

“Hannah Barnes, are you jealous?” A part of me, the tiniest segment of my brain, hopes she is. That isn’t something I’m ready to unload or try to begin to understand, though. She’s Mia’s best friend, but it’s hard to ignore the smile she seems to always sport when I’m around.
“Not even the slightest.” She gazes around the room. “I just feel sorry for girls who feel the need to be so obvious.”
“Unlike you, right?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You think you go unnoticed, only coming up for attention when you want it. In reality, you just walking into a room makes some of these guys pant like– what was it? — dogs in heat?” I laugh, leaning back in my chair to get comfortable.
Everything I’ve just said is true. Hannah doesn’t date. At least not openly. She’s definitely not a virgin. When we were sophomores, a senior made sure of that, too happy to announce he hooked up with Coach’s daughter. One thing though about Hannah is that she doesn’t realize how much power she has in her tiny little body. Even the strongest willed person would crack under one of her knowing glances.
“What’s your point?” She shrugs, unmoved by my words.
“It was meant as a compliment, if you didn’t catch that.”
“No, I caught it, Nick. You think I’m pretty.” Her smirk grows slow, like a sunrise. “What I don’t understand is why you’re saying it.”
I laugh uncomfortably under her watch. “That makes two of us.”

