possibly ignoring him evaporates as soon as he sees me.

  “Uh, mom,” I say, “I have to go.”

  “Why?” she says, “Who is it?” I can tell she’s trying not to sound too alarmed.

  “It’s a friend from my new school.” It’s only half a lie. Brody’s not a friend, but he is from my new school.

  “Okay,” she says, sounding relieved. “I’ll see you when I get home.”

  I check my reflection in the front hallway mirror, smooth my hair, and then open the door.

  “Hey,” Brody says.

  “Hi.” I lean against the doorframe, seizing him up.

  “I’m Brody. I’m in your math class.”

  “I know.”

  “I just thought I’d come over and say hi, you know, welcome you to Santa Anna.

  We didn’t really get a chance to talk today.” His hands are shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He’s wearing a black leather jacket, and he has the same kind of confidence that Cam has. But while Cam’s cockiness seems almost new, Brody’s seems completely natural, like something that’s always been ingrained in his personality.

  “So you’re like the Santa Anna Welcome Wagon?” I ask.

  I meant it to be more rude than funny, but he grins. “I guess so, yeah. At least for the pretty girls.”

  I roll my eyes. “What?” he says, “That line doesn’t work?”

  “Not with me.”

  “I thought all girls liked to be told they were pretty.”

  “Only if the guy really means it.”

  “I meant it.” I raise my eyebrows at him incredulously, but it doesn’t seem to deter him. In fact, he just gets bolder and says, “Can I come in?”

  “I’m not letting you in my house,” I say, “I don’t even know you.”

  He nods, like this makes sense. “Well, then can you come out?”

  I’m about to tell him no way, but then I remember something. Brody has something I want. And that’s information. So I slide my shoes on and step out onto the front porch. I sit down on the step, and Brody sits down next to me, a little closer than I’d like, his leg touching mine.

  “So how was your first day?” he asks.

  “Well, besides the fact that someone left a note in my locker telling me to stay away from Cam, it was fine.”

  “Someone left a note in your locker?” He seems shocked, like that kind of stuff doesn’t happen every day in the big bad world of adolescence.

  “Come on,” I say, “Don’t tell me you’re shocked.” I lean over and grab my knees, pulling them up to my chest. A butterfly goes drifting by, it’s soft orange wings fluttering in the air. It’s October, and a little cold for a butterfly, but she must be one of the last holdouts of the cold weather. It perches on the bush next to me and stays there, it’s wings folding in, almost like it’s listening.

  “No, I’m not shocked,” Brody says, “Just surprised.” He picks a small stone up from the landscaped bed around our walk and starts throwing it up in the air and catching it.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s only your first day. Usually we wait at least a week to try and scare people off.”

  I smile. “It’s fine,” I say, “I didn’t come here to make friends.”

  “Then why did you come here?” he asks.

  I realize too late that I’ve said too much, and so I quickly try and backtrack. “To get a better education,” I say.

  He nods, and doesn’t push. “So about tomorrow…”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah,” he says, “Raine’s house?”

  “How did you know about that?”

  “People talk,” he says, smiling at me again. He has a nice smile.

  “Great.” I put my head in my hands. I know that girls get crazy about boys. But don’t Raine and her friends realize that I’m not a threat? Raine is gorgeous. I’m a little above average on a good day, and that’s with the help of makeup and a straightening iron.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it,” Brody says, reaching out and squeezing my shoulder.

  “They’re not bad. They just take a little while to warm up to people.”

  “Yeah, right. That’s code for, ‘in a few weeks, they’ll just snub you and not look at you like they want to gouge your eyeballs out.’”

  He laughs. “No, seriously,” he says, “It’ll be fine. Come tomorrow. You’re going with Cam, right?”

  “I was going with Cam,” I correct. “Now I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”

  “Afraid?”

  “Not afraid,” I said. “Just cautious.”

  “You know what they say about caution,” he says.

  “That it can save you from a year of misery?”

  “That it makes you miss out on things that are fun.”

  “That’s the dumbest saying I ever heard.”

  “That’s because I just made it up, and I couldn’t think of anything wittier.” I laugh. “No, but seriously,” he says, “You should come. It’ll be fun. I’ll pick you up.

  We can go together, let them see that you’re not interested in Cam.”

  At the mention of his name, I blush. Brody must pick up on it, because he says,

  “You aren’t, right? Interested in Cam?”

  “No,” I say, “Of course not. I hardly know him.” But somehow, for some reason, just the mention
of his name is causing my heart to shoot fireworks. The butterfly on the bush flies up into the air, and hovers there, before settling up again on a higher branch.

  “Good.” Brody nods like it’s all settled, in the way that only someone who’s completely self-assured and used to getting their way can. “So I’ll pick you up at three?”