Complete Nothing (True Love #2)(42)

“Shopping,” I replied.

Their jaws dropped.

“In there?” Lauren asked, stunned.

“Do you, like, go fishing with your dad or something?” Claudia asked, slowly starting up the hill toward the Studio. Lauren and I fell into step with her.

I snorted a laugh, imagining me and Ares sitting on a dock somewhere, peacefully letting our lines hit the water as we chatted about our lives. The sky suddenly falling in on top of us was far more likely.

“No, I hunt,” I told her. “I was just going in to look at the bows and arrows.”

“Omigod, no way,” Lauren said. “You, like, actually kill things?”

I shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Omigod, I could never do that,” Lauren said, her brown eyes wide. “Like, kill Bambi?”

“I don’t hunt fawns,” I said, screwing my face up.

“But still. Hunting is so un-PC,” Lauren told me, flattening a hand in front of her. “Maybe you should find a normal hobby. Like soccer or something.”

“We do have an archery team,” Claudia offered. “You could try that. The only things they shoot at are standing targets.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” We paused on the wide sidewalk in front of the Studio. A minivan pulled up and spewed out three more girls in tights before speeding off.

“Yeah, it’s mostly guys, but it’s supposed to be a coed team,” Claudia said, lifting her hand to wave at the three skinny girls who trailed by. “You should try it. It’s good to be involved.”

“Why?” I asked.

Lauren and Claudia looked at each other and laughed. “I don’t know. It’s fun,” Claudia said.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Studio, I could see Claudia’s friends warming up their muscles, stretching, and then pirouetting across the room. I could see how they might enjoy this group activity, the camaraderie, the sharing of talent, the endorphins released by physical activity. But I was here to do a job. I didn’t have time for extracurriculars.

“I actually came here just to see how it’s going,” I told Claudia, leaning against a blinking parking meter. “Have you gotten anywhere with Keegan?”

“Um, totally!” Lauren said. “They’re going out tomorrow night.”

“You are? That’s great!” I enthused. “We have to figure out a way for you to bump into Peter. Where’re you going?”

“That’s the thing. I don’t know yet,” Claudia replied. “And besides, after we made the plan, I realized it’s not gonna happen. Not on a Friday night before a game. Peter has this whole ritual. We used to order in pasta so he could carbo-load, and then we’d watch some action movie to get him pumped up for the game the next day. There’s no way he’s going to be out anywhere.”

“Well, if he loves you—and I’m pretty sure he does—it can’t hurt to try,” I said. “I just got a phone, and I’m gonna go to the mall to get it activated. Tomorrow I’ll give you the number, and you can text me when you get where you’re going. Then I’ll find a way to get Peter there.”

“If you say so.” Claudia shook her head. “This is so crazy.”

“Crazy, but effective,” I replied.

“I’m kind of starting to like you,” Lauren said, holding up her palm.

I high-fived her, a ritual I’d seen happen countless times, but didn’t quite understand until I felt the satisfaction of my skin slapping against hers, like a punctuation of our mutual achievement. “Thanks.”

“I don’t know if I can do it,” Claudia said. “What if it doesn’t work? What if he’s already, like, in love with that Josie girl?”

“He’s not,” Lauren and I said at the same time, in the same assuring tone.

“What makes you so sure?” she asked. “I mean, they’re always together and I—”

“Hey, guys!”

An adorable boy with lanky limbs and curly blond hair paused on his way into the Studio. He wore black tights and a blue zip hoodie and had a large battered duffel bag on his shoulder.

“Hi, Lance!” the girls sang as Claudia pulled him in for a hug.

“Ready to perfect our piece?” Claudia asked him.

“You know it,” Lance replied. Then he tilted his head at me. “I’m Lance Turska.”

“True Olympia,” I replied. “Nice to meet you.”

“You as well. Anyway, I heard Madame Helene is handing out tickets for the recital so we can start selling them. We want a sold-out show next weekend! Are you inviting Peter? It’d be cool if he came to one of these things.”

“He doesn’t usually?” I asked.

“He always has a practice or a game or something,” Claudia replied. “I’m guessing he’ll be busy again,” she hedged. Clearly she hadn’t told Lance about the breakup and wasn’t about to do it now. Maybe she’d never have to, if my plan did the trick.

Lance sighed a sigh of the world-weary, which made no sense considering how fresh-faced and energetic he was. “That’s what happens when you go out with a football star. See you inside.”

“He’s really never come to one recital?” I asked as Lance trotted off.