“So what do you think of Shadyside High?”

Jazz smiled at her new friend Stacey and tucked her leg up closer to her chest on her new bed. So much new. Mrs. Duffy had taken her shopping last week to buy stuff to redecorate Brent’s bedroom and she’d gotten to choose a bedroom set, rainbow sheets and a dresser for her early Christmas gifts. Not thrift store finds either but brand new.

She could hardly believe all the wonderful things happening to her. Now this. She’d finally made a friend at school. It had only taken three months. Stacey was super popular too and had promised to introduce Jazz to all of her cool friends, including Toby Daniels, last year’s prom king. Stacey claimed to know “for a fact” that Toby had been asking questions about Jazz.

Jazz figured it was too good to be true, but she didn’t care because she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. School and her music kept her busy enough. Still, it was nice to pretend Toby might’ve taken notice of her for a positive reason instead of a negative one.

“I like it. It’s too huge, though. Kind of overwhelming. I only stopped getting lost on the way to my locker just two weeks ago—” Jazz broke off and frowned as Stacey pointed at Jazz’s knee. Today’s artwork included a G-clef and a stack of books. “Yeah, I draw on myself when I get bored.” She tried to laugh. “Weird, huh?”

“A little, but you’re like, creative, so that’s part of the deal, right?” Stacey flopped on her back and spread out her arms. “Wow, this room is just so amazing. You must freak living here.”

Jazz leaned back against her headboard, looping her arm ever so casually over the top of her knee. “It is pretty sweet.”

“Sweet? That pool out back is gigantic. I even saw a frigging Benz in the garage. Your family has serious moolah.”

Jazz started to explain that the Duffys were her foster family, not her real one, but she pressed her lips together and nodded. What did it hurt to pretend for a couple of minutes? She wanted them to be her family more than anything. This was the closest she’d had to a real home since she was little, back when things had been semi-okay with her mom and grandma. Her mom had worked long hours, but she’d always come back eventually and Nana had been so much fun.

After her mom hooked up with Jacob and gave birth to Molly, things started to change. By the time Nana died, they were moving from house to house. It wasn’t long before her mom started coming home from nights out with Jacob with a black eye. When her mom had begun talking about moving them in with her boyfriend, Jazz had rebelled hardcore. She knew they shouldn’t live with a guy who was abusive, but her mom had refused to listen.

Then she’d thrown up her hands and Jazz had ended up in foster care.

Stacey giggled. “I mean, if you gotta be a foster kid, it’s better to land with a rich family, right?”

Jazz smothered her sigh. No point in pretending after all. She should’ve known that word had traveled all the way through school. “I don’t really care about the rich part.” She stroked her silky pillowcase. “The Duffys are incredible. They’ve made me feel so welcome.” Except Brent.

“You’ve gotta tell me what it’s like.” Stacey rolled on her stomach and propped her chin on her fists.

Jazz smiled, glad for the distraction from her thoughts about her mom and Mol. She tried not to dwell on them, but sometimes she couldn’t help it. Where were they now? Did they ever think of her?

“Jazz?”

“Yeah, sorry. What did you say?”

“You have to tell me what it’s like to live with Gray. He’s so…gah.” Stacey grinned and grabbed her chest.

Jazz’s smile faltered. She should’ve known this was coming. Only she would be dumb enough to think she’d actually made a genuine friend when she hadn’t managed to make any in three months. “He’s pretty awesome,” she said, dropping her arm to her side.

Screw it. Why should she hide herself when people weren’t paying attention to her anyway? She was just the girl who got to live with Gray the hottie.

“I went to see Krystal Sword once and he made out with a girl right on stage. Touched her boob and everything. I got so hot I did it with my boyfriend Craig the first time that night.”

Jazz’s eyes widened. “You’re not a virgin?”

“Nope, haven’t been for months. Are you?”

Jazz nodded. Despite what her mom and her caseworker had believed, she’d stayed out past curfew to go to clubs and hear live music most of the time, not run wild with boys. Guys had been involved a couple of times, and she’d definitely made it past second base and halfway to third, but no one had gone near what her mom used to call her “inner sanctum” yet. “Yeah.”

“You should do it with Gray.”

“What?” Jazz clapped her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter from spilling out. “He’s got…girlfriends.”

She couldn’t say he had one in particular, but even so, the idea was ludicrous. In spite of that weirdness with Brent at Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, she’d never believe for a second that Gray had feelings for her beyond friendship. He saw himself as her older brother, she was almost sure.

Thank God he never read her other notebook. The sexy one, where she did things with Gray in her songs that she’d never ever tell anyone.

“So?” Stacey nudged her arm. “You could be one of them too. Nothing wrong with hooking up with a guy. Then another guy. And another one.”

“Didn’t you just say you had a boyfriend?”

“Had. Now I’m checking out my options.” Stacey did a hip flex that made Jazz giggle again. “Hey, my friend Beth is having a party next Friday night. I’m positive Gray’s going. You should come too.”

“What about Toby?”

“He’ll be there too. Throw out a couple arrows. See which one hits.” Stacey grinned and grabbed her arm. “Come on, say you’ll come. It’ll be so much fun.”

“Okay, sure. But my curfew’s at ten. I gotta be home before then.”

“Absolutely,” Stacey said before bouncing up into a sitting position. “Let’s go raid your closet and find you something hot to wear.”

Jazz took a deep breath. She didn’t have to do anything crazy. It was just a party. Maybe she’d make some new friends, dance a lot, drink a little. But she wasn’t having sex with anyone.

Especially not Gray.