Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison Page B

plate had been.
    That was Charlie for you. Always acting grown up but deep down, the same little kid I’d known my whole life. I laughed to myself, but he picked up on it.
    “What’s so funny?” he asked.
    “What are you doing with those sugar cubes?”
    “I dunno.” He shrugged. Then he smiled and looked me straight in the eye. “I’m going to reconstruct the Great Pyramids. For you. I might need to ask the waiter for some more sugar cubes, though.”
    “You’re such a spaz,” I said, kicking him under the table. But I was secretly touched. The Great Pyramids. I liked the sound of that. I felt my heart swell a little but caught it just in time and shook it off.
    Anyone who saw us probably would have thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Luckily I knew better.
    The thing is, Charlie is cute, like, really cute. He’s all tall and starry-eyed and full of action. But I could never date him—I know him way too well. And I know his flaws better than probably anyone in the universe. Like what a dilettante he is, and how spoiled and oblivious. And how he cracks his knuckles constantly, and bites his nails, and is never ever on time. He’s also a total flirt and is way too fickle with his girlfriends. Seriously. He’d been through five or six already that semester. It’s like, he tries them out for a while and when they don’t measure up to some crazy ideal he has in his scruffy little head, he dumps them.
    Anyway, as I said, Charlie and I would never, ever work.
    “Look,” he said, pointing across the room and not even trying to be subtle. ”Jordan Fitzbaum is hooking up with Rachel Buttersworth-Taylor!”
    “You’re kidding,” I said, and swiveled to see. He was only exaggerating a little: Jordan and Rachel were there, on an obvious date. I noted with satisfaction that not only did they have the table by the kitchen, but their outfits weren’t anywhere near as stylish as ours.
    Nonetheless, Rachel had definitely scored a coup. She’d had a huge crush on Jordan since eighth grade, and she’d finally gotten him to take her out—to Medardo, no less. Jordan was gorgeous, too, practically underwear-model material.
    “God, I hope she doesn’t see me,” I said. “That’s the only thing that could make this day suck worse.”
    “A piano could fall on our heads while we’re walking down the street,” Charlie said. “That would suck worse. Or I could spill wine all over your one-of-a-kind frock.” He picked up the bottle and playfully taunted me, tipping it in my direction.
    “Don’t!” I exclaimed. “Don’t even joke!”
    He put the bottle back on the table. “See,” he said, “it could be much worse. What could little old Rachel do to you, anyway?”
    “Well, she could spill wine on my dress. Somehow that doesn’t seem out of character for her.”
    “True story.” Charlie was silent for a minute, smirking.
    “What are you giving me that look for?”
    “I don’t know, I just think it’s really funny how you and Rachel hate each other.”
    “Why shouldn’t we?” I snapped.
    “Because you two are just like each other. You could be sisters. Or soul mates.” Charlie grinned smugly and crossed his arms across his chest as if to say, Take that.
    I was floored. How could Charlie possibly think I was anything like that insecure, vindictive witch? “What! Do! You! Mean by that?! ” I demanded.
    “Put it this way,” he said with that annoying look of triumphant satisfaction. “You’re both incredibly smart and cool.”
    I scowled.
    “And you’re both totally tough. You can call Rachel what you want, but she’s no wimp. You both know what you want and how to get it. It’s just that neither of you can stand that there’s someone else around like yourself. You each want to be the only one. So you should get over it and just be friends.”
    “You are so wrong!” I protested.
    “Lulu, I’m so right. Everyone knows it except the two of you. Marisol and I talk about it all the