The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High #2) - Emma Doherty Page 0,82

her bag and pulling out a bunch of lipliners and lipsticks and holding them out to me. I select the one I think would look best on her and pretend not to feel too happy that she’s treating me like a friend whose opinion she trusts.

She finishes her lips, pouting at her reflection and then turns to me.

“So why were you just aimlessly strolling down the hallway?”

I blink. Is that what I was doing?

“You looked like you were lost in thought.”

I guess I was. I’ve kind of avoided Brett over the last couple of days. Only spoken to him when necessary about studying and we haven’t had any of our normal conversations or chats. The truth is I’ve missed him, and I’m pretty sure he’s noticed a difference in me. I’m the one that’s made it weird between us and I’m not sure how to fix it.

A mischievous grins crosses Sophie’s face. “Daydreaming about Brett?”

I roll my eyes. “Stop!”

“Thinking about how you’re going to ask him to prom?”

“I’m not asking him to prom. I probably won’t even go.”

“Whatever, of course you’ll go. With Brett. You’ll be the new hot couple.”

“Would you shut up?”

She laughs in my face. “Hit a nerve?”

“You know,” I grumble. “Maybe it was better when we weren’t friends.”

Sophie smirks. “Oh, so now we’re friends? Do you want to be my best friend?”

“Urgh! You’re impossible.” I can’t help smiling at her though. She might be impossible but she’s fun too. “I’m going to lunch.”

She just laughs at me as we leave the bathroom and she heads off in the direction of her locker while I head to the cafeteria.

“Hey.”

I look up at the familiar voice and my heart actually does a little flutter at the sight of Brett standing in front of me. “Hi.”

“You heading to lunch?”

“Yeah.” I still feel awkward about letting down my guard with him and now I feel awkward about making it awkward.

“So you’ve been pretty busy the last couple of days.”

“I’ve been doing all the work,” I assure him. I might have left the second one of our sessions was finished, not sticking around for any small talk, but I’ve made sure I’ve been putting in the maximum effort into my studies. “I haven’t been slacking.”

“I know.”

There’s a silence between us.

“I just meant…” he trails off. Yeah, I’ve definitely made it awkward between us. “Did I do something to offend you?”

“No! Not at all. I’m just stressed about these tests.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “You’re sure?”

“Totally sure.”

He seems to accept that.

“So you’re heading to lunch now? You have people to meet up with?”

Huh? “Um, yeah. It’ll be the same people as always.” That’s a weird question.

“Cool.”

There’s a silence. “I just need to make sure that I ignore anything with spaghetti because we always have that a bunch of times when my dad is home.”

Why on earth am I telling him that?

“Like I said, he’s home this weekend so we’ll be eating that lots.” What is wrong with me? He’s not bringing up my dad and has accepted that he’s cool so why am I pushing it? “I actually can’t wait to see him. I’m really excited.”

It’s a bare faced lie but Brett seems to buy it.

“That’s really cool that he’s home. I know how crappy it is when my dad is away for months, so I get you’re excited.”

I nod. “Yup, totally excited.”

“So you’re going to lunch?” he asks again.

“Yeah, it is lunch time.”

“It is.” He hesitates for a moment, looking down at his watch. “You know I’ve been craving a burger all day. I reckon we’ve got enough time to hit the drive thru before lunch is over.”

Wait. Is he suggesting that we spend one on one time together without any study involved?

He misunderstands my delay. “I mean we don’t have to…only if you want to. I know you’ve been busy recently and you probably have people to catch up with, but I just thought…”

He almost sounds nervous. Surely not?

“And you don’t have to get a burger. I know you’re still on that crazy unnecessary diet.”

I smile. Unnecessary diet. He doesn’t think I need to lose any weight.

“Forget it. You probably just want to hang with your friends.”

I laugh. “Brett, relax. Lunch away from school sounds good.”

“It does?”

“Yeah, it sounds really good.”

In fact, it sounds like the best offer I’ve had in a long time.

27

The doorbell rings just as I pick my nephew up out of his high chair and drop sloppy kisses all over his face while he giggles and squirms away