This day is going too well to let Caleb screw it up. I ignore his text. I even toss my phone in my backpack for the rest of the school day so I’m not tempted to check it. When the final bell rings, I sneak a look at it on my way to the library for tutoring. Caleb sent one more text, which was just a question mark. I smirk, satisfied that he’s waiting around on me for once, and turn the phone off.

Even though we are technically dating now, Jonah is in full tutoring mode when I enter the library. He already has my chemistry notes open with the history textbook stacked underneath that.

“What kind of grades do you have?” I ask curiously as I take my seat next to him. “I’m guessing you make all A’s.”

“I have a one hundred average,” he says, glancing down at the chemistry notes. “Want to study vocab first?”

“A one hundred in what?” I ask. “Which class?”

“All of them.” I would think he’s joking, but he looks right at me with all the seriousness he usually has.

“Wow,” I say, exhaling. “Now I’m even more intimidated by you.”

He snorts and shakes his head. “Nah, chica. Nothing to worry about. I’m the one intimidated by you.”

I forget all about Caleb’s stupid text while I study with Jonah. It feels a little weird to be so completely over the guy, since I crushed on him forever, but there’s something about ditching a girl on her birthday that makes you severely unattractive. Plus, the more time I spend with Jonah, the more I realize how great it is to be with a guy who actually cares about you.

Jonah insists on driving me home after tutoring, but I tell him he can only do this on tutoring days because I can’t leave April to walk home alone. He offers to bring her, but I tell him that’s a little too fast. April needs to warm up to someone first. Plus, I like my walks home with her. It’s our time to chat, relax, and enjoy the outside air. I wonder how much my life will change now that Jonah and I are a thing.

Since April’s not here, and since I’m already getting a ride, I have Jonah drop me off at The Magpie so I don’t have to ride my bike there. He kisses me in the parking lot, then grins at me as I reluctantly step out of his car. If it were up to me, we’d hang out all day, but I know the best way to have a good relationship is to give it some space. I can’t make him tired of me this soon.

Mom is engrossed in a book when I walk in the store. She’s sitting in one of the arm chairs in the break room, the hardback book just inches from her face.

“Hellooo,” I say in a singsong as I tap on the doorframe.

She jumps. “When did you get here?”

I laugh. “Just now. Are you reading the merchandise?”

“No,” she says, slamming the book closed. “Why? Is that unethical? If I read it but don’t bend the pages and I never take it out of the store, is it still brand new?”

“You’re going to have to figure that out on your own,” I say, laughing as I go to the front desk and let her keep taking a break. I also take out my phone for the first time since lunch, because although I forget about Caleb when Jonah is around, now that he’s gone, I’m wondering if Caleb has sent anything else.

And boy has he.

 

Caleb: ????

Caleb: Did you get my text?

Caleb: Hello?

Caleb: this Friday… me and you.

Caleb: we’ll stay out late and I’ll show you a good time

Caleb: I’ll take your silence as a yes

 

My lip curls as I read his messages. What a disgusting pig.

 

Me: No need to blow up my phone. I had it turned off.

Caleb: there she is! You better wear something sexy on Friday

 

Funny how he can reply quickly today but was MIA on my birthday.

 

Me: No thanks. I have plans on Friday

Caleb: Saturday then

Me: how about never? Does that work for you?

Caleb: never does not work. What’s your problem? Lets go out!

Me: I said no. deal with it

Caleb: damn, girl. I like it when you play rough

 

I grip my phone and take a deep breath, telling myself not to give into my rage and throw it across the room. I can’t afford a new phone and Caleb isn’t worth it. I hate how cocky he is, how he thinks can just snap his fingers and I’ll be thrilled to go out with him.

A few minutes go by and then he calls me. I ignore the call. When a customer comes in, it takes everything I have to put on a polite smile and be friendly even though all I want to do is go outside and take a deep breath and scream.

