The Code for Love and Heartbreak - Jillian Cantor Page 0,23
both stop walking when I call out for him and turn to look at me. “Let me drive you home,” I say.
“I can drive you,” Jane says to him quickly, touching his arm in a way that I find weirdly offensive, like she’s trying to take ownership of him. I want him to pull away, but he doesn’t—at first. Then he shifts, and her hand falls away on its own. His eyes meet mine, and his expression softens. There he is. Just George, whom I’ve spent hours working on code with. Who indulges in talking to Dad about baseball. Who makes fun of me for my pizza choice.
“We’re still co-presidents,” I say. “And you can’t stay mad at me forever.” I need George for his animation, but I also need him to help teach and find roles for Sam, Hannah and Robert, and to convince Jane to work on the app. As much as I’m not a fan of Jane personally, she has skills I don’t, and we do need her if we want to have a shot at winning.
George turns back to Jane. “Go ahead,” he says to her. “I’ll ride with Emma.” She shrugs, as if she couldn’t care less, and keeps on walking toward her car. George and I walk in step toward my car, and my body relaxes. “I mean, I probably could stay mad at you forever,” George says to me, after Jane’s across the parking lot. “You make it pretty easy.”
“Well, so do you,” I shoot back. “At least I didn’t involve John and Izzy in any of this.”
He stops walking and touches my shoulder lightly. “I am sorry about that. I was worried about you, Emma. But you’re right, I shouldn’t have said anything to John. I should’ve talked to you instead.”
I nod, forgiving him, because he’s George, and everything is easy with him, and I’m glad he’s talking to me again, that we can be co-presidents again. “Karma Can was kinda cute,” I say. “You did a nice job with the animation, the way you brought the can to life. But we have a better shot at winning with this. I just feel it.”
“Agree to disagree,” George says. “But I was outvoted. So here we are. And you know I want to win the state competition just as badly as you do, so I’ll do whatever I can to make this app good.”
We get into the car, and I turn out onto Highbury Pike, toward his house. There is this nice silence between us again. George flips NPR onto the radio and only the soft sound of talk radio fills the car. And for a little while, everything feels right with the world.
Chapter 9
Sam asks Laura to go to the dance with him, and she says yes, but though we all have the same lunch, she still sits at another table with her friends the following week, and Sam still sits at a table with me. I catch him watching her, from across the room, as I’m trying to talk to him about our project.
“Sam,” I say, realizing he’s not listening. I touch his arm to get his attention and he turns. His skin is warm, and I let my fingers linger a moment longer than I mean to. “Did you hear what I just said?” I’d asked him if he wanted to come over later to help me run the remaining matches.
“Oh, what, E? I’m sorry.” I repeat my question, and he nods. “Yeah, yeah. I have choir right after school, but after that?”
“I have my piano lesson after school, anyway,” I say. “So after that would be good.”
“I didn’t know you play piano.” His eyes light up a little, like he’s fascinated and surprised by the thought that I have some musical abilities. I remember what Ms. Taylor said, about a duet, and weirdly I envision this strange scenario where later when Sam comes over, and before we get to work on code, I play something on the piano, and Sam sings. And even though I only ever study classical, for a moment I picture it, and it makes me smile.
Sam’s eyes have wandered back toward Laura. “You know, you could invite her to sit with us,” I say, even though I don’t actually want him to do that. It just seems like what I’m maybe supposed to say?
“Yeah,” he says, sounding unsure. “Maybe I will.” But he doesn’t move, just watches her a little more. So I watch