Icon of the Indecisive #3 of 3 (COMPLETE)

Chapter 16

TAKE A DIP - FIRST BEACH PARTY OF THE SUMMER!

BY INVITATION ONLY.

The poster was handmade, using markers, blue and green text against a beach and palm trees. I wondered for a bit who had drawn it because the sea water art actually looked cool and inviting. Or it was just that hot lately. It would be even hotter by next week, which was when the party was supposed to be, and the timing was perfect.

Sol and I were parked right in front of the poster, looking at it far longer than it took to read the few lines of text.

"So are you going to this?" she asked.

"It might be the thing Robbie mentioned to me on our post-Valentine dinner," I said.

"So you're both going?"

"I want to, but I don't know if I'm good with my mom about trips with Robbie yet."

"Right." Sol was chewing on her lip. "Are they inviting sophomores to this? I can't decide if I want to be invited. I don't want to be pathetic and begging for the approval of these cool people, but it's really hot and humid you know? A beach trip would be great. And I'd like to meet other people."

I shrugged. "It'll be the same people who are here right now."

"But they'll be shirtless there. And friendlier. You shouldn't be concerned at all. You have a boyfriend and you're probably invited anyway."

"I haven't gotten anything."

"Oh come on. They're just late sending it, if you haven't gotten it yet. You're the queen of the sophomores right now, if you haven't noticed. Well, maybe just the princess. Kathy Martin is queen."

"I'm not the princess. But yes the girl who has her own TV show should be queen."

Sol took a photo of the poster with her phone. "What do you mean you're not princess of us right now? You are. You're more popular right now than you were when the school year started. You don't notice the gazillion people who just start talking to you in the hallways? And then you talk to them like you're friends? It's a little weird."

"Of course I've noticed. And they eventually become friends."

"Well, I used to be your only friend. Me and the basketball captain."

What Sol was not saying was that she used to have a boyfriend, and now she didn't, and that was probably why she was so aware of how larger my circle seemed to be.

"Basketball what?" said a voice, and Robbie's arms came around me from behind. It was super casual, as if he did this all the time.

Sol blinked. "We were talking about this party, Robbie, and if we lowly sophomores would be invited to it."

I felt him plant a kiss on my cheek and I couldn't help but smile. "Please tell Sol she's not lowly."

"You are gorgeous and definitely among the better sophomores," Robbie said.

"Haha." Sol looked dismissive, but I could tell that she was flattered. "I'm so glad you two are together now, Robbie. I was rooting for you all along."

"Thank you," Robbie said, and in his mind Rooting for me against?

"So do you have a secret girlfriend in your hometown?" she asked, taking even me by surprise.

"No," he answered.

"And are you a secret thief?"

He smiled. "Not that either."

"Good. Great start for you two then," Sol said.

"Hi," someone else said, and we all turned to see Mara Bautista. I knew her; she had opened up to me before about a crush on a guy who didn't like her back. She smiled and handed me and Robbie a small blue envelope each. "See you at the beach!"

And then she walked away.

Inside the envelope was a small white card that just had driving directions to a specific beach house in Batangas, about an hour and a half from here.

Sol did not get her own envelope. "Great, I guess that answered my question."

"You can have mine," I said, thrusting the card into her hands. "I'll be Robbie's plus one."

"I don't think it works that way, Hannah."

"Look, if I actually am as popular as you say, they'll let you in. Because I want you there."

It was as good as done if Mara was involved in inviting people, because she was devoted to me. All I had to do was ask.

Sol sighed. "Fine. I will keep this pity invite and think about it. And I have to go. See you tomorrow okay?"

Robbie still had his arms around me and we silently watched Sol walk away. But I could hear his thoughts, and he was stuck on that simple thing that Sol said. I was rooting for you.

Who else is interested in her

I wonder how far that guy got

Who is that guy or guys

I turned around and tiptoed to kiss him, and he met me halfway with one that took away my breath. In a good way.

Oh Robbie. I understood how he felt. He had the same thoughts as mine, or at least what mine used to be.

Used to be used to be used to be.