Page 57 of How (Not) to Conjure a Boyfriend
I hit send before I can delete it.
KAITLYNN: YOU KISSED HIM!?!?!?! That explains so much!
“No!He kissed me!” I scream at my phone while she’s still typing.
MACKENZIE: NO!! HE! HE kissed me! Not the other way!
MACKENZIE: Explains what?!?!
Oh my gods! What does it explain? Everything was normal after that!
My phone dings and I scramble to open the text.
KAITLYNN: Why y’all were both so awkward when we left. And the hand holding at the campsite… ::peeking emoji::
We didn’t hol—
Ugh. Okay, yeah, we did. But it wasn’t romantic. He was making sure I got out of the rain. That’s it! We weren’t cuddling and blowing kisses at each other across the fire.
I try to typeNo we didn’t!but I can’t really say that. It just wasn’t likethat, but she’s never going to believe that.
MACKENZIE: ::middle finger emoji:: ::middle finger emoji:: It wasn’t like THAT!
Less than a second later, I get a new text, but I ignore it and open my thread with Zachary. There’s a video of Artemis. His soft blue coat shifts and ruffles as he pounces on a red laser dot. In the background I hear Zachary laughing. It’s the cat that’s making me smile though.
ZACHARY: He’s so stupid, but I love him!
I shake my head and giggle.
MACKENZIE: Just don’t knock over the spider cagey thing. PLEASE!
ZACHARY: Teo is fine.
As long as he stays away from me. I let the video play again and there’s his laugh again. It’s quiet, joyful. Sweet.
I breathe hard and put my fingers on the screen and start typing a new message, ignoring how many times my phone keeps buzzing. Suddenly Kaity’s face appears on my screen. It’s the photo I took of her looking like a soaked dog at an amusement park last summer. She’s a persistent one, that’s for sure. I giggle and deny the call. She wants answers, and she’ll get them. Later. Right now I’m trying to figure out how to bring it up with Zach.
We need to talk about last night. You know, in the Harrel House…right after we got chased by bats… I didn’t mean to kiss you back. I shouldn’t have… I mean I wanted to, but I…
Ugh! I can’t say that! I can’t say any of it. What if he goes to court and his phone gets subpoenaed and they read them aloud, or worse, Holly finds them.I mean I wanted to. Hell no.I backspace the last sentence and try again a few times, until I get it right. Then it just sits there. I stare at it as if that’ll make it sound any better.We need to talk.Do we though? Can’t this just wait, or even better, just be forgotten?I didn’t mean to kiss you back. I don’t know. The more I think about it, the more I think I did. I definitely didn’t stop him.
The bubbles start moving at the bottom of the screen. I have to do this. We have to confront it! I hover my finger above the send button, but I can’t get myself to press it.
Ding!
ZACHARY: OMG! He learned he can jump on top of Teo’s cage from my bed! I’m going to need a lid now.
Below it is a video of Artemis literally cat-walking along the open edges of the spider cage. My stomach sinks. No, Artemis! Don’t do it! Oh wait… No! Do it! Eat the spider!
ZACHARY: What were you typing?
Good question. WhatwasI typing? A big mistake. That’s what. I hold down the backspace and watch it all disappear. I exhale and start again.
MACKENZIE: It was nothing. Artemis! Eat Teo!
ZACHARY: No! Not Teo!
I grumble but drop my phone next to my laptop. This sucks so much.
