Falling for the Ghost of You(51)

"Not at all, we're happy to have you," Mom replies enthusiastically. "It's so nice to meet a friend of Zane's. Oh, this is my daughter, Violet."

Jenna turns to me with her lovely green eyes. "It's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

I glare at Zane, instantly paranoid. So he's talking to his little girlfriend about me?! Did he tell her how immature I am?

He seems amused by my reaction. He leans over to murmur something in dear Jenna's ear. Her eyes widen and she nods quickly.

Mom finally senses the tension in the room and is puzzled by it. She raises her eyebrows at me, trying to decipher my stiff expression. Shaking her head, she herds us into the sitting room with the other guests.

I keep on the opposite side of the room from the happy couple, forcing poor Jane into an intense conversation about reality television. I can't resist peeking over at Zane and Jenna, however, and it makes me grit my teeth to see them talking with so much familiarity.

How dare he bring a girl over here! I mean, really? After what happened? Is he trying to shove my face in it, or what? Grr…

I do a good job of avoiding them until dinnertime. As luck would have it, they are seated right across from me. I alternate between wanting to sink down into my seat and disappear, and wanting to flick my peas at them with my spoon.

Fortunately, I decide that both urges are beneath me. I can be an adult about this. So, he brought another girl over here after we just had a fight about him being a giant flirt, a gift-giving, receptionist dancing, tricks-up-his-sleeve mother—

Okay, you know what? We never actually said we were officially together. So, he can do whatever he wants. And so can I.

I turn to the good-looking boy next to me and start a lame conversation about the weather. Cute Boy seems thrilled that I’m talking to him, and he’s nice. We get on the topic of music, and it turns out he likes Aiden Cross, and the McPigs, too. Meanwhile, I resist the temptation to look over at Zane.

Well, I don’t resist it very well. I surreptitiously peek at him from the corner of my eye. Guess what? He’s not even looking over here! He’s talking to an older-looking woman sitting on his other side. I think her name is Lorraine—one of Mom’s old co-workers. They’re having a grand old time laughing about something. Me, maybe? No, I’m being paranoid.

“…so, do you think you’d want to go? With me?” Cute Boy is saying.

“I’m sorry, what?” I tune him back in, an apologetic smile on my lips.

Cute Boy clears his throat nervously. “The dance on Saturday. Do you think you’d want to go…with me? Our school really goes all out for dances. I heard this one time, they rented out an ice rink, and kids were just skating and dancing…doesn’t that sound awesome?”

“Oh, yeah,” I say uncomfortably, fidgeting awkwardly in my chair. “But I don’t really go to dances, and my schedule is so packed, what with school and work.”

Cute Boy looks so crestfallen, I start feeling really bad. “Oh,” he says. “That’s okay. I didn’t really think someone as pretty as you would say yes to me, but I figured I’d give it a shot.”

Aw. I feel even worse, especially since I was using him to make Zane jealous. It wouldn’t hurt me to be nicer about my rejection. “Um,” I start to say. “When did you say it was?”

“Well, Saturday, but they also—”

“Oh, too bad. I work on the weekends. I totally would have gone, otherwise.”

“Really?” Cute Boy suddenly perks up in a way I really don’t like. “That’s great, because I was going to say they have the fall dance that we can go to on the Friday before. It’s actually for seniors only, but I can totally get us in! My older brother’s friends with the band.”

“Oh, no…I mean…” I trail off and stare at him suspiciously. “Wait, what did you say about the senior thing?”

“Yeah, it’s only for seniors, but—”

“Well, you two look like you’re having a good time!”

A beaming blonde-haired woman descends on us, patting Cute Boy on the back. She’s got that soccer mom look about her, and I don’t like the way she’s eyeing me with that speculative gleam in her eye.

“Oh, yeah, Mom,” Cute Boy says eagerly. “Guess what? Violet’s going to the dance with me!”

“Oh, Jakey!” she exclaims so, so loudly. “You’re going to your first freshman dance, and with an older woman!”

Freshman?!

I have lost the ability to blink. I look closely at Jakey for the first time. Smooth tender skin with no hint of facial hair, faint pockmarks from what I assume is a recent bout of forehead acne…awkward, puppy dog look, overall…