Be Mine Page 5

  She was determined to talk to him. If he thought he could just send her a text message and that would be the end of things between them, he was wrong. All last night she had thought of what Claudia had told her and she was right. Keith owed her an explanation. She might not like what he told her, but she wanted to know why he was breaking up with her. And even though she hated to admit this, a teeny tiny part of her was hoping if they did talk, they might still have a chance to work things out. At the very least, Keith would get to hear what she had to say.

  To make sure she didn’t miss him, Eden had come to school an hour earlier than usual. She knew Keith was going to have to get his books for his morning classes, so he wouldn’t be able to avoid her.

  Eden stared down the mostly deserted hallway. It was weird not hearing a bunch of different conversations going on at the same time or the nonstop clanking of locker doors. It was so quiet! She had never come to school this early. Most of the students already here were the ones who were taking accelerated classes. They were already in the school library or computer center. Everyone she hung out with was still at home.

  Thinking of the smart kids reminded Eden that she wasn’t one of them. She did okay in her classes, but she wouldn’t be taking any Advanced Placement classes next year the way her two older sisters had when they attended North Ridge High. Unlike Shannon and Alyssa, she wasn’t a brainiac, and she wouldn’t be winning a full college scholarship the way they both had. Shannon was a sophomore at NYU in the pre-med program, while Alyssa was a senior at Columbia and applying to law school.

  Thinking of her sisters reminded Eden that she had a tutoring session that morning. Her parents, who were both lawyers, hadn’t been thrilled with her PSAT scores last spring. With the SATs coming up in May, they had gotten her a tutor last month. Eden hadn’t thought her scores were that bad — after all, it was a standardized test and you couldn’t really study for it — but her parents disagreed. They felt that she wasn’t applying herself enough, but that wasn’t true! She just wasn’t as smart as Shannon and Alyssa, and even though her parents didn’t mean to do it, they were always comparing her to them. She knew they didn’t do it on purpose, but they still did it when they said things like, “Shannon never had any trouble in Chemistry. Why don’t you give her a call and see if she can help you out?” Or, “Alyssa already had enough credits from her Advanced Placement classes to enter Columbia as a sophomore. Why don’t you think about taking a class or two this summer to finish your high school requirements and get a jump start?”

  In a family of overachievers, Eden felt like she was an underachiever, even though she always tried to do her best. Her father was constantly telling her she needed to think about her future. Well, she did think about her future. She knew what she wanted to do when she was finished with college. She wanted to be a model. She wanted to wear beautiful clothes, pose for photographers, and travel the world! She wanted to be the next Tyra Banks. Her favorite TV show was America’s Next Top Model and she watched it religiously every week. Often, she would practice different facial expressions in her bedroom mirror and work on her runway walk. She also subscribed to all the fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, W, and Harper’s Bazaar. When it came to designers, stylists, models, and photographers, she knew everything, but she didn’t share that information with her family. If they knew she wanted to be a model, she was sure they’d be horrified.

  So she didn’t tell them.

  But someday she would.

  Last night she had spent hours in front of her closet, going through her clothes, trying to find the perfect outfit for today. If Keith was going to break up with her, then she wanted him to see what he was losing.

  In the end, she decided to wear a pink turtleneck with black jeans and gray and white fake-fur boots decorated with dangling pompoms on the side. She had decided not to put too much effort into it. No reason to let Keith know she was dressing for him! The look was very casual and “let’s cuddle up in front of the fire at a ski lodge.” She’d used a flat iron on her hair so it fell over her shoulders in a smooth sheet and dabbed only a tiny bit of smoky eye shadow and mascara on her lids and lashes so she could bring out the color of her chocolatebrown eyes.

  After waiting for thirty minutes, Eden saw Keith walking down the hallway toward her. She fought against the butterflies in her stomach. She was so nervous! But she couldn’t let him see that. She couldn’t let him see that he had upset her — although her frantic messages and texts from yesterday proved the opposite. She had to be calm. If she wasn’t calm, he wouldn’t listen to her. Guys hated weepy, clingy girls.

