The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,141

sister. I’m tall for my age and had breasts by the time I was eleven. So, throw me in a skintight black dress, paint my lips red and stuff my feet into some heels, and there are some places that won’t even card me.

I shrug. “Seventh grade. What you about you?”

“Eighth, I go to Rainier.” He mentions the middle school that serves Rivers Wilde.

“Oh, okay.” I try to cover my surprise. He looks older, too. He’s taller than any of the boys in my middle school.

“You know anyone at Rainer? I don’t want it getting around there that I was crying.”

“No.” I don’t add that I barely know anyone who goes to T.H. Rogers either. I have one friend, Nikki and even she only eats with me because her other friends have a different lunch period.

“That’s good.” He runs a hand over his face like he’s tired. “You want to sit down?” he asks, and when I hesitate he pats the seat next to him.

I’m tempted, these shoes aren’t exactly a joy to stand in. But I hesitate for a second and gauge how quickly I can be back behind that curtain if someone comes in.

“Come on. No one’s coming. I promise.” And there’s something in his smile that tells me he takes his promises seriously.

So, I walk over to the couch and sit down next to him. He leans back like he’s getting comfortable and stares up at the ceiling.

“I wasn’t crying. My mom just makes me mad.”

“It’s okay. I hate my mom sometimes, too,” I admit with a shrug.

“I don’t hate her—I don’t know. She just—”

“Doesn’t like you very much. Is never happy with you, no matter what you do? Wants you to be everything you’re not?”

He slides his eyes over to me again and looks me up and down. I push my glasses up my nose and smile nervously. He doesn’t smile back.

“How do you know that?”

“Because, mine’s the same way. And… I heard what your mother said.” I give him a sly smile and he smiles back.

It’s such a nice smile, complete with twin dimples. I’m sad when it disappears as quickly as it was there.

“Yeah… so that’s it. Basically. I’ll never measure up to my dad.”

“Why? Is your dad famous or something?”

“Even worse. He’s dead.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He shrugs like he means it. “He did all of these great things before he died. He went to business school and was a marketing whiz. He and my grandfather built Wilde World from nothing and my mom wants me to step in and do the same.”

“Is that like AstroWorld, but with animals?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “No, it’s the name of my family’s business.”

“Oh…” I glance around the library. If this is his house, his family must have some sort of huge business. This library is bigger than our entire apartment and has more books than the public library in my neighborhood.

“So, you’re going to be in charge one day?” I ask him in awe.

“Yeah. I guess.” He shrugs like it doesn’t matter.

“You should count your blessings. I wish I had a family business or something more than my mother’s pretty dresses to inherit,” I tell him.

He flushes. “I know I’m lucky. I know. I just… I don’t know. I want to be myself, too. They want me to be just like him. I just want to play basketball.” He slumps forward and stares forlornly at the carpet.

“The best way to get people to stop telling you what to do is to show them what you can do. If you want to play. Play. Can she really stop you?”

“I like that. Your mom’s advice?” he says slowly.

“Nope. Cosmo. If I listened to my mother, the only advice I’d be able to give you is that you could never be too rich or too pretty,” I say and stare at the door, my eyes trained on the handle for signs of it moving. I really want to have time to get behind that curtain again if snakehead comes back.

“So, what have you done to disappoint your mother?” At his unexpected question, I turn and find him watching me closely. I blush and let my hair fall forward so it hides my face. I worry the tasseled edge of the huge rug with the toe of my peep-toe heels. I can’t wait to take them off.

“Have you heard of The Fly Girl?”

“Yeah.” A flush stains his tanned cheeks and he laughs. “Everyone knows The Fly Girl. aka,