“Don’t forget the corsages!” Ophelia’s lips part to release a thin stream of vapor from one corner of her mouth. “And the competition for Prom Queen, of course.”
“As if it’s even a competition.” Her twin rolls her eyes. “We all know Sienna is going to get all the votes. Who needs to stuff the ballot box when you’ve banged half the boys in our grade?”
Ophelia snorts. “True. But I don’t care about a stupid crown anyway. My dress is Alexander McQueen. That’s as close to royalty as I need to be on prom night.”
Odette glances at me. “Did you pick out a dress yet?”
“Dress?” I grimace. “I don’t even have a date.”
Brakes screech. The Range Rover slams to a stop in the middle of the road as both twins turn fully around in their seats to face me. Their mouths are agape in identical expressions of horrified disbelief.
“Prom is two weeks away, Valentine,” Ophelia says gravely.
“I know.”
“Most girls locked in their dates ages ago,” Odette informs me, equally grave. “We’re going with a set of twins from St. John’s.”
I laugh. “Seriously? Twins with twins?”
“Cute, right?” Ophelia winks. “But honestly… we assumed Archer asked you.”
“Totally assumed,” Odette agrees.
The laughter withers on my tongue. “At one point, I thought he might… but lately things have been so weird between us…”
Odette’s nose scrunches up in thought. “Weirdhow, exactly?”
I shrug.
“Come on. Spill it.” Ophelia puffs her vape again. Before I can answer, a car pulls up behind us, beeping angrily at the roadblock we’ve created. Unruffled, she merely rolls down her window and waves them onward. The dark sedan zips around the Range Rover with an angry squeal of rubber.
“Get out of the damn road!” the driver yells as he passes.
The twins appear unfazed.
“Anyway,” Ophelia says, lips twisting. “You two hooked up, is that it? Ruined the sanctity of your friendship by finally screwing?”
“No! Absolutely not.”
“It’s fine. You can tell us. Everyone at school already thinks you two have been doing it for ages.”
Great.
My teeth grit. “We didn’t hook up.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“Not even once?”
“Not even once.” I sigh. “We’re just friends!”
“Maybe youwere. But at some point, one of you must have started wanting to be more.” Ophelia shrugs. “That’s the only explanation for the new awkwardness between you.”
“It is not theonlyexplanation!” I insist. “There are plenty of other reasons—”
“Oh my god!” Odette cuts me off in a gleeful tone. “You, like, totally love him!Oh my god.Look at her cheeks burning, O! Do you see it?”