  As Keith got closer to his locker, he saw her. His gray eyes widened in surprise.

  “What are you doing here so early?” he asked.

  Eden closed the distance between them. Should she put her hand on his arm? She decided not to. It didn’t feel right. There was something almost desperate about it. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “About what?”

  Eden held out her cell phone with his text message still on it. “About us.”

  “There is no us.”

  “Don’t you think texting me was a little cold?” she asked. “Why couldn’t you call me?”

  Keith walked around Eden and opened his locker, taking off his navy blue parka and hanging it inside. “I don’t know.”

  “Why are you breaking up with me?”

  Keith started removing some textbooks. “It’s over. Why can’t you accept it?”

  “Because I want to know why. Don’t I deserve that? I have feelings for you and I thought you had feelings for me.”

  “Well, I don’t.”

  Ouch! That stung! “Did you ever?” Eden wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear his answer, but she had to know.

  Keith shrugged. “We went out on a couple of dates. We kissed a few times. It’s not like we were a couple. Why are you making this into something bigger than it was?”

  Eden shook her phone in his face. “Because this message came out of nowhere. The last time I saw you, on Saturday night, when you kissed me good night on my front porch, I thought I still had a boyfriend. But then I figured something might be up when you weren’t answering my calls and texts since Sunday. I’m not clueless. What’s going on?”

  Keith slammed his locker door shut. “I’m just not that into you anymore.”

  “Who are you into?” Eden asked. “That girl I saw you with in the cafeteria yesterday?”

  A guilty look washed over Keith’s face.

  Gotcha! Eden thought.

  “You coward!” she exclaimed. “You didn’t have the guts to tell me that you were dumping me for another girl. It’s not that you’re not into me anymore. It’s that you’re more into her!”

  Keith didn’t deny it and Eden could feel the tears building in the corners of her eyes. She shoved past Keith and hurried down the hallway. She was not going to cry in front of him! If he didn’t want to be with her anymore, fine. She deserved to be with a guy who wanted to be with her.

  But even though she knew all this, it still hurt that Keith had chosen to be with another girl.

  “What am I going to wear on my date on Saturday night?” Jennifer asked Violet as they walked to school.

  “Date? What date?”

  “With Will!”

  “It’s not a date,” Violet sternly reminded her. “You’re going to a party together. Besides, it’s not like he’s your real boyfriend. You don’t have to impress the guy. You can wear whatever you want.”

  “I have to make it look like I’ve put some effort into it.”

  “Why?”

  Jennifer laughed. “What?”

  “It sounds like you care what Will thinks about you. And that can only mean one thing. Trouble.” Violet pulled Jennifer onto a bench in front of a coffee shop. “We need to talk.”

  “About what?” Jennifer asked, noticing the serious expression on Violet’s face.

  “This situation. I’m getting worried.”

&nbs
p; “Situation?”

  “You’ve got to guard your heart,” Violet warned. “Even though this is all pretend, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with Will.”

  “And?”

  “You need to be careful that you don’t really fall for him.”

  Jennifer laughed, getting off the bench and starting to walk again. “That’ll never happen!”

  “Why not?” Violet asked, hurrying after her. “What about all those girls he’s gone out with and never called back? It happened to them! There’s a reason why he’s called the Heartbreaker and I don’t want you finding out!”

  “I’m different from those other girls,” Jennifer said as she waited at a corner for the stoplight to change from red to green.

  “How?” Violet demanded, catching up with her.

  “Easy,” Jennifer answered. “I’m not going to fall for him. And I know that after Valentine’s Day, Will and I will go our separate ways.”

  “Well, I’m still going to be keeping my eye on you,” Violet said. “Just to be on the safe side.”

  “You’re overreacting. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll see.”

