“You know it wasn’t that easy! I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did—”

“Oh, you didn’t mean to wreck my life? It just ‘happened’?”

Bridge stands up from behind her drums. It’s impossible, but she’s tal er than me now. “What do you mean, wreck your life?”

“Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I mean. How could you do this to me?”

“Do what? It’s not like you were dating!”

I scream in frustration. “We certainly won’t be now!”

She sneers. “It’s kind of hard to date someone who’s not interested in you.”

“LIAR!”

“What, you ditch us for Paris and expect us to put our lives on hold for you?”

My jaw drops. “I didn’t ditch you. They sent me away.”

“Ooo, yeah. To Paris. Meanwhile, I’m stuck here in Shitlanta, Georgia, at the same shitty school, doing shitty babysitting jobs—”

“If babysitting my brother is so shitty, why do you do it?”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Because you want to turn him against me, too? well . Congratulations, Bridge. It worked. My brother loves you and hates me. So you’re welcome to

move in when I leave again, because that’s what you want, right? My life?”

She shakes with fury. “Go to hel .”

“Take my life. You can have it. Just watch out for the part where my BEST FRIEND SCREWS ME OVER!” I knock over a cymbal stand, and the brass

hits the stage with an earsplitting crash that reverberates through the bowling all ey. Matt cal s my name. Has he been cal ing it this entire time? He grabs my arm and leads me around the electrical cords and plugs and onto the floor and away, away, away.

Everyone in the bowling all ey is staring at me.

I duck my head so my hair covers my face. I’m crying. This would have never happened if I hadn’t given Toph her number. all of those late-night

practices and . . . he said they’ve had sex! What if they’ve had it at my house? Does he come over when she’s watching Seany? Do they go in my

bedroom?

I’m going to be sick. I’m going to be sick. I’m going to be—

“You’re not going to be sick,” Matt says, and I didn’t know I was talking out loud, but I don’t care because my best friend is dating Toph. She’s dating

Toph. She’s dating Toph. She’s dating—Toph.

Toph’s here.

Right in front of me, in the parking lot. His slender body is relaxed, and he leans his blue plaid h*ps against his car. “What’s up, Annabel Lee?”

He was never interested in me. She said that.

Toph opens his arms for a hug, but I’m already bolting for Matt’s car. I hear his peeved, “What’s with her?” and Matt replying something in disgust, but I don’t know what, and I’m running and running and running, and I want to be as far away from them, as far away from this night, as possible. I wish I were in bed. I wish I were home.

I wish I were in Paris.

Chapter twenty-seven

Anna. Anna, slow down. Bridgette’s dating Toph?” St. Clair asks over the phone.

“Since Thanksgiving. She’s been ly-lying to me this whole time!”

The Atlanta skyline is a blur outside the car window.The towers are il uminated in blue and white lights. They’re more disjointed than the buildings in

Paris; they have no relationship. They’re just stupid rectangles designed to be tal er, better than the others.

“I need you to take a deep breath,” he says. “Al right? Take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”

Matt and Cherrie watch me in the rearview mirror as I relate the story again. The line grows quiet. “Are you there?” I ask. I’m startled when a pink tissue appears in my face. It’s attached to Cherrie’s hand. She looks guilty.

I accept the tissue.

“I’m here.” St. Clair is angry. “I’m just sorry I’m not there. With you. I wish there was something I could do.”

“Wanna come beat her up for me?”

“I’m packing my throwing stars right now.”

I sniffle and wipe my nose. “I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I thought he liked me. That’s the worst part, knowing he was never even interested.”

“Bol ocks. He was interested.”

“No, he wasn’t,” I say. “Bridge said so.”

“Because she’s jealous! Anna, I was there that first night he cal ed you. I’ve seen how he looked at you in pictures.” I protest, but he interrupts. “Any bloke with a working prick would be insane not to like you.”

There’s a shocked pause, on both ends of the line.

“Because, of course, of how intel igent you are. And funny. Not that you aren’t attractive. Because you are. Attractive. Oh, bugger ...”

I wait.

“Are you stil there, or did you hang up because I’m such a bleeding idiot?”

“I’m here.”

“God, you made me work for that.”

St. Clair said I’m attractive. That’s the second time.

“You’re so easy to talk to,” he continues, “that sometimes I forget you’re not one of the guys.”

Scratch that. He thinks I’m Josh. “Just drop it. I can’t take being compared to a guy right now—”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“How’s your mom? I’m sorry, I’ve hogged our entire conversation, and this was supposed to be about her, and I didn’t even ask—”