“It’s no big deal.” I push myself off the couch. “Whatcha making tonight, Brin?”
“Nothing crazy, just a lasagna. It’s Alex’s favorite meal.”
“Just a lasagna?” Alex scoffs. “That would be like sayingjusta roast dinner. If it takes a ton of effort and steps, then it deserves proper credit.”
“Whatever.” Brinley takes ground meat out of one of the bags. “How’d your mom like that chicken dish?”
“Hmm?” I shove my hands in my pockets.
“The Colombian one, thesudado de pollo. The meal you said she saw on the Food Network and was dying to try it.”
“Oh, right. Mom loved it.” Which is true. I brought the leftovers to her, and she was shocked to hear that I had made it.
Brinley just doesn’t know I made the same meal two days later for Avalon.
“Good. I know she loves lasagna too, so I’m making an extra pan just for her.”
“Thanks, Brin. She’llappreciate it.”
“Alright, losers, we’ll be in my room,” Declan says, and I turn to see him and Ember hand in hand.
“Gross. I don’t want to think about you guys making out in your room.”
“Don’t think I said anything about making out… but yeah, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing.”
He disappears up the stairs, leaving me with Brinley and Alex in the kitchen. So, basically, leaving me to be a third wheel… again.
“You wanna help us make dinner?” Brinley asks. “You could chop the veggies for the sauce.” She turns toward Alex. “I’ve taught him really well. He’s basically a pro at chopping now.”
“That’s because you always have me chop, so you don’t have to cry while you cut onions.”
“Maybe…”
“And nah, I got some homework to do, so I’m—”
“I’m sorry, Zeke Harris is going to do homework?”
“I don’t know what those idiots, who I call my friends, say about me when I’m not around, but Zeke Harris has practically straight As,” I argue.
“Practically?” She puts her hands on her hips.
“I have one b minus, but that’s only because my professor doesn’t like me very much,” I reply. “I may or may not have slept with his daughter a week into classes, but I didn’t know. Trust me, I’ve learned to avoid sleeping with a teacher’s kid.”
“Riley Hunter, senior year.” She snorts. “Mr. Hunter held it over your head for the whole second semester.”
“Yeah,” I respond, turning my attention to Alex. “He almost prevented me from graduating.”
“You never told us how you got out of that.”
“Let’s just say I told Mr. Hunter if he prevented me from graduating, that would just give me another year of school with Riley. My grade changed real quick.”
“Isn’t that like… blackmail?” Alex asks.
“I wasn’t failing because my work sucked. He was gonna give me a zero on the final project, worth half our grade because he found out I slept with his daughter. Technically, I could’ve reported him to the school board, but I’m a great guy.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Zeke.”
How’d Brinley talk you into being her date to the banquet?” I lean back against my chair as we finish up dinner.