Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz Page A

SEE NASH FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE LECTURE. IT’S been exactly two weeks (well, thirteen days and eighteen hours, give or take five minutes) since I last saw him. I’ve convinced myself that the moment we shared after the lecture was either imagined or a mistake, and that he’s never going to have anything to do with me again. But now, he gives me his usual hug and he whispers, “I’ve missed you, ma chérie .”
He leads me to the space between the supply closet and the wall. He leans me against the wall with his hands on my hips. Then he kisses me and everything that I wanted to say to him melts away. The world is perfect: Nash is a god in human manifestation. Nothing else matters because I love my life. All my worries disappear. He does like me. This is real. And it’s happening to me.
We break away as we hear someone approaching the door.
“This weekend,” he whispers. “We’ll definitely get together.”
“When?” I have to know.
“I’m not sure. Maybe Saturday. I’ll call you.” He squeezes my hand as the door starts to open.
“Really, you’ll call?” I ask as I straighten a desk.
Nash smiles as if I’m confirming that two plus two equals four. “Of course!”
During the rest of the meeting, Nash keeps winking at me or finding ways to brush my arm or back when he walks by. Nobody notices a thing except for David. He sends me looks of disapproval that I don’t even get from Daddy. I just smile back. When the world is this perfect, I don’t need to worry about the little things.

Whitney Blaire
     
THE GIRL IS PURE EVIL. SHE HAS A PLAN. IT INVOLVES TARA and Brent. It involves breaking up Tara and Brent for good. That’s why she’s getting friendly with Tara, to weasel her way in. Become an insider so that she knows all the secrets. Riley wants Brent for herself. But Tara doesn’t listen when I tell her.
I see Riley up ahead. She’s talking with some kid I don’t know. I’m about to ignore her but then I hear Tara’s name. And Brent’s.
I slouch down against the lockers and I put on my sunglasses. I pull out a nail file and pretend I’m not there. With everyone walking around, Riley and the other kid don’t even notice me. It’s noisy, but I can still get what they say.
“So I hear Tara and Brent are getting back together,” the kid says.
“It looks like it.” Riley puts her hands behind her head. “They’re meeting at the gym today at four thirty. It’s the perfect setting for them to reunite.”
The kid shrugs. “Maybe you can stop them? You’ll be at the gym, won’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be in training,” Riley says. “I sometimes dream about what it’d be like to…No, I shouldn’t think about that. But on the other hand, I can’t stand it. I was starting to think I might have a chance.”
The kid puts a hand on Riley’s shoulder. “You never know. Brent might get bored with her.”
Riley sighs. “I hope so. Brent doesn’t deserve a girl like Tara.”
I watch them walk away and then kick myself for not taking Riley out then and there. I knew she was up to no good and now I have the proof. Riley is after Brent. I just have to get to the gym this afternoon. And find Brent before Riley does.

Tara
     
LUNCHTIME WITH THE GIRLS IS AWKWARD. WHITNEY Blaire is brooding about something. It’s obviously serious because she’s wearing her sunglasses inside and not stealing food off Pinkie’s tray. I’m likewise quiet, thinking how Riley is much better company. Pinkie is the only one chatting, pretending that everything is normal.
“You know what we need to do?” Pinkie says. “Sleepover at my house. We rent some girly movies, get some greasy pizza. Have an early start to the weekend. What do you say?”
I shake my head. “I can’t, you know I’m in training.”
Whitney Blaire grunts. My guess is she’s either going to complain that I stick to my diet better than she does or is about to say something about friends being more important than training. Whatever