Wash Me Away by Wendy Owens Page B

something. Anything.
    “Leo’s coming over tonight,” I blurt out.
    “What?” There’s shock in her voice, and she stiffens. “Like to your house?”
    I laugh at her response. “It’s not like that. He’s bringing over a stack of movies for me to watch.”
    She puffs out a breath. “You scared me for a second.”
    “He has a girlfriend,” I remind myself more than her.
    Her face hardens, and her brows narrow. “And even if he didn’t, it’s not like you think of him that way. Right?”
    “Of course not,” I say what I know she wants to hear.
    She collapses flat onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Good, because nobody’s got time for that.”
    What the hell does that mean? “Time for what?”
    She laughs. “Are you kidding me? Why do you think I don’t have a boyfriend?”
    Because you can’t commit. I lift my shoulders in ignorance.
    “My parents royally screwed me up.” This statement seems to have merit. “A relationship with me would only equal drama, and ain’t nobody got time for that.”
    Suddenly, what she’s saying becomes very clear. “So I’m screwed up.”
    Flipping over onto her stomach, she stares me in the eyes. “Almost everyone at Burton is a flipping mess. But it doesn’t matter, right? You don’t even think of Leo that way.”
    “Right, of course not.” I feel the need to convince her. “You should come over tonight too.”
    “Hanging out with my friends on a Friday night watching dorky eighties movies, or get laid? Hmmm . . . tough choice.”
    “What? Who are you hooking up with?” I ask, surprised by the revelation.
    “Todd.”
    “Oh my God, no! Please tell me you’re teasing. I thought you were done with that loser.” My stomach twists at the thought of him.
    “I was, but he’s just so damn hot.”
    “Julia, no! Do not go back out with that guy.”
    “Fine! I’ll go to your loser fest tonight,” she relents.
    “That was easy.”
    “I was on the fence anyway,” she admits.
    “Miyagi will be there,” I add.
    “Are you trying to convince me not to come?” she whines.
    “I like Miyagi.” I feel the need to defend Leo’s friend. My friend.
    She presses her lips outward, then replies, “He says the weirdest stuff sometimes.”
    “And Leo doesn’t?”
    “I never said he wasn’t a freak too.”
    Grabbing a nearby pillow, I toss it at her face. “Shut up. It’ll be fun.”
    She flinches. “If you say so.”
    My phone buzzes. I open it and see Leo’s name.
    Miyagi want’s to know if you’ll ask Julia to come tonight.
    I laugh. The crush he has on her seems to be obvious to everyone except Julia.
    “What?” she barks, leaning, trying to see my screen.
    I shake my head and shift so she can’t see the text, trying not to be obvious about it. “Nothing, just Leo.”
    “You two are all buddy-buddy these days, aren’t you?”
    are we?
    “He just wanted to know if I was inviting anyone else tonight.” I say, only slightly adjusting the truth.
    Already done. She’ll be there.
    “There better be junk food,” she warns. “Especially if I have to put up with Miyagi.”
    I frown. Todd isn’t worth the air in his lungs, let alone Julia’s time. Miyagi, on the other hand, would worship everything about her.
    “Would I ever invite you to a party without junk food?”
    “Twizzlers?” she clarifies.
    Tell her I’m bringing Twizzlers.
    A laugh bursts out of my mouth when my phone buzzes with Leo’s message.
    “What now?” she huffs in irritation.
    “Leo said to tell you he’s bringing Twizzlers,” I answer.
    She fights a grin that threatens to split her face. “Damn straight he is.”
    My phone buzzes again, but this time it’s my Uncle Gil.
    Waiting out front.
    I stand. “Oh, gotta go. It’s my uncle. Do you need him to come pick you up?”
    She shakes her head; “I’ll have Leo get me when he picks up Miyagi.”
    I rush forward, giving her a quick hug. “Try not to have too much fun with the boys before you get