I’m checking out the customer’s purchase—two metal bookmarks with charms on them—when the door opens again and Caleb’s stupid face grins at me. He doesn’t seem affected at all that I basically told him to screw off in my last text.

Anger boils up inside me and for the first time ever, I wish I didn’t work in The Magpie, so that he wouldn’t be able to find me.

“Hey,” he says in this pathetic seductive voice while he leans over the front counter. His body spray wafts through the room, assaulting my poor nose.

“Are you here to buy something?”

He glances around the store then looks back at me. “I’m here to talk to you.”

I fold my arms over my chest, grateful that Mom is still in the back room and therefore out of earshot. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Why are you being so mean?” he says, crunching his eyebrows together as if he’s really offended. Ha.

“You know what’s mean?” I say, keeping my voice steady. “Standing up a girl on her birthday.”

“Huh?” he says, before quickly bursting into a smile. “Oh that’s nothing, Natalie. Wednesdays are stupid! We need to hang out this weekend so we can spend some quality time together.”

“I’d rather eat my own socks.”

He chuckles. “Look. Okay. You’re mad.” He rolls his eyes as if the idea of me being mad is just so unbelievably stupid. Maybe it is. Maybe if Jonah hadn’t been there on the beach when I was having a horrible day…maybe I’d still be the pathetic girl who does whatever it takes for some attention from a cute boy.

“Let’s talk, Natalie. I swear I’ll make it up to you.”

He gives me this sad little puppy face and it just makes me want to punch him. Mom appears from the back room, smiling when she sees I’m not alone.

“Hi there,” she says. “Welcome to The Magpie.”

“Thanks,” Caleb tells her. “Me and Natalie were just talking.”

“No we weren’t,” I say.

Mom lifts an eyebrow, but I’m not about to bring her into my drama. “I was just telling him I’m busy at work.”

“Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll take over,” Mom says, flashing me a smile as if she’s doing me a favor. “Then you can go talk outside. Maybe get some ice cream?”

“Perfect!” Caleb says. He grins at me as if he’s forgotten that I’m mad at him. “I’ll see you outside.” Then he bounces off with a pep in his step and I just want to punch something. How can he be such an ass?

But now I have to talk to him. I know without a doubt that he’ll just come back in here and embarrass me in front of Mom if I don’t. So when she’s ready to take over for me, I slip outside, balling my fists at my sides.

I can’t tell who’s yelling at first. As I walk the boardwalk toward the ice cream shop, I hear low voices talking in angry tones coming from somewhere up ahead. Then I see the door to the game store, well, what used to be the game store, is open and the yelling is coming from outside.

I hear the name Caleb and stop. The angriest voice is Jack Brown’s.

“I don’t know,” Caleb is saying. “She’s pissed at me.”

I lean closer, standing just outside the game store near the open door. Jack Brown says, “You were supposed to be charming, son. How the hell did she get mad at you?”

“I don’t know! Girls are crazy.”

“Go back there and win her over,” Jack growls. “Take her out way too late and make her miss work on Saturday when Marlene needs her there. The more you do it, the more she’ll want to give up the store.”

“That might take a while,” Caleb says, sounding more resigned than angry now. “I’m not going to pretend to date this chick, dad. I have a life.”

“You’ll do what it takes so we can secure the property.”

I’ve heard enough. I’m now so pissed I might be able to shatter glass with my stare alone. I step into the doorway and reveal myself to the two assholes inside the empty game store.

“Sorry to barge into the party here, but Caleb, I won’t be going out with you. Not now, not ever. Lose my number and stop texting me obsessively, you freaking stalker.”

His eyes go wide and Jack’s face hardens, the lines in his jaw tightening. I don’t care. I’m too pissed to care. It’s one thing to use me, but no one messes with my mom’s store or her happiness.

I level my glare at Caleb’s dad. “And you, Mr. Brown, can go fuck off. You’ll never get my mom’s store. I don’t care if you buy every fucking store in this town, you won’t get hers.”

I’m out the door before he can say anything. And they must know what’s good for them, because neither one of them chase after me.