Making Out by Megan Stine

it’s going to be rough, since you’ve got half the senior class planning to meet you .”
    Lisa Marie blushed but decided to ignore that one. “How about Tony? I still say it’s Tony. She likes him.”
    â€œWho likes who?” Heather asked, coming back with her perfectly arranged salad of apples, walnuts, jicama, edamame, and gorgonzola on oak leaf lettuce.
    â€œWe’re trying to think of someone for you to be with at the prom,” Lisa Marie said almost defensively. “And I say Tony is the perfect guy.”
    â€œNot again.” Heather rolled her eyes. “I thought we went over this.”
    â€œWe did, and we agreed you’re giving up too easily,” Marianna said. “How about Max Snow? He’s not going with anyone.”
    Heather sighed. “Honestly, you should give up on trying to find someone for me. You can both go off with your guys, and I’ll be fine.”
    â€œDon’t be silly. We’d never just abandon you. Come on, think. We made a list last week. Who was on it? Max Snow, Eric Sandberg, Tony . . . Oooh! I know! How about one of the Marshall twins?”
    â€œHow about both of them?” Heather joked.
    â€œWhatever floats your boat,” Marianna said with a shrug before she realized that Heather was totally kidding.
    Come on, Heather, Marianna thought. You’re not even trying. It’s one thing to be shy, but you’ve got to make at least some effort to get what you want in life.
    Heather took two bites of her salad. “Mmm,” she said. “Extra blue cheese. I love when it’s lumpy.”
    She was barely participating in this conversation. Marianna and Lisa Marie were having to work twice as hard.
    â€œTony’s the best choice,” Lisa Marie concluded. “He’s not attached, and I know you like him. I saw you talking to him in the publications office last week.”
    â€œReally?” Marianna latched on to that piece of info real quick.
    Okay, so maybe it was a little bit self-serving to be trying to hook Heather up for the prom, but she was doing it as a favor, too. Somebody had to help Heather get past whatever was keeping her from having a social life. “When was this?”
    Heather was chewing.
    â€œCome on—details,” Marianna demanded.
    â€œUmm, the lit mag people were working on the final issue last week, and I was doing layout for the yearbook,” Heather explained. “Someone asked Tony to do a spot illustration for the mag . . . he didn’t know what size to make it . . . I helped him figure it out. That’s all.”
    â€œYou were laughing and having a good time,” Lisa Marie pointed out. “I saw you.”
    â€œHe’s funny,” Heather admitted.
    Lisa Marie and Marianna waited expectantly for her to elaborate. God, this was like pulling teeth.
    â€œHe’s got a dry sense of humor,” Heather explained. “Margo was asking everyone where to get a decent pair of jeans. Everyone knows she dresses kind of slutty, so Tony mutters, ‘I’d have thought you’d want an indecent pair.’ ”
    Marginally funny, but whatever.
    â€œYou had to be there,” Heather said when neither of them laughed much.
    â€œWell, so, talk to him some more,” Lisa Marie encouraged. “He sounds perfect for you. Really.”
    Heather shrugged and got up to get more salad dressing.
    The minute she was out of sight, Marianna reached across Lisa Marie and dug into Heather’s purse.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Lisa Marie was shocked.
    â€œI’m looking for her cell phone,” Marianna said quickly. “I happen to know she’s going to be in the pub office today after school . . . and I think Tony should be there, too.” She found the phone and dug the St. Claire’s student directory out of her own backpack to look up Tony’s number. Then she quickly sent Tony a text message from Heather. It