She's So Dead to Us

“Yep,” I agreed with a nod. Once Hammond had come up with the idea to haze Drake, I’d insisted we make all the other new players dress up too. That was only fair. At least this way David wasn’t in it alone.

“So, dude, you figured out who you’re taking to the Harvest Ball yet?” Hammond asked me, taking out his BlackBerry to check his messages.

I automatically glanced across Hammond’s game room at Ally. A few people were starting to dance in the open space between the pool table and the arcade games, but she was hanging out by the wall, talking to Tommy Kopp. I was surprised she’d shown. Usually Norms didn’t come to these parties. But then, usually there were no Norm backslappers, either. She looked hot in her frayed jeans and OHH soccer T-shirt, her hair pulled up in a ponytail. The only question was, why the hell was she talking to Tommy Kopp? That guy had breath like a garbage dump and a face to match.

“Dude. Don’t go there,” he said. “Haven’t we had this conversation already?”

I tore my eyes away. “What? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Good. Because Ally Ryan is off-limits,” Hammond said, pocketing his phone again.

“I know, man. Please. I’m not about spoiled goods.”

I felt guilty even as I said it.

“Spoiled goods.” He laughed shortly and slapped my chest with the back of his hand. “I’m totally using that.”

Shit, I hoped not. The thing was, I bet Ally Ryan could have made the boring-ass school dance at least semitolerable. The crap she’d pulled before the half tonight had been semicheesy, but it had worked. My head had been all over the place—my mom’s obsession with getting me an SAT tutor, my dad’s threat to take away my Xbox and cable if I didn’t get my grades up, that girl from Friday night who would not stop freaking calling me—and Ally’s antics had gotten it back in the game. “Anyway, I’m weighing my options. You?”

“Ha ha. You’re hilarious, man,” he said. His eyes flicked toward Ally. Or maybe he was just looking for Chloe. “Chloe already picked out my suit and my shoes.”

“Nice,” I chided, nudging him with my elbow. “She fit you for the leash yet?”

“Hammond!” Chloe called out from her spot behind the bar. Since we were at his place, she’d taken over as hostess. “We need more ice. Do you have more ice?”

“Duty calls, man,” Hammond said, rushing off.

I laughed and looked over at Ally again. My heart did that catching thing it had only ever done since she’d moved here. She was watching me. No. We were now watching each other. Screw Hammond and his warnings. I had to talk to this girl. What she’d done at the game was unexpected, to say the least. Especially after everything. What did it mean? Had she forgiven me for the almost-kiss thing? I had to know.

“Hey,” I said, joining her.

She didn’t look at me. “Hey.”

“I’m surprised you came,” I said.

Her eyes flashed. “Not you, too.”

“Not me too what?” I asked.

“This whole no-Norms thing?” she said.

“No. That’s not what I meant.” My face was getting hot. “I don’t think you shouldn’t be here. I mean—”

“Good. Because this is a party for the soccer team and the backslappers, and I am a backslapper, in case you haven’t noticed.”

I sighed. Two seconds of conversation, and I’d already stuck my foot in it deep. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure. Brilliant hazing,” she said. “Not cavemanish at all.”

My jaw clenched, but I let it roll off my back. “This is nothing. Last year they made me and Hammond jump up and down on a trampoline in our underwear for three hours just because we were the only sophomores to make varsity.”

“Oh, so you think this is better?” Ally asked.

“Believe me. It’s better.”

My face burned even hotter at the memory of every hot senior girl at OHH laughing at me while I tried to keep my junk from bouncing around in their faces. This was far better than that. I wanted to tell her that I was the one who kept her little friend David from being alone in drag, but it sounded too much like a pathetic plea, so I didn’t. But why was she friends with that guy, anyway? Every day I had to watch them eat lunch together, and he was always cracking her up even though he isn’t remotely fu

“Why do you have to be so tense all the time?” I asked her. “It’s a party.”

She rolled her eyes and shoved a pretzel in her mouth. I sighed and looked where she was looking. Dorkus Drake was trying to talk to Sha

Snagged.

“That’ll be the day,” I said, turning to the side to avoid further eye contact with Sha

“What? You don’t see it?” Ally asked.

“Sha

Ally bristled. “That loser was one of two people who lowered themselves to talk to me on the first day of school.”

“Hey. I talked to you,” I reminded her. “You just didn’t want to talk to me.”

She blinked. I had her. Ha. But then her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me. I’m going to go hang out with my friend now.” She stood up straight, dusted some salt off her fingers, and strode across the room, where she tugged Drake away from Sha

Two seconds later, she and Dorkus were slow dancing. They both looked ridiculous—him in his outfit, her with his boobs in her face. She stared at me over his shoulder, like she was trying to prove some point. Whatever. Like her walking away from me to dance with a dork was going to piss me off? And now Sha

Mission accomplished.

“Hey, Jake. I didn’t even think you noticed I was here,” Lacey said, backing into the velvet-covered wall. Only the can lights over the screen were on, and I could barely see her in the dim glow.

“I noticed,” I said.

Even though I hadn’t really. When I went to kiss her she kissed me right back. No arguments, no ducking away. Easy.

I didn’t need Ally Ryan. I could have any girl, anytime. No strings. No guilt. No judging stares. And that was the way I liked it.

ally

On stage, David Drake was kinda hot. Well, not on stage really. It was more a cleared-out corner of A

“He’s awesome!” I shouted to A