The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High #2) - Emma Doherty Page 0,51
eyes widen. Maybe we will sell a lot after all.
I walk back to the table, scanning the items.
Aaron pulls out his wallet. “Okay, I want two brownies, a slice of cheesecake, and one of those cookies.”
“How much are you charging?” Jennifer asks.
I hesitate. Why the hell didn’t I think about this before?
I make a snap decision. “Five dollars for everything.”
Jennifer’s eyes widen in surprise. “Five dollars?”
“Yup. This is the only place nearby, the food in the cafeteria is crap, and it’s for charity.”
“To be fair, it’s similar to what my mom charges,” Livy agrees.
“Cash or Venmo,” I tell them, “but make sure you check that the money’s come through on Venmo before they go.”
Aaron shrugs, hands over a twenty, and then we’re mobbed. We spend the next thirty minutes selling goodies, and I watch in amazement as I see the cash stack up and my phone ping with notifications of money hitting my bank account.
It’s amazing to me how much people will pay for sugar.
“Here.”
I look up from checking my phone to see Sarah standing in front of me holding out a twenty-dollar bill. It takes me a second to realize she wants me to take it.
She waves it at me again. We haven’t spoken at all since I shut her down by calling Dan Summers in front of her. I’ve seen her around, of course, and she’s still been eating lunch at our table, but she sits in the farthest possible seat from me. She’s definitely been keeping a lower profile and has mainly just been hanging out with Jenna, one of the girls on the squad, and has avoided me, Sasha, and Jennifer entirely.
“What do you want?” I ask her. “Everything is five bucks.”
She glances briefly at the remaining items, which we’ve already had to restock a couple of times. “I can’t eat any of that.”
I know exactly what she means. We’ve both spent the last couple of years watching everything we eat, and even though I baked most of this stuff, I’m only going to allow myself one slice of cheesecake to celebrate.
She sighs. “I just want to contribute to your charity.”
That does make me pause.
She shrugs. “I know you need to raise as much as possible.”
I do. I need to pull up my grades and raise as much money as I can to have any chance of graduating.
She waves the bill at me again. “Take it.”
I do, because I’m not about to say no to charity money. I almost expect her to follow it up with something else, an apology or something, but she doesn’t. Just gives me a tight smile then walks into school, me left watching her go and wondering if we’ll ever have a normal conversation again.
“You know, five bucks per item is daylight robbery.”
I turn back to see Brett standing in front of me. “Actually, it’s good math. The higher the number when you multiply it, the higher the end figure. Even I know that.”
He barks out a laugh, his eyes lighting up for a second before he remembers it’s me he’s talking to and straightens his face. “I’ll take a slice of cheesecake and a brownie please.”
I raise my eyebrows, surprised he’s willing to inadvertently help me by buying from the bake sale, even if they are pretty damn good desserts, if I do say so myself.
I make my way behind the table, avoiding Livy and Sasha, who are still serving, while Sophie and Jennifer start to tidy up, getting rid of empty trays and wiping up crumbs. I grab what he wants along with a couple of napkins.
I hold them out to him, and he goes to take them before I pull them back. “First of all, prove to me that you know why you’re doing this.”
His jaw falls open as he realizes I’m playing him at his own game and repeating the exact same thing back to him that he always says to me in our tutoring sessions.
“I need to know that you understand.”
He doesn’t say anything, and I can’t help smirking.
“Can’t let you have them without the proof that you get it.”
He rolls his eyes, but a small smile plays on his lips. “You are such a smartass, Baker.”
I grin back at him.
He decides to humor me. “I’m doing this because it’s 7:30am, I’m about to start school, and I need the sugar rush.”