“He texted me like a hundred times.” She blurted out the words as if she’d been holding them in for a decade.
“Who?” I asked. But I already knew the answer. “Sebastian?”
She tried to hide the smile that crept across her face by chewing on her sparkling pink lip and drove us toward school. “How did you know?”
“A hundred?” I asked flatly.
“Well…not exactly. But I’m going to have to buy more minutes.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted to know what I was doing…what I liked to do…what were my favorite flowers.” Becky beamed.
“Did you answer?”
“I did until Matt texted in. Then I told him I had to go.”
“You shouldn’t be texting Sebastian.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because you have a boyfriend.”
“I know that. But it’s no big deal.”
“Are you kidding?” Becky was as serious as she was naive. She was so amazed that Matt liked her, she couldn’t fathom that another guy might possibly feel the same. “Texting another guy? In some countries you could be jailed.”
“Raven, I think you’re totally overreacting.”
“Me? Overreact? Promise me you won’t text him anymore.”
“He was just being nice.”
“He’s not being nice. He’s dangerous,” I blurted out.
“He’s a criminal?” Becky squealed.
“Of course not,” I said, and sighed.
Becky was being unusually stubborn. I knew it was because she simply didn’t think I wasn’t going to leave her in the dark anymore. I had to use all my ammunition.
“He’s dangerous for different reasons than you think. He’s in love with you!”
Becky almost slammed on the brakes. “You’re joking.”
“No—it’s true.”
“No one’s ever been in love with me. Not even Matt.”
“What? Of course Matt loves you.”
“Well, he’s never said it.”
I was surprised. I figured Matt told her all the time, as Alexander told me.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I would have told you the minute he told me.”
“I just assumed he already had. But clearly, he doesn’t need to. It’s written all over his face.”
“You think so?” she asked with doughy eyes. “You know how I feel about him.”
“Of course he loves you. That’s why you have to stay away from Sebastian. So you don’t spoil your relationship with Matt.”
“I’d never let that happen. But I don’t believe you about Sebastian. Truly, he was being totally innocent.”
“Guys don’t want to be just friends. Haven’t you seen When Harry Met Sally?”
“No.”
“Well, perhaps it’s time you watched it.”
“I’ll rent it tonight.”
“Perfect. Then we’re done with the subject,” I ordered. “He’s supposed to be leaving soon anyway, so there’s no need to mention his name.”
“Mention whose name?” she asked with a cute grin.
Becky parked the truck in the student parking lot. We dashed up the front stairs through the bustling hallways and hurried to our lockers. She opened hers to find a glass vase tied with a white ribbon and filled with tiny pink roses.
“Wow—Matt never gave me roses before,” she exclaimed. “Didn’t I tell you I had the best boyfriend ever?”
My stomach tied itself in a bigger knot than was on her bow.
“My guess is they aren’t from him,” I mumbled.
“What?”
“Uh…nothing. Is there a card?”
“Oh…” She picked through the flowers. “Here it is. ‘Until we meet again…Sebastian,’” she read aloud.
“Sebastian?” My best friend was as shocked as she was flattered. She stuck the card back in the vase.
Suddenly Matt appeared behind us. Becky gasped and turned corpse white.