kids. Madison had laughed and explained how she was tutoring him, and it was funny he thought that meant they were friends. Then she’d felt terrible for being mean and switched the subject.
“It is true,” Brett said. “But besides all that, I’m interested in someone else.”
He had his choice between her and someone else, and he was choosing the other person? This hadn’t happened to her since she had lost twenty-five pounds in the summer before eighth grade. Tears filled her eyes, and she swallowed to make them go away. She should leave now. Get up and go back to join her friends. Damien would be happy to see her.
Maybe if Brett saw her with Damien it would make him jealous.
She shook the thought away. Flirting with Damien was fun, but he was one of her closest friends, and hurting him like Brett had hurt her wouldn’t be fair. And who was to say Damien wouldn’t get sick of her like he did with every girl he dated? Maybe the only reason he was interested in her was because she didn’t fall all over him like the rest of them.
Madison was about to get up and say “bye” to Brett when she spotted Adrian Diamond and his three daughters walking into the club. The girls looked like total hicks. The little one was wearing an aqua dress that resembled a cheap Halloween-store costume, the tall blonde looked like she was going to church in Kansas in her silly pink sundress and the one with the freaky blue streaks might as well have come straight from the trailer park in a short black skirt that was obviously fake leather. The matching knee-high boots and excessive eyeliner made it worse.
They would never fit in here in a million years.
“Adrian Diamond’s daughters,” Madison said in distaste. “Have you met them yet?”
“Yep.” Brett didn’t look at her when he answered; instead he focused on the Diamond girl with wavy blond hair—the tall one in the stupid pink sundress. To make things more scandalous, she recognized Brett’s wistful look as he stared at the Diamond girl. Heated jealousy filled her lungs, which was ridiculous, because that twig of a girl had nothing on Madison. But it sure seemed like Brett had a crush on his.... What was the right term for the daughter of your mother’s boyfriend?
Whatever it was, the way he was looking at her shouldn’t be legal.
“They definitely don’t look like they’re from around here.” Madison rested an elbow on the bar and held her wineglass in front of her.
Brett plunked down his empty beer bottle, and Madison jumped at the loud clang. “I’m going to say hi to them,” he said. “Have fun tonight.”
He stood up before Madison could reply. What had she done to make him so uninterested in her? Maybe she could have been nicer to him around school, but they always got along when she tutored him. And two weeks ago, when he’d kissed her, she knew he’d wanted her as much as she’d wanted him. Now he’d left her sitting at a bar by herself. It didn’t make sense.
Her eyes filled again, and she stared into her glass, refusing to turn around and watch Brett greet those girls. Seeing that would be too painful. Instead, she swallowed away the tears and took another sip of wine, closing her eyes as it traveled down her body, pretending it could cool down all the jealousy and anger she was feeling. She made herself breathe steadily, like she did in yoga class when they were getting rid of their stresses from the day. Inhale positive energy, exhale negative.
Nearly a minute passed until she started feeling like herself again. And she needed to stop sulking. Brett had made it clear he wasn’t interested, and while that hurt, she wasn’t going to be pathetic about it.
She lifted her shoulders, stood up and straightened her dress. The club had grown crowded while she’d been talking to Brett. Colored spotlights darted around the room like they were dancing to the thumping music, and dry ice hovered an inch or so over the dance floor, flowing over
“It is true,” Brett said. “But besides all that, I’m interested in someone else.”
He had his choice between her and someone else, and he was choosing the other person? This hadn’t happened to her since she had lost twenty-five pounds in the summer before eighth grade. Tears filled her eyes, and she swallowed to make them go away. She should leave now. Get up and go back to join her friends. Damien would be happy to see her.
Maybe if Brett saw her with Damien it would make him jealous.
She shook the thought away. Flirting with Damien was fun, but he was one of her closest friends, and hurting him like Brett had hurt her wouldn’t be fair. And who was to say Damien wouldn’t get sick of her like he did with every girl he dated? Maybe the only reason he was interested in her was because she didn’t fall all over him like the rest of them.
Madison was about to get up and say “bye” to Brett when she spotted Adrian Diamond and his three daughters walking into the club. The girls looked like total hicks. The little one was wearing an aqua dress that resembled a cheap Halloween-store costume, the tall blonde looked like she was going to church in Kansas in her silly pink sundress and the one with the freaky blue streaks might as well have come straight from the trailer park in a short black skirt that was obviously fake leather. The matching knee-high boots and excessive eyeliner made it worse.
They would never fit in here in a million years.
“Adrian Diamond’s daughters,” Madison said in distaste. “Have you met them yet?”
“Yep.” Brett didn’t look at her when he answered; instead he focused on the Diamond girl with wavy blond hair—the tall one in the stupid pink sundress. To make things more scandalous, she recognized Brett’s wistful look as he stared at the Diamond girl. Heated jealousy filled her lungs, which was ridiculous, because that twig of a girl had nothing on Madison. But it sure seemed like Brett had a crush on his.... What was the right term for the daughter of your mother’s boyfriend?
Whatever it was, the way he was looking at her shouldn’t be legal.
“They definitely don’t look like they’re from around here.” Madison rested an elbow on the bar and held her wineglass in front of her.
Brett plunked down his empty beer bottle, and Madison jumped at the loud clang. “I’m going to say hi to them,” he said. “Have fun tonight.”
He stood up before Madison could reply. What had she done to make him so uninterested in her? Maybe she could have been nicer to him around school, but they always got along when she tutored him. And two weeks ago, when he’d kissed her, she knew he’d wanted her as much as she’d wanted him. Now he’d left her sitting at a bar by herself. It didn’t make sense.
Her eyes filled again, and she stared into her glass, refusing to turn around and watch Brett greet those girls. Seeing that would be too painful. Instead, she swallowed away the tears and took another sip of wine, closing her eyes as it traveled down her body, pretending it could cool down all the jealousy and anger she was feeling. She made herself breathe steadily, like she did in yoga class when they were getting rid of their stresses from the day. Inhale positive energy, exhale negative.
Nearly a minute passed until she started feeling like herself again. And she needed to stop sulking. Brett had made it clear he wasn’t interested, and while that hurt, she wasn’t going to be pathetic about it.
She lifted her shoulders, stood up and straightened her dress. The club had grown crowded while she’d been talking to Brett. Colored spotlights darted around the room like they were dancing to the thumping music, and dry ice hovered an inch or so over the dance floor, flowing over
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