Best Enemies (Canterwood Crest) (6 page)

“Oooh!” Callie squealed. “I love it! That was so sweet.”

I glanced at Eric. “I know. I’m totally spoiled. Lip gloss from you and a charm from Eric.”

Jacob shifted and looked away. Callie and I traded glances, but didn’t say anything. We knew it was useless to try and make them be cool with each other.

It was Eric’s turn at the counter, so he stepped up to order.

“Hi,” he said. “Two tickets for
Zoe’s Guide to Getting the Guy
. And I’ll take a large popcorn, one medium Diet Coke and one medium Dr Pepper—”

I smiled when he knew my favorite soda was Diet Coke and listened as he ordered enough candy to give us a sugar high for a week.

While Eric waited for his change, it was Jacob’s turn to order. “I need an
extra
large popcorn, two large Sprites, some king size Skittles, a Hershey’s bar, two boxes of Lemonheads, a box of—”

“Hey,” Callie said gently, interrupting him. “Are you bringing a second girlfriend on this date? That’s plenty of stuff—really.”

Jacob turned back to the cashier. “That’s it.”

“Forget something?” Eric asked Jacob.

Jacob glared at Eric. “What?”

Eric hid a smirk. “Tickets, maybe?”

Jacob’s tan face turned a deep red.

“I’ve got it,” Callie said in a light tone. “Two tickets for
Revenge of the Killer Zombies
, please.”

“Wait,” Jacob said. He leaned forward toward the cashier. “She means tickets for
Zoe’s Guide to Getting the Guy
.”

What?

“We don’t want to see that,” Callie said. “It’s supposed to be a super–girly-romantic movie. You’ll hate it.”

“We have to see it,” Jacob said, blushing. “Uh, Mr. Ramirez wants us to watch all different kinds of movies. Including ones we normally wouldn’t like.”

True. But film class was almost over. Jacob was doing this just to bug me. He wanted to tag along on my date with Eric to have a chance to prove the entire time that he was the better boyfriend.

The cashier handed him the tickets and Jacob loaded his arms with the candy and popcorn. Callie grabbed the sodas.

Jacob practically stomped off toward the theater.

Eric and I followed Callie and Jacob into the dimly lit hallway and we made our way down the aisle, looking for
empty seats. Callie and Jacob slid into a row in the back.

I walked until Eric and I were halfway down the theater. “This okay?” I asked.

Eric nodded. “Perfect.” We found two seats and I smoothed my skirt when I sat down. I tried not to think about the fact that my ex–almost-boyfriend was behind me. I wanted to enjoy my date.

Eric put the popcorn bucket between us and we put our drinks in the cup holders. The lights dimmed and the movie started.
This was it!

I reached into the popcorn bucket at the same time Eric did. Our fingers brushed together and I blushed, glad it was dark in the theater. We’d held hands a zillion times, but tonight felt different. I’d almost jerked my hand out of the bucket when he’d touched me.

I took a handful of popcorn and started munching. Eric passed the Twizzlers to me and I broke off a piece before handing it back to him.

We watched a few more minutes of the movie, but I wanted to talk to him. “You going riding tomorrow?” I whispered.

“Yeah. Lesson. But I really want to trail ride. I—”

“Shhhh!” someone said behind us.

“Sorry!” Eric and I whispered simultaneously. I tipped
watermelon Nerds into my mouth and tried to concentrate on the movie, but I couldn’t. Sitting here and not saying anything was torture! We finished the popcorn and Eric moved the bucket to the empty seat beside him so he could hold my hand over the armrest.

My hand felt warm and tingly as he held it.

I looked over at him and we traded a glance—I knew he was thinking the same thing I was.

“Want to get out of here?” he whispered.

“Yes!”

We grabbed our stuff, ducking as we tiptoed down the row and out into the aisle.

We passed Callie and Jacob. I gave Callie a thumbs up to let her know nothing was wrong. Callie nodded and waved. I felt Jacob’s eyes on me as I followed Eric out of the theater.

Eric and I finished the final sips of our sodas and tossed the cups with the rest of our trash. He took my hand and we left the noisy media center. I breathed in the chilly spring air, just glad to be out of the theater.

“I thought I wanted to see a movie,” I said. “But I really just wanted to talk to you!”

“Me too. I’m glad you wanted to leave.”

We walked down the well-lit sidewalk and stopped
in front of the Sweet Shoppe—the campus’s delicious café/bakery. I loved the sign with typewriter font that hung over the doorway.

“I have to run in here to get something,” Eric said. “It’s a surprise.”

“A surprise?” I asked.

“Yeah. There’s somewhere I want to take you after this.”

I looked at his face—his eyes were sparkling even in the weak streetlamp light.

“I love surprises.”

Eric squeezed my hand and released it. “Be right back.”

He hurried into the Sweet Shoppe and I watched through the window, staring into the cozy shop. At a table near the back Julia and Alison sat together. They had a notebook in front of them and were scribbling things onto the paper, then whispering. When a sixth grader walked by, Julia moved her arm over the paper. I looked away from Julia and Alison when Eric exited the Sweet Shoppe carrying two big bags.

“Can I carry one?” I offered.

“I’ve got it,” he said. “Interested in knowing where we’re going?”

“Um, let me think.” I paused, pretending to consider it. “Yes! Tell me!”

Eric laughed. I followed him down the sidewalk and away from the Sweet Shoppe.

“I thought we could have a picnic where we met.”

“The stable,” I said. “
Eric
. That’s a great idea.”

He smiled. “I had a feeling you’d like it.”

We walked in comfortable silence to the stable. The lights had been dimmed and no one else was here.

