DAMSEL RULES

EL'S

s talking about you, m

o ask Basti i

my juice b

hadn't just committed social homicide. "Go up to him. Bat your lashe

e dera

rrected. "And you'r

t look. "There's

hours than I've had with all my exes combined," she said. "Just for a

erenity of a monk who had seen too much. "To be fair

do

ust tw

was a

hem said in unison, with d

e cafeteria table and gro

l conquest. There were cliques, of course. Cheerleaders in full gloss and volume, the theater kids who didn't know

troverts hunched over notebooks, half-asleep over lefto

ing bullied. Lov

for some reason, those whispers were about me. Or more specifically, me and

he volleyball captain,"

with Luke Rodriguez

e rides in

shared an

a in chess,

y has a secr

think she'd

onestly, I'

more my

nana into my ears. I tried to focus on my food. My bana

keep to mysel

k lumpia-a crispy spring roll stuffed with seasoned meat. "You're cool

t want

they're both tall and e

y're hurricanes," I said.

heiza added. "One's a romantic tragedy. Th

ging you

t a small tin of calming tea bags. "Do yo

hed.

s. "Let's pretend, hypothetically, that one

es

hy

I don't t

to skill. I didn't say: because sometimes the people who promise to stay are th

ilk carton like it had

again. "Honestly, you could do worse. I mean, look at them

t," I g

who stares like he's reading your soul. And Luke? H

ade th

t, you

sage from the group ch

h sched has b

"Bia's finally comin

s lik

. "This is your vil

I the

nd you're unbothered.

t jin

train like a d

kno

e y

adn't stopped reviewing since the last match. I'd been rewat

training. Tha

he'd already written

g my arm. "Also, dare still stands. Unlike

happe

d. "Then I

ked. "

sk him

nna

imaginary dust from her skirt. "If

h, sit

the n

ious

Damsel

swe

la

walking away, gi

pothetically, if Basti says yes...

red a

again. "J

, focused on his lunch like it might file a complaint. Luke was animated, laughing at something Tim

econd. Basti looked up. Thei

ked away like n

ctually said som

nety percent chance she did. And a ten perce

gain, louder now. I heard my na

st my temple. "I am going

heiza said. "Or Bia's r

r. Someone was probably

I was used to chess clocks, to strategic

ke the whole s

ut tasting anything. My appetite was gone. My

e in our directio

t wasn't some lingering s

t hap

t louder than all t

t's weird?" I

Rheiza

even sure

ed. "The

idea of i

actice was killing me and I need

inking abo

odd

d L

s... different. F

r slow-bu

that a litera

said. "And

ly into this

ly into this

e distraction,"

ad. "Everythin

d. Grandma's on my case again. One mor

ike...

wned. You know. Classic family guilt co

crash at Hannah's. Or mine. Though I'm warning you

anks, Denz. Not unless your noodl

down like she'd just deliv

?" I

uke but got over it. I mean, everyone has a thing for that guy. Unde

ing to do with the da

onversation. Just strategic hovering. But he looked

hat does tha

amatically, "the seeds

ate

lov

t the

ou know..." She wiggled her ey

O

Magnetic tension. Ca

ve a pr

have butt

ed. Bl

do

ou're bl

d my fac

e a powerful line to

dirtiest look

tely, I a