Word has it that opposites attract. Jessica Keith would give the pithy expression two middle fingers because a wild party girl like her and the prim do-gooder, Matthew Parkinson are opposites hopeless to attract, let alone breathe the same air.
Howe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Jessica
There was a soft knock on the door.
"Yeah, just ten more minutes," I called out.
"Okay, but, um, I think the party started ten minutes ago?" Matthew says through the tiny gap of my slightly opened bedroom door.
I applied my favorite mascara. "Uh-uh. We're going to be fashionably late."
"Okay. I'll just, um, wait in the living room."
"Yeah. Just
"Aw, look at you both. You both sound like someone in a relationship."
I glared at my phone propped against the mirror where I had Audrey, Chassie, and Kathie on a video call. "A relationship called "friendship." Andrei and France did me dirty. Mostly Andrei. He set us up to go together. I mean, I get that the whole family is trying to get Matthew to come out of his shell, but pimping him out to me like that? I don't like it."
"You haven't even tested the waters yet. You can't say you like it," Kathie says in a sing-song voice. She had on a pink apron, her hair in a messy bun, and a whisk in hand that she waved like a magic wand. She and Chassie are making brownies for Ethan's bake sale tomorrow.
Audrey on the other hand is gorging on great dollops of peanut butter.
Chassie leaned over the counter, her voice zooming in on my screen. "I smell a budding romance."
I snorted. "Maybe, a burning brownie."
She stepped backward, her hands on her waist. "How dare you, we're still just pre-heating the oven. I am really, very, deeply offended."
I scrunched my nose. "Below the belt?"
"Way below the belt. You owe me an apology."
"How about six-hour-long babysitting on a day of your choosing? Miles and I could use a different scenery." I wagged my brows.
Hers arched. "I'm listening."
Audrey stopped sucking on her spoon. "Wait, is Miles doing okay?"
I lifted my palm as if to calm her down. "He's doing great. You don't have to worry about anything. At all. Eat your peanut butter."
She nods slowly.
"As I promised, I will call if there is something you need to worry about."
Audrey sighed. "Okay." She dipped her spoon in the half-empty jar and scooped out a huge blob of peanut butter.
I shivered inside.
"Anyways, Chassie, we can come over for a sleepover. And you can go out with Nathan on a date." I shrugged.
