“Nothing. I was laughing at myself. And I’ll be nice, as long as they’re nice.” And as long as Taz didn’t get hurt in the middle.

“They will be.” She bobbed her head up and down. “I promise.” Her shoulders relaxed. “I was so nervous to ask you about that, but I think Sunday forgot how fierce you can be. Dumping the orange juice on her, then starting a whole crew brawl in front of her—that helped her remember. I think she got lax this summer, because she didn’t see you. She forgot she’s not number one on the female alpha list, if you know what I mean. I mean, she is on the cheerleading squad, but outside of the crew system, there are other girls more popular than her—like Tabatha Sweets. But Sunday’s domain is the squad. Tabatha’s is the whole school, not the crew part of the school.”

The door opened behind us halfway through Taz’s statement, and someone had stopped there. I waited for them to pass us by. When they didn’t, I looked back.

It was Sunday, with Monica coming through the door behind her.

Taz turned too, jumping to her feet. “Sunday! I—”

“You can’t cover what you just said. I heard you.” Hurt flared in her eyes, and she looked at me. “I was coming to apologize to you. I had no clue you heard me, but it doesn’t matter. Spreading rumors about you and being catty wouldn’t have been right. I’m sorry I was even thinking about it.”

I nodded. As problems went, she was the least of mine.

But she wasn’t done.

She turned to Taz again. “I—what you said really hurt, Taz.”

“Is it a lie?” I asked.

All three of their heads swiveled to look at me.

“Is it a lie? Or is it true?”

Taz looked down.

Monica’s eyes widened, and her lips pressed together.

Sunday was fixed on me, her face resembling an owl. Big wide eyes. Small mouth, lips pressed together almost in a snarl.

That gave me the answer. “It hurts because it’s true.” I nodded toward Taz. “You can’t get mad at her for being honest. You do shitty things to people. It’s a fact. You’re not doing shitty things to me because I scare you. That’s the truth, right?”

No answer. Her neck was reddening, and the color was moving up. The girl was pissed, but she looked down, and a soft “Yes” came out.

“It should hurt, but be mad at yourself, not her.”

“Sunday, I—” Taz began.

“Don’t apologize.” I was trying to be gentle here, but if Taz wanted to stop taking her shit, this was a time to stand up and base her feet. Or whatever she’d said. “You were being honest.”

Steam could’ve been coming out of Sunday’s ears.

Taz’s eyebrows lifted. “But I wasn’t sensitive. You can be honest, but you have to be sensitive.” She said the last bit to her friend/enemy. “I’ll be more sensitive. I’m sorry, Sunday.”

For fuck’s sake.

This was why I didn’t have female friends, except for Taz. Either I didn’t know how to be sensitive or I didn’t speak that language. If that’s how female friends had to be with each other, I didn’t know if I’d ever have one.

I knew Taz would say she was being nice, but she looked like she was kissing Sunday’s feet. And as the red coloring left her face and a smirk flared, I knew Sunday thought the same. In her head, in her group, she had won just now.

The door opened again, and Jordan, Zellman, and Cross came out.

I almost sagged in relief. The school gods must’ve heard me.

“And that’s my cue to go,” I announced.

The guys saw me as they went out to the parking lot, and they lingered a few feet away, waiting.

I started for them, then remembered what Taz had said, and I wheeled back around to Monica. “Taz said you wanted to ask about me and Cross.”

I could feel him watching me.

“He’s my best friend,” I told her. “That’s all that’s going on, so it’s up to you whether you’re secure enough to handle that. That’s your problem. Don’t make it mine.”

Taz let out a short laugh as I caught up to Cross and the guys.

Zellman glanced back at the girls as we headed to Cross’ truck. “What’s going on there?”

“They’re clearing the air.”

“You okay with them now?” Jordan asked, his finger waving from me to them. “Can we get with them again?”

I nodded. “For now, I guess.”

Zellman’s eyes got big, but he didn’t say anything. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, hunching his shoulders forward. “So what’s the plan for hanging out?” Zellman’s cheeks bulged out. He was refraining himself. “Jordan’s or somewhere else?”

Jordan’s lips twitched, so did Cross’s. We could all see the struggle. Z just got the green light to get some Boobs, but it was crew time right now apparently.

“I’m down for whatever,” I said. “I just have to have dinner with my brother at seven, wherever he’s at.”

“Dinner with your brother?” Cross asked. “That’s the debt Alex can’t pay off?”

“Yep. Which sucks.”

“We could dress him up to look like a girl,” Zellman offered.

Alex was probably a hundred and fifty pounds heavier than me. “You’re right. Channing would be fooled. Let’s do it.”

Zellman frowned. “I wasn’t joking. You guys always laugh at my suggestions.”

“The dinner just you and your brother?” Cross asked, eyeing Zellman.

So was I, but I replied, “You want to come? He said I could bring anyone with me.”

“Fuck.” Jordan’s eyes flashed with anticipation. “Dinner with Channing Monroe. I know he’s your brother, but man. That’d be awesome. I’m in.”

“Great game plan.” I pointed at them. “You guys talk so much, I won’t have to. Best family dinner ever.”

Cross grinned. “It is just for one night?”

“It’s up for debate.” It wasn’t. But I needed a plan to get out of the others.

“What are we doing today?” Jordan asked.

Zellman shot his hand into the air. “I’m right here, and you’re ignoring me.”

I knew what he’d love. “How about cliff diving, Z? You up for it?”

He wavered. I saw the fight on his face, until he melted. “It’s like you get me, Bren.” He pressed a fist over his chest. “Right here.”

That’s what crew did.

“Bren!”

Taz yelled my name after third period that Friday, hurrying through the crowd. I’d just left the bathroom, but I needed to stop at my locker before the next class.

“What’s up?” I asked once she got to my side. She looked well rested, so I added, “I take it you didn’t partake in the partying last night?”

She laughed, shaking her head.

After the early hiccup, the week had passed without any big events. I’d been a good sister. I’d had dinner with Channing every night. I took all the guys to that first dinner on Tuesday, but Channing had stopped it after that. He hadn’t enjoyed the twenty-thousand questions Jordan and Zellman had asked him about the crew system and how he’d started it. So the last two dinners had been me, him, and a whole lot of awkward silence.

I think he was reconsidering letting me bring the guys again, but we were done with dinners until Sunday night. He’d amended our agreement, saying he understood if I had social or crew events happening this weekend. That was really code for him having things going on, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I’d agreed wholeheartedly.

But because we’d still had our dinner last night, I’d heard about the huge party at Manny’s. Channing had gotten the repairs done, and Heather had agreed to allow Roussou people back in. Yesterday was their first day back, and somehow it had become the first official party of the year. It moved to a field after Heather eventually kicked everyone out, and it lasted late.

I knew that much because Cross had crawled into my bedroom at five in the morning. I offered him the bed, but he only took a blanket and curled into a fetal position on the floor. He never woke when I got up for school, and I hadn’t the heart to bother him. He was still sleeping when I left.