  Violet didn’t answer.

  “Violet?”

  “I think you have something to worry about,” Violet said, pointing across the street at the North Ridge High student parking lot.

  Jennifer followed Violet’s pointing finger and couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Will had just parked his motorcycle. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was the girl sitting behind him with her arms wrapped snugly around his waist! Jennifer watched as she jumped off the back of the motorcycle, handed Will her helmet — tossing out her long, sun-streaked blonde, shampoo-commercial perfect hair — and then hurried into the school.

  When the stoplight changed to green, Jennifer rushed across the parking lot to Will’s side.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she shrieked, confronting him like a crazy girl, throwing her arms up in the air.

  “Hey, Jessica!” Will took off his motorcycle helmet and ran a gloved hand through his hair, unmussing it. His blue eyes were hidden behind his mirrored sunglasses. “How’s it going?”

  “My name’s not Jessica!”

  “It isn’t?” Will held up a hand. “Wait, don’t tell me. Let me think. Jenna? Jillian? Jane?”

  “It’s Jennifer!” she hissed.

  Will slammed a hand against his forehead. “Jennifer! Right! Sorry. I forgot. But I knew it started with a J.”

  Jennifer couldn’t tell if Will had really forgotten her name or if he was only messing around with her. She’d worry about that later.

  “We’re supposed to be a couple!” she reminded him. “Did you forget that?”

  Will took off his sunglasses, tucking them into a pocket of his motorcycle jacket. He smiled at Jennifer, his ice blue eyes filled with amusement. “What are you having a meltdown about?”

  “That girl!”

  “What about her?”

  “You gave her a ride on your motorcycle.”

  “So?”

  “She looked pretty cozy sitting behind you! What’s everyone going to think if my boyfriend is giving a ride to another girl? They’re going to think he’s cheating on me!”

  “Nice to know you have such faith in me,” Will said.

  “You do have a reputation,” Violet piped up as she joined them. “No offense. I’m just saying.”

  “I’m well aware of my so-called reputation,” Will said to Violet. “I don’t need you reminding me.”

  Violet blushed with embarrassment before turning to Jennifer. “I’ll see you inside.”

  “The girl I was giving a ride to is my nextdoor neighbor,” Will explained after Violet left. “We’re just friends. I’ve given her rides before. You’re going to need to control that jealousy, Red.”

  “I’m not jealous,” Jennifer quickly snapped. “And don’t call me Red!”

  “Why not? Couples usually have pet names for each other. Your red face matches your red hair perfectly, Red.”

  “Stop calling me that!”

  Will held his hands up in surrender. “Touchy, touchy.”

  Jennifer noticed other students were staring in their direction as they walked through the parking lot. Even though they hadn’t heard what they were saying, it was obvious that she and Will were fighting.

  “People are watching us,” Jennifer whispered. “What are we going to do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? We have to do something! Otherwise they’re going to talk about us.”

  “Let them talk. It’s a good thing that they saw us fighting.

  “Why is it good?” a panicked Jennifer asked.

  “We were having a fight,” Will pointed out. “That’s what couples do, right? They fight. It means they’ve got a lot of passion for each other. And passion equals love.”

  Will’s answer left Jennifer speechless. But before she could answer, he gave her a quick wink and headed into school.

  Mindy Yee was waiting to pounce when Eden walked into the school library.

  “Eden!” Mindy exclaimed, abandoning her notebook and rushing to Eden’s side, steering her to the empty chair next to hers at the table where she was studying. “I heard all about your breakup with Keith! How are you doing?”

  Mindy Yee was the last person Eden wanted to talk to. Mindy was the biggest gossip at North Ridge High. Eden knew that if she told Mindy anything, the entire school would know it all by the end of the day. Not that she would. She didn’t consider Mindy a friend. The person she really wanted to talk to was Natalie, but she wouldn’t be able to do that until lunch.

