How It Feels to Fly(41)

Dominic points to the desk chair between his and Omar’s beds. “Wanna sit?”

“Sure. Thanks.” I do, crossing my arms in front of my stomach. I look around the guys’ room. It’s surprisingly neat. Both of their suitcases are closed and zipped. Other than some energy-bar wrappers on Dominic’s nightstand and a dog-eared graphic novel on Omar’s side, you can barely tell anyone’s staying here.

“What’s going on?” Omar asks, yawning.

“No idea. Sorry to barge in.”

“We weren’t asleep.” Dominic leans back into his pillows, lacing his fingers behind his head. The position makes his biceps bulge—and judging by the way he’s smiling, he knows it.

Zoe returns with Jenna and Katie, shuts the door, and turns off the overhead light. Then she opens the curtains to get maximum moonlight and flops down on the floor. Jenna sits on the edge of Dominic’s bed, and Katie sits cross-legged next to Omar. And we stare at one another.

“So?” Jenna asks briskly. “We’re here. What’s so important?”

“This.” Zoe dives into her tote bag and emerges with a beer. She sets it on the floor in front of her.

“Where’d you get that?” Dominic asks.

“Took it from the general store.”

“You stole a beer.”

“Not just a beer.” She pulls out five more and sets them in a circle. “One for each of us. Welcome to the first meeting of”—dramatic pause—“the Secret Society of Crazy Campers.”

Omar frowns. “We’re not crazy—”

“We can workshop the name later.”

“I can’t believe you stole beer!” Katie scoots away like she’s going to get in trouble just for looking at it.

“I can’t believe you did it without Dr. Lancaster finding out,” Jenna says.

“She went to the bathroom. Left me with Andrew. Thanks for distracting him, Ballerina Barbie.” Zoe picks up a beer, pops off the cap, and gives me a cheers. “Who wants one?”

Dominic leans down and takes a bottle. “Me.”

Katie frowns at him. “You shouldn’t.”

“It’s not like she stole a keg. It’s one beer.”

“I guess it can’t hurt,” Jenna says. “We can pay the store back next time we go into town.”

“Barbs?” Zoe waves a bottle at me.

“No, thanks.” I don’t drink—and even if I did, it wouldn’t be beer.

“Worried about the calories?” Zoe taunts.

It’s pointless to deny it. Everyone knows I am.

“I hereby declare this a therapy-free zone!” Zoe announces. “No talking about your issues, or whatever. I don’t want to hear it.” She takes a gulp of her beer.

“I’ll drink to that,” Dominic says. He takes a drink and groans. “You couldn’t have stolen the good stuff?”

“Sam didn’t flirt long enough for me to be choosy.”

I shoot Zoe a sharp look. Does she know how I feel about Andrew?

She winks at me, which isn’t reassuring.

“Okay, give me one,” Omar says. Zoe does. He opens it and takes a huge drink—which he promptly sputters and coughs all over his bedspread. Katie squeaks and dives out of the way. “Ugh, that’s disgusting!”

Dominic laughs. “Omar, is that your first beer?”

“Yeah. So?” Omar says, defensive.

“That’s kind of how I looked after my first taste. You get used to it.”

“I didn’t really want one anyway,” Omar grumbles.

“So why’d you take it?” Jenna asks, sipping at her beer like it’s a fancy cocktail.

“Because—because Dominic did.” Omar looks like he’s sweating a little.

“Hey, I so did not peer-pressure you,” Dominic says.

“Aww, someone’s got a crush!” Zoe grins. “Young love is so cute.”

“I do not have a crush on Dominic!” Omar protests.

“It’s okay. You’re an actor, we get it—”

“I told you yesterday, I have a girlfriend.” Omar pulls out the photo he’s using to mark his place in his book. “See?” It’s him with a cute brunette, both dressed up in Victorian outfits. We pass it around the circle.

“Whoa, are you at the Renaissance Faire?” Zoe asks. “Dominic, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“Helena and I were in My Fair Lady together,” Omar says. “That’s how we met.”

“Zoe, you’re awfully interested in who likes me.” Dominic’s finished his beer and is leaning back in bed in that look at my biceps pose again. “Maybe you’re the one with the crush? Wouldn’t be the first—”

“Uh, no. You’re not my type.”

“Not into tall, dark, and handsome?”

“Not into dudes.”

“You’re gay?” Katie asks.

Zoe turns on her. “Got a problem with that?”

Katie wilts under Zoe’s glare. “No, of course not.”

“I had a huge crush on my skating partner, when I used to do pairs,” Jenna says. “He turned out to be gay.”