Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)(41)

“I’m not awesome,” he says. “No one thinks that.”

“People think it, Reid. Don’t fall apart because of one person.”

“I’m not falling apart,” he says. “Do I seem like I’m falling apart? Great, that sucks, too. Don’t say it so loud people hear you.”

“No, and I’m sorry, it sucks if people are saying things like that,” I say, because it does. “But you only heard Nora, and like I said, she’s like a well-known jerkface. I’m sure no one else is thinking that.”

“You don’t know that,” he says. “Probably everyone else is thinking that.”

“I’m serious. They aren’t.”

I’m sure he doesn’t believe me, but at least he seems to accept my belief in this fact and moves on from my locker.

Someone walks up behind me as I’m getting out my chemistry book, and I speak without even moving. “Yes, I mean it.”

“You mean what?”

I turn around, and it’s actually Madison Price, not Reid, standing there. Ugh.

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else,” I say.

“What’s up with Reid?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” I say, instead of “he heard people saying you were too good for him.”

“He could barely talk to me this morning,” she says.

“He’s being weird,” I say. “Just, you know, he’s neurotic. He needs assurances. Is that stupid to say?”

“No,” Madison says, like her whole face is duh. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Not like him.” I’m afraid it sounds like I’m gossiping. Even though I know Reid is overreacting right now, I still want to protect his fragile ego and heart. “Haven’t you noticed that?”

“The other day he did ask me three times what I thought of his shirt, so.” She rolls her eyes. “So I guess.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” I say.

She shrugs again. It’s, like, her only mode of expression. “Okay.”

“He freaks out really easily.” Hopefully I’m not stepping over the boundaries of what’s okay to say about your friends and what isn’t. “But with him it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just how he exists.”

“Okay,” she says with another shrug. “Thanks, Riley.”

“Hey, um, can I ask you where you got your earring?” I still think it’s dumb she wears it, like, every day, but I can admit it’s cool.

“Oh, I made it.” She reaches up with one hand to fiddle with it. “I can make you one, if you want. It’d look cool when you play.”

“Oh, um, thanks.” It will look cool when I play, and also, maybe Madison is less boring than I thought. At least she’s crafty.

“Well, see you.” She takes off down the hallway to join up with other girls who are skinny and pretty and rich, because that’s how it works, but it’s weird how just this fast I don’t hate her anymore.

Though she could still stand to learn more expressions and gestures.

*

At Yearbook after school, Ted walks in and straight over to me. “Hi, Riley.”

“Hey.”

We’re just kind of standing here beaming at each other in the middle of the back of the room, and I wonder if we seem odd to everyone else. We definitely seem odd to me.

“Oh.” Ted opens his messenger bag. I notice the Gold Diggers button I gave him supercasually the other day is pinned in a prominent place. “Aren’t these weird?”

He takes out two lollipops and hands both of them to me.

“They’re totally normal,” I say, but he waves his hands to cut me off.

“No, look at the flavors.”

“Bootylicious Blueberry?” I grimace. “Why do people think something named after a butt should go in your mouth?”

“I know!” Ted points to the other one. “That one’s weird, too!”

I check the label on the purple lollipop. “Passion… Purple. Not grape?”

“Not grape,” he says. “Purple.”

“You have to eat the Bootylicious one.” I pull off the wrapper and hand it to him. He raises his eyebrows but sticks Bootylicious in his mouth. “What does it taste like? Booty?”

He laughs. “No, chemicals. But good chemicals.”

“Oh my god, I love chemicals.” I shove Passion Purple into my mouth. “These are good chemicals.”

He sits down at the desk next to my usual desk.

“Are you going to the Past the Heartbreakers show on Friday?” he asks. “I saw your button.” He points to it on my bag. “And I’ve heard they’re cool.”

“I don’t know. Reid hates them, and Milo—” I catch myself. “My low, uh, never mind, that doesn’t make any sense. Basically I have no one to go with.”

“I’m going.” He blushes. “I have an extra ticket. For you. I mean, if you want to go. With me.”

Oh my god, Ted Callahan is asking me out. For real. On an actual date. To a concert he sought out after memorizing the band buttons on my backpack.

TED IS TOTALLY ASKING ME OUT.

“Totally.”