  “Who told you that Keith and I broke up?” The question slipped out before she could stop herself. Other than Claudia, she hadn’t discussed it with anyone.

  “Deena told me.”

  “Deena?”

  Mindy’s almond-shaped eyes glittered with excitement as she dropped her bombshell, waiting to see Eden’s reaction. “Keith’s new girlfriend.”

  Miss Braids, Eden thought. Obviously she knew who to talk to. No one spread the dirt faster than Mindy.

  “Is it true that he didn’t break up with you in person?” Mindy asked, trying to look sympathetic. “That he sent you a text message?”

  Eden wanted to ask Mindy why she was asking the question since it was obvious Deena had told her everything. Instead, she got out of her seat. “Mindy, I’m sure you know how painful breakups can be.” She was sure Mindy didn’t. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had gone out with this blabbermouth. “It’s too personal to discuss.”

  Then Eden left the table before Mindy could say anything else, searching for her tutor. As she did, she ran into Lily Norris, who worked part-time at the library.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear Mindy,” Lily said. “I’d love to strangle her! Why can’t she mind her own business? If it’s any consolation, I know exactly what you’re going through.”

  Eden remembered that Lily used to date Jason Fitzpatrick. Their first date had been last year at the Valentine’s Day dance. They had dated for most of the spring, but when Jason had gone away for the summer to work at a sleepaway camp, he had met another girl and broken up with Lily via e-mail.

  “I guess getting dumped by e-mail is just as bad as getting dumped with a text message,” Eden said.

  “Breakups suck, no matter how they happen,” Lily said. “It hurts at first, but then the hurt goes away. Just give yourself some time. Don’t give up. The right guy is waiting. No one knows that better than me.”

  Eden knew Lily had met her boyfriend Simon in December during the Secret Santa exchange. There had been a lot of misunderstandings between the two of them, because of the Secret Santa game, but eventually they’d wound up together.

  Eden gave Lily a smile. “Thanks.”

  After Lily returned to the front desk, Eden sat herself down at a table in the back and pulled out her SAT study guide. She was familiarizing herself wit
h a bunch of different vocabulary words when her tutor, Dexter King, arrived.

  When Eden’s parents decided she needed a tutor, Eden had gone to the school guidance office. In addition to the private tutor she met with at home every Saturday morning, the school had assigned Dexter, one of the smartest guys in her junior class, to work with her. They met three times a week during her free period. While Claudia and Natalie were hanging out in the cafeteria doing homework or just gossiping during their free period, she was stuck with Dexter. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Dexter. She just couldn’t wait until the SATs were over and she could get her free time back.

  If Eden had to use one word to describe Dexter, it would be preppy. Every day he always wore the same thing: khaki pants, burgundy penny loafers, a white (or blue) Oxford shirt, and either a pullover sweater or a vest. He was tall and lanky, his skin was the color of mocha, and his brown hair was short and spiky.

  “Have you been crying?” Dexter asked, pulling his book bag over his head.

  “Is it that obvious?” Eden asked in a panic, reaching into her shoulder bag for her compact and checking her face. She’d popped into the girls’ bathroom between classes. Her eyes had been a little swollen during first period but she thought they had gone back to normal the last time she had checked.

  “No,” he said, taking the seat across from her and pulling out his SAT study guide. “But your eyes are sad. Did something happen?”

  “My boyfriend broke up with me.” Eden sniffed. “I might as well tell you how he broke up with me since I’m sure the entire school is going to know by the end of today. He sent me a text message.”

  “That’s cold.”

  “I know.” Eden could feel the tears coming back, but she fought them off. She was not going to cry in front of Mindy Yee! She could see her at her table, craning her neck like a vulture, trying to figure out what was going on between her and Dexter. “And now his new girlfriend is making sure everyone knows what he did.”

  “Well, just ignore it. You’ve got more important stuff to worry about.”

  “Like what?”

  Dexter held up his SAT study guide. “Like this.”