TEAGAN: A teacher just told us about your cousin dying. I’m sorry.
Another hour later.
TEAGAN: I just heard that Estaine is your BOYFRIEND. This better be a sick joke, because I’m your best friend. I should know this stuff before everybody else.
I laugh at her text before replying.
ME: Hey. Sorry. Yesterday was a crazy day. I probably won’t be back until Thursday morning. And the whole Estaine thing kind of just happened. Like, trust me, it surprised me too. Please, don’t hate me. Love you, bye!
The next few messages are all very similar to Teagan’s. I have messages from Emma, Penelope, Zoey, Samantha and Jason. I pretty much tell them the same thing I told Teagan.
The last person I click on is Brooks.
BROOKS: You didn’t text me back last night after you “hung out” with Estaine.
BROOKS: And you’re not texting me back now.
BROOKS: Are you mad at me?
Three hours later.
BROOKS: Whatever I did, I’m sorry.
Two hours later.
BROOKS: Okay, now I am starting to worry.
BROOKS: At least let me know you’re alive.
Another hour later.
BROOKS: I texted one of my friends from East Raven and found out your cousin died and that you’re off campus. I’m so sorry. I hope you’re okay. Text me back.
I send him a quick message so he won’t worry.
But if he found out that I’m off campus for my cousin’s fake funeral, how easy would it be for him to find out that Estaine is my fake boyfriend?
ME: Hey. Sorry I didn’t respond. I’m okay. Can’t talk, though. Lots of family drama. Bye!
I shut my phone off again, not wanting to deal with any more messages from anybody.
The only person I want to call right now is Charlie. I want to hear his voice, but I know it won’t be a possibility. Not just for my safety, but his as well. As tempted as I am to defy the rules and call him, I won’t. I could never live with myself if something bad happened to him because of me.
I decide to just get out of bed, because I don’t want to think about it anymore. When I walk into the kitchen, I see Estaine sitting there, eating food. Jake is by the stove, cooking.
“Did you have a zillion messages this morning?” I ask Estaine, sitting beside him on the barstool.
“Yep,” he answers. “Pretty much every guy on the football team texted me to say congratulations on getting a hot girlfriend.”
This causes me to laugh.
“All the guys at school think you’re hot,” he says.
“No, they don’t,” I say.
“Yes, they actually do,” he says, then shows me the texts.
“What the heck?” I ask. “These guys need their eyes examined.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Bryce sent this,” he says, holding up his phone.
BRYCE: Your girlfriend is a crazy computer hacker. Make sure you don’t text other girls or she’ll go all psycho on you.
I laugh. “At least somebody hates me.”
“Only you would be excited that somebody hates you,” Estaine says.
Jake sets a huge plate of food down, in front of me. “Your father had better give me a raise after this.”
“Should I send your wife a photo of you in an apron?” I ask.
“Don’t. She doesn’t know I can cook and I’d rather keep it that way,” he says.
My mouth falls open. “Well, I’m definitely texting her now.”
“I’m kidding, Phoenix,” Jake says. “Of course she knows I can cook. I’m a good husband. Now, excuse me while I go somewhere I don’t have to listen to two teenagers talk all day.”
“We’re entertaining!” I yell, as he walks out of the kitchen.
He doesn’t reply.
“Seriously, what are we going to do about the fact that now everybody thinks we’re dating?” I ask Estaine, feeling a little bit awkward about the whole situation. Seeing all my friends’ texts has made this whole thing feel more... real.
“I’m going to enjoy it,” he says. “It’s not every day that all the males in school are jealous of me.”
“Yeah, and what are you going to do when everybody expects us to be all lovey dovey and kiss and stuff?” I ask.
“So, I get to make out with a beautiful girl. How hard is that going to be?” he asks.
My face grows warm and I desperately want to change the subject.
“There is one more thing that I lied about,” I tell him.
“What’s that?” he asks.
“I didn’t really get kicked out of my old school for hacking the computers. I mean, I did hack the computers, but the school administration has no idea that I did it,” I say. “Since about one week into my freshman year, kids have been going on social media and the school has no idea.”
Estaine laughs. “You know, that just makes you much more awesome, right?”
“I tried to convince Uncle Matty and Jake to let me have a cooler story. Like, I wanted to say I got kicked out of my old school for arson,” I say. “Accidental arson, of course. But it would’ve been awesome.”