The luckiest. The voice in my head is full of sarcasm, but I can’t blame Lauren since she and most everyone else don’t know I’m probably the unluckiest girl in the world right now.
But then I glance up and see Sofia giving Lauren a look that screams shut up. And then Lauren stares at me, her wide eyes a dead giveaway. I look around the table and realize every single one of them is watching me with the same sad eyes. Stupid Sofia. And stupid me for trusting her.
I push my chair back so fast, the metal legs squeak offensively loud against the floor. I’ve got to get away from their stupid sympathy. I keep my eyes on the ground, stuffing my uneaten lunch in the trash can as I walk by, making a beeline for the double doors.
There are still thirty-five minutes before the next class starts, and we’re only allowed to be in the cafeteria or the library during lunch. Since I can’t go back to the cafeteria, I head toward the library. But the thought of being in that quiet room makes my head want to explode.
Instead, I turn left down the hallway, hoping the door to the theater will be unlocked. I take a deep breath and turn the handle. Sure enough, the door gives. I look behind me, and the coast is miraculously clear, so I slip inside before someone catches me.
The room is dark with nothing but the ghost light shining in the middle of the stage. I start slowly down the aisle, my steps getting quicker with the incline. I choose a row far back enough that the light doesn’t reach me if anyone were to open the door and look inside. The velvet of the chair feels soft against my legs, and I rub the cushion as if it were a teddy bear.
I wish I could stay in here all day. Skipping a few classes would certainly be better than the way Mom handled the news. Maybe I should just get drunk like she did. I didn’t like the taste of beer at Liam’s party, but I liked the way it made me feel—light and happy, like I didn’t have a care in the world.
Although I didn’t really have a care in the world back then.
The door to the theater opens and light floods the room. I sink lower in the chair, hoping whoever it is will go away.
No such luck.
I hear steps, slow and steady as they come down the aisle. They’re getting closer. My eyes have adjusted to the lack of light and I see a tall, slender shadow stop at the end of my row. The shadow walks closer, and I recognize the woodsy smell of his cologne.
I sit back up. “You scared me.”
“How’d you know it was me?” Liam asks, walking down the row toward me.
“I smelled you.” It’s easier to talk to him when I don’t have to worry about getting lost in those deep brown eyes.
“Do I smell?” He sniffs and I imagine him dropping his head to smell his collar.
“It’s good,” I assure him. “Your cologne.”
“Curve for Men,” he says. “My sister got it for me.”
I nod, forgetting it’s dark enough that he probably can’t see.
Liam takes another step toward me, feeling for the seat. He sits down and lifts the armrest between us. “Now you can smell me even better.”
My stomach does a little flip; I’m doubly nervous now that he’s sitting so close. “Is that what you came in here for?”
“I saw you run out of the cafeteria.”
“I didn’t run,” I say, defending myself.
“You looked upset. You weren’t in the library, so I figured you might be in here.”
“Am I that predictable?” I ask, flattered he would worry about me. Maybe he really does like me.
“I just assumed you wanted to get a head start for practicing our scene?” Liam clears his throat and I hope he can’t see me blush. “I will kiss thy lips,” he says.
“That’s my line,” I say, even though it would be much easier if the roles were reversed.
“Then go ahead—you say it.”
“I will kiss thy lips,” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t sound as shaky as it feels. But his knees are touching my knees, and it’s like there’s literal electricity coursing through our bodies. “Haply some poison yet doth hang on them.”
This is the part where I’m supposed to lean down and kiss Romeo, hoping to die because life isn’t worth living without him.