“Are we allowed to be here?” I asked.

“I asked Mr. Conner yesterday,” Eric said. “He’s around here somewhere. He’ll probably jump out from behind a hay bale if I try to kiss you.” Eric whispered the last sentence.

I laughed. “He totally would.”

“Let’s go up to the hayloft,” Eric said.

I followed him down the aisle. I went up the wooden ladder and reached the platform and… gasped at what I saw.

A tiny round table had been set up in the loft. The floor had been swept clean of hay. A battery-powered lantern added light to the space and a giant purple orchid blossomed in a vase on the table.

“How did you… ?” I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“Mike and Doug,” Eric said. “I told them I wanted to bring you here and they offered to bring the table and chairs up.”

“Wow,” I whispered. “That was so nice.”

Eric put the Sweet Shoppe bags on the table and took my hand, leading me to the table. He pulled out my chair for me and I took my seat. The table was so tiny that our knees touched underneath.

Eric opened one white bag and took out two milkshakes— one chocolate and one chocolate-vanilla swirl. “I don’t have to ask what one you want,” he said, sliding the chocolate shake toward me.

“You know me too well.” I accepted the chocolate shake and took a sip. Mmmm.

Eric opened the second bag and took out a wrapped foam plate. “New brownie recipe,” he said. “I saw them put up the sign yesterday and knew you’d want to try it.”

I stared hungrily at the brownies. “It’s sad. I’ve eaten my weight in candy, but I’m dying for that brownie!”

Eric gave me a plate, fork, and napkin. “Here’s the ‘new’ part,” he said, reaching into the bag. He pulled out a little plastic container and opened it.

“Oh. My. God. Hot fudge,” I said.

“Yep. To pour on the brownies.”

I put a brownie on my plate and Eric did the same with his. “Go ahead,” I said, motioning to him to use the fudge first. He drizzled it on his brownie and passed it to me. I poured way more onto mine, causing Eric to laugh.

We started eating and I closed my eyes. “Yum,” I said. “This is the best. I love it.”

I looked across the table at Eric—he was gazing at me.

“What?” I asked.

He scooted his chair around so he was beside me. We locked eyes—his face inches from mine. “You have a little chocolate on your face,” he said.

I put a hand on my face. “Where?”

Eric reached up and touched the corner of my mouth with his thumb. “Here.”

I think I stopped breathing. Eric put his hand on my cheek and my face warmed under his touch. My eyes fluttered shut and Eric’s lips met mine. It was longer than we’d ever kissed and all I could taste was chocolate.

9
SHE’S LATE, SHE’S LATE! FOR A VIP DATE!

WHEN I SLID INTO MY SEAT AT BIO CLASS ON
a sunny Monday morning, Julia and Alison didn’t waste a second before they turned around to talk to me.

“Don’t get used to us not being on the team,” Julia snapped, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “This is just temporary.”

“Julia, you cheated,” I said. “And you got caught. Don’t take it out on me.” I was starting to feel a little annoyed by the whole thing.

A flush crept over Alison’s face. “We didn’t cheat,” she whispered. “I swear.”

“Stop trying to explain, Alison,” Julia said, glaring at me. “Sasha loves this. It’s less competition for the YENT.”

I started to protest, but Jasmine walked into the room and took her seat next to me. She looked at me and simply rolled her eyes. I ignored her and stared ahead at the whiteboard. Finally, Ms. Peterson, our teacher, came into the room and stood in front of the class.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said. “It’s time for a Monday morning pop quiz.”

We all groaned. I scribbled my name on my paper, thinking back to everything I’d read about the solar system over the weekend.

“Number one: name the lunar phases,” Ms. Peterson said.

Got it
. I wrote them down and looked up at Ms. Peterson when I finished.

“Number two: which planet is the smallest?” Ms. Peterson asked. She wrote tonight’s homework on the whiteboard while she waited for us to answer.

I wrote down
Mercury
.

She asked a few more questions before telling us to put down our pens. “Please trade papers with the person sitting next to you,” she said. “And you’ll grade that person’s quiz.”

With a tiny sigh, I passed my paper to Jasmine. Ms. Peterson went through the correct answers and I handed
Jas back her paper with a minus one at the top. She gave me mine—also with one wrong. Last fall I’d probably have only gotten one right. I was glad I’d upped my studying more than usual—I refused to miss the YENT because of bad grades.

When I got to the stable for my afternoon lesson, I grabbed Charm’s tack and grooming box before heading to his stall.

“Hi, gorgeous,” I said to him, leading him into the wide aisle. Charm rubbed his forehead against my shoulder. “You’re doing that because you’re itchy, not because you love me, huh?” I teased.

I started grooming him and kept an eye on Jack’s stall. Callie was usually here by now. We always groomed the horses together. I took out my phone.

Where r u?
I texted her.

I’d finished grooming and tacking up Charm before my phone buzzed back.

Late! B there soon
.

I wanted to wait for Callie, but Mr. Conner
hated
it when we weren’t in class on time.

“We’d better go, boy,” I told Charm.

We walked down the aisle and I mounted when I got
into the arena. Inside, Heather was circling Aristocrat at a trot. I moved Charm to the opposite end of the arena and walked him along the wall. It was weird to be in here with just Heather. I watched the door, hoping that Callie would manage to slip in before Mr. Conner got here. But when Mr. Conner strode through the doorway, Callie was still missing.

Mr. Conner didn’t even pause. “Heather and Sasha, please do a sitting trot,” he said. Heather and I urged our horses forward. I tried to keep my mind on the lesson, but I couldn’t stop thinking about why Callie wasn’t here. It had to be something major to keep her from practice.