Page 59 of The Bad Boyfriend Curse
Noah laughs. “Why am I not surprised that you made a spreadsheet?”
I grin. “Of course I made a spreadsheet. They’re so satisfying. Especially color-coded ones.”
He says nothing for a while. Finally he speaks. “I like that about you. You have a goal… and when things went south, you didn’t accept defeat. You’re still determined.”
I turn to him. “Noah, you can keep your goal too. You can apply to TMU again next year, or you can try other schools.”
He shrugs. “I don’t have a rich and connected stepfather to help me get the things I want.”
“And neither did I until a few months ago.” I pause, coming to a revelation. A lot of me knowing what I want to do, what Icando, is because of the people in my life who have been supporting me. Who has been there to push Noah? Other than Clara, no one, really.
He shakes his head. “My dadbarelyagreed to let me go to TMU before. Aaron could relapse, and Dad needs help with him. And there’s no guarantee I could make a living with music. There are a lot of others who have the same dream. What’s different about me?”
I sigh. I wish there was some way I couldshowNoah that his talent, his skill, is better than most. It shouldn’t be wasted. But I can’t. I can make sure he knows that I’m on his side now, though. I rub his back. “You’re amazing,” I say. “I think you can do whatever you set your mind to.”
“You two are being particularly nauseating today,” Kennedy says. She’s painting a few feet away from us.
I tense. Kennedy and I have been pretty friendly lately, but we haven’t told her that Noah and I are together because I don’t want her to tell Lainey, or worse, my mother.
“You’re just jealous,” Ash says. “When’s the last time you got some?”
Kennedy responds to that by painting a wide stripe of white onto Ash’s gray T-shirt. He screams and tries to get back at her, but Lainey’s been keeping a closer than normal eye on us today, probably to prevent this very thing from happening.
“Chill, dudes, or you’ll be back on weeding duty,” Lainey says.
No one wants that, so the fight breaks up.
Later Kennedy comes and whispers, “Honestly, happy for you. I knew it would happen eventually. You and Noah are great together. I’ll keep your secret.”
I smile. Another person who approves of this relationship. There is no way this is a bad idea.
When I’m home that afternoon, I text Keeley the video of Noah’s song from that day I recorded him at Gordon Park, and ask her what she thinks of it.
She calls me five minutes later.
“Holy crap,” she says. “You’re right. Heisamazing. Wait, is this the one you’re fake dating, or the one who took you out for burgers?”
“This is fake-dating guy, but we’re not doing thefakepart anymore.”
Keeley pauses. “Stop. Meera, are you actuallydatingthe bad boy? Since when?”
“Um, yeah. Since last Sunday. A week yesterday.”
A second voice pipes up. “And you didn’t tell your closest friends?” It’s Adanna, and she sounds hurt. I’m not surprised they’re together, but I am surprised that Keeley didn’t mention Adanna was there when she first called me.
“I’m telling you now,” I say. When they don’t say anything, I exhale. “You’ve both been busy this summer. I haven’t heard from you all week.” I feel like they’ve been too busy for me this summer, and also I feel like I’ve been too busy forthem.
After none of us says anything for a while, Adanna finallyspeaks. “Meera, I know we’ve kind of detached this summer. I’m sorry. But you were just soupsetabout not being with us every time we talked, and we didn’t want to make you more upset. And then you kind of dropped too, and—”
“You know we love you, right?” Keeley says, interrupting. It’s clear that they have been talking about me this summer.
And why shouldn’t they talk about me? They’re right. Ihavebeen focused on my own problems and have been verywoe is mesince getting arrested. And maybe I’ve been blaming the world for my mistakes instead of facing them. “Do you think… Mom said I have main-character syndrome. Do you think she’s right?”
“No,” Adanna says quickly. “You’re going through a rough time. Of course you’re preoccupied with yourself right now.”
But isn’t being preoccupied with myself the same thing as having main-character syndrome?
“Things will be back to normal after the summer,” Keeley says. “I promise. We’ll be grade twelves! We’ll finally get to rule the school!”
