“It was cold as fuck last night,” Trinity said as she, Keirsten and I sat at our usual lunch table. Trinity had gotten back shortly after my mom got home.

“How about that shower though?”

She rolled her eyes. “I felt like a fucking ice cube, and I was so mad when the power came on after I got out the shower. Ever felt like a fucking ice cube, Kay?”

Keirsten shrugged, taking a bite of her French fry. “Plenty of times. Cold nights are easier if you live in one of those old houses with gas stoves.”

“What do you do?” I leaned forward.

“You heat up the water, duh.” She giggled. Keirsten didn’t have a gas stove in her current house. She rarely talked about what happened when she lived in her old city. Her stories always seemed dark whenever she did talk about it.

“So, my brother stayed at your place until your mom got back.” Trinity smirked. She had the same expression on her face Brandon had after the pep rally. Wasn’t she the straightforward twin?

“We both know I’m scared of the dark. He was just being nice.”

“Oh please. I bet you two cuddled.” I rolled my eyes as a blush covered my face. Keirsten squealed. “You did, didn’t you?”

“Shh.” I looked around. Keith and Brandon were still standing at another table not far from us. “They could hear us.”

“But you think he’s hot, right?” She poked my shoulder, and I smacked her hand away.

“Stop.”

“Trin, she’s got the hot’s for your brother.” She continued to poke me, and I wanted to swing at her.

“I’d say ew because he’s my brother, but . . . ew.”

Keirsten laughed and I shook my head. At least they didn’t ask how my mom felt about it. That was a bridge I didn’t want to cross.

Sven walked towards us with Alana practically tripping behind him.

I leaned over to Trinity. “Is she ever going to stop chasing him?”

“Hoes like hoes, girl.” She tapped my shoulder. Alana always wanted what she couldn’t have. Sven left her a long time ago, and she still wanted to get back with him, but he didn’t want her in that way.

“Sup, beautiful.” He ruffled my hair before wrapping around the table to sit across from me. Alana sat next to him and attempted to bore her eyes into my skin.

“Hi, Sven.”

Brandon and Keith joined us shortly after. Brandon sent me a warm smile, and my neck warmed as well. I remembered his fingers on my cheek and in my hair and how good it all felt, and I looked away. I needed to hide those feelings. Letting him get close to me like that got me in trouble.

“So,” Sven said loudly, raising a fry in the air. “As the last member of the Moretti clan . . . I’ll be throwing the annual senior V-day party in a couple of weeks. Be on the lookout for dates.” He pointed the fry at everyone at the table. “Bring dates, too. You know the rules. Cool kids only. No one is single.”

Sometimes I wanted to throw a rock at Sven. Cool kids only meant barely anyone was invited to the party. Just a bunch of jocks, cheerleaders, and whoever else was considered popular by association, like me. Alana looked at Sven with large hopeful doe eyes, but Sven was looking at me.

Shit.

He wasn’t going to ask me was he?

“So, Serena . . .” Dammit. “Are you going?”

“I don’t know if I can.” I couldn’t. We both knew that.

“Let me know if you do. I’d love to take you.” He winked. Oh my god.

Alana looked like her eyes were going to melt out of her head with how hard she was glaring at Sven and I. She focused her attention on Brandon sitting on the other side of her and blasted the sultriest smile I had ever seen her wear.

“You want to go with me, Brandon?” She flipped her hair and touched his shoulder. Gross. Brandon looked at me and then back at her.

“Um . . .”

He could go with her if he wanted to. I didn’t care. I couldn’t go anyway.

“Sure.” He shrugged and she smiled, clapping her hands together.

“Great!”

Yeah. Okay, let me be honest. I may have looked like I didn’t care, but the raging sea inside of me cared a lot.

* * *

My mom was home early this time. She cooked us lasagna and hummed as she placed the food on the table. I hadn't seen her this happy in a long time.

“So, how was everyone’s day? I want to hear all about it,” she said in Italian and took her seat. She looked between my sister and I with bright eyes. “It doesn’t matter who goes first.”

“Brandon has a crush on Serena.” Trinity had an evil grin on her face

“Dio santo.” I threw a napkin at her and she cackled. “Dammit, Trinity.”

“Oh, I knew that already.” My mom waved a hand at Trinity. “He’s been pining after that girl since he could walk. You know he bought her flowers and a book once.”

“Mom!”

“He did?” Trinity put her elbows on the table and gave me a larger open mouthed sarcastic smile. She already knew about the book and flowers. Everybody knew about the book and flowers. Serena only saw it as a friendly gift. Like flowers were for the friend zone.

“He did. It’s true. Of course I would’ve preferred for you to do things the Italian way, but your father had his own plan. He doesn’t really like Italian things.” She shook her head and the corners of her mouth fell heavily. My father used to hate hearing her speak in Italian to her parents. After I moved in with him, he avoided everything Italian. Food. Clothing. Art. You name it. He wasn’t interested. “Is she still dating that Italian stronzo?”

“Mom!” Trinity yelled.

“I’m your mother, I can curse all I want to.”

“He is a stronzo,” Trinity mumbled.

“Trinity!”

“You let Brandon curse!”

“Well it’s unlady like for you to do so,” my mom said, before a curious smile creeped on her face. “Are there any boys that you are interested in, dear?”

“No. I’m staying single until college.” Trinity stabbed her food and took a large bite.

She took Trinity’s fork and cut off a smaller portion and glared at her before handing the fork to her. Trinity’s lips twitched, and she flipped the fork around before setting it on her plate. “But prom is in April, tesoro.”

Trinity’s voice was soft this time. “I don’t mind going alone if I want to.”

“Okay, dear,” my mom said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll respect your decision, but I don’t want you to be alone.”

“Okay Mom.”

* * *

“Why the fuck are you going to Sven’s party with Alana if you still like Serena?” Trinity asked, leaning against my bedroom door.

“I’m doing homework, Trin.” I waved the stack of papers on my desk at her.

“Fuck your homework.” She sat on my bed. “Answer the question.”

“She can’t go, Trin.” I swiveled my chair back around. “Let me finish my homework.”

“Shit like that, is how you lost her the first time.” I could hear her climbing off the bed. “I have my ways, but if you want to date Alana instead, be my guest, bro.”

The door slammed behind her as she left. She knew me better than that. I didn’t want to pursue Alana. I wanted Serena. I wanted the old her. The new her. All of her, but I wasn’t going to get her into trouble. Not unless she wanted me to.

* * *

Alana was sitting in Chemistry class talking to her fucking lab partner about how she got Brandon to go to Sven's party with her.

"I bet it was my hair that got him to say yes." She pointed her hair, and her partner smiled like she was the smartest person on the planet. Shallow was more like it.

She had pin straight blonde hair. It was shiny. That was it. That was as far as it went. She was pretty, sure, but how did hair get a guy to say yes to her? He didn't even say yes. He said 'sure'.

"Normally, I'd ask Sven, but Brandon was a better option."

"I bet he was her only option," my partner said, nudging my arm and I snickered.

Alana turned around and shot arrows at us with her eyes. "What was that?"

“Talk to your partners. Not across tables.” Our teacher walked between us and motioned for us to get back to work. I went back to writing the results of our experiment.

I guess Alana was the better option. She was cool. People wanted her. She could leave the house. She had freedom.

I didn’t think Brandon would fall for bitches though. Why did I care so much? Why did I want to call her a bitch? I mean, she is, but I didn’t need to be mean. He must have gotten to me because I was jealous that she could go to a party with him. Was I starting to like him?

I compared my results with my partner, and we submitted them to my teacher. Liking Brandon would be dangerous.