Chapter
Thirty-eight
Verbal
Gymnastics
That week in debate class, for the first
time, Darcy sat next to Paige and Paige bit her tongue. It was almost summer and
the second-eldest Bennet sister turned up to class in the prettiest dress Darcy
had ever seen. Not for the first time, Mackenzie noted that Paige had curled
her hair and applied a new fashionable shade of pink lipstick that Mackenzie
had recently tweeted about.
“Big deal,” Mackenzie said as she took her
seat on the other side of Darcy, “money doesn’t buy class.” She added under her
breath as Paige walked up to the podium to start the debate rolling.
Darcy turned to Mackenzie, “I think she
looks really nice.”
“Well, I didn’t say she didn’t look nice,
Darcy. Anyway, you’re dreaming if you think I care that you guys got put
together.”
Mackenzie turned her head and started to
smile at Rys. She was sure that would irritate Darcy and distract Paige from
her impassioned speech about the importance of elementary school education.
Both she and Darcy had prepared diligently – as an excuse not to talk about
anything else. They easily won, as a team.
That afternoon, Shiloh and Paige were
finishing revising for exams at the school library. Shiloh had some exciting
news to tell Paige but Paige was preoccupied with what she had heard Rys Wickam
say about his dance video. He’d said there were ‘hot babes’ in it. Paige hoped
those ‘babes’ weren’t her sisters.
“It’s okay, Rebel told me she and Sia just
hung out and danced – fully clothed.”
“I hope so,” Paige said. “But our sisters
are easily led.”
By
then, Paige and Shiloh had moved on to window shopping in Sunrise Central for prom
dresses.
“Oh, Shiloh, of course I hope Ryan asks you
to prom. I have it on good authority that he plans to.”
“Whose?”
“Wednesday overheard him asking about
corsages for a special blonde girl he was planning on taking to the junior
dance. Of course, Coco asked outright, ‘do you mean, Shiloh?’ and apparently he
stumbled and blurted out, “Yes.”
“I’m so excited Paige, I can hardly sleep. I
just wished you had someone planned to take you too.”
“Well, Rys was going to ask me, or so he
said, until he had to go on the startup weekend in Silicon Valley with his dad.
It’s a pretty big deal apparently. Oh, and now he’s ‘friends’ with Mackenzie
again, so who knows?”
“Yes, well, I’d never expect Rys to put
others before himself.”
“Oh, Shiloh, we’re just friends. He’s so
obviously going to be a player when he grows up. I’m really not that
interested…”
“Well, it’s pretty obvious he likes you…”
“Maybe… sometimes I wonder if what Darcy
said was true.”
“Darcy does seem to have some good qualities
and honesty is one of them. Have you noticed the way he looks at you?”
“Who?”
“Darcy Donovan.”
“Oh.
Well, at first we really hated each other, then we just didn’t like each
other at all, then we maybe grew to respect each other. And now…”
“Now?”
“Now, I think we are at a truce. We merely
dislike each other after being forced to work together.”
“If I didn’t like Ryan, I would have to say
Darcy is the most handsome boy in school.”
“He’d definitely agree.”
“Well, I think, you are both alike. Both
full of pride. That can make simple things complicated.”
“Really, Shiloh? And what would I see if I
were seeing clearly as you put it?”
“Love.”
Paige threw her sweater at Shiloh who was
waiting for her sister outside the changing room.
Just then her Shiloh’s text went off.
Shiloh picked up her phone and squealed.
“What is it?”
“Ryan is coming with Mackenzie and me
tomorrow.” The girls had planned to go to Third Street Promenade for lunch.
“Mackenzie texted: he has something he wants to ask you!! She means me!”
“Oh Shiloh, I knew he’d ask you!”
“Now I just want Darcy to ask you!”
“I sincerely doubt that’s ever going to
happen.”
