Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore

Author:Gabriella Lepore [Lepore, Gabriella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-12T20:15:52+00:00

FOUR MONTHS EARLIER

Javier bounds into my English class. He weaves his way through a bunch of empty desks and finds me at the back of the room.

“You’re not in this class,” I remind him.

English is one of the only classes I actually like, aside from PE and Shop. Unlike Danny, who sails through every subject and has been enrolled in AP classes since sophomore year, English is an exception for me.

Javier pulls up a chair and folds his arms on my desk. “Question for you,” he says, seriously. “And it’s time-sensitive.”

I gesture for him to speak.

“Do you think your brother would mind if I asked Piper out?”

I almost laugh because I think he’s joking. But he just looks at me, heavy eyebrows raised, waiting for a response.

I rub my forehead. “Uh, no? I don’t know. Ask him.”

He falls back in his seat and starts tapping his knuckles on the desk. “You think I should talk to him first? I don’t want to cross any bro-code lines.” He extends his hands wide. “You know me, Colton. Me and you go way back, I don’t want to cause problems with your brother. But him and Piper have been broken up for a while, yeah?”

“I don’t know. He doesn’t talk to me about it.”

Javier scratches his head, knotting his fingers through his grown-out curls. “Ah, it’s a tough one. But you know I’ve always liked Piper, right? Way before she and Danny started dating.” He nods, mostly to himself. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.” Then he glances across the room. “Hey, Eva,” he calls. She’s at the desk two over from me. Her earbuds are in as she sketches in her notebook. Golden brown hair falls in two plaits over her shoulders.

“Eva?” Javier calls a little louder. When she still doesn’t respond, he clambers over the empty desks and drops into the seat next to her. She looks up with a start, takes out her left earbud.

She blinks. “Hi,” she says, looking surprised. “What’s up?”

“Question for you.” He grins broadly.

Eva’s gaze flickers to me. “Go on,” she says to Javier.

I listen from two seats over, half smiling at Javier’s enthusiasm.

“Do you think Danny would mind if I asked out Piper Meyers?”

She frowns in the same way I did. She pauses for a second. “I think he’d be okay with it.”

Javier gives us both a wide grin. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. I’ve got class with Piper right now. I was going to ask if she wanted to hang out tonight before winter break.”

Eva’s eyes widen a little and she swaps a smile with me. “Oh,” she says, slowly. “Well, good luck. I mean, I hope she says yes.”

Javier slaps his hands together and shakes them to the ceiling, then he springs from the seat and pats me on the shoulder as he leaves, calling, “We’re still going out to the water this weekend, me, you, and Noah?”

I lift my hand as he heads for the door.

“Wish me luck.” He ducks out of the classroom, bumping into the people who are coming in.

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