The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash Page B

forgetting about that. But at least one Posner geek will be happy today.
    â€œDid you try to get him to spill secrets about the upcoming films?” Devin asks.
    I think he’s joking, but Casey merely nods. “Yes, and I think I chose my question wisely.”
    â€œWhat was it?” I ask.
    Casey looks me square in the eye and says, “ ‘Mr. Mayhew, could you tell me what title you invoiced for?’ ”
    We all give him a blank stare.
    â€œWhat does that mean?” Roxana finally pronounces our collective confusion.
    Casey blinks. “I thought he’d tell us the title of the new movie. You know, the one that his agent had to use for invoicing. Or at least the red herring title. I could have used that to try and scour some stuff out.”
    â€œOh . . . ,” Roxy says, valiantly keeping a straight face.
    â€œI figured if I asked him out of the blue, he wouldn’t have time to come up with a lie and he might answer. Like a reflex.”
    â€œAnd did he?” I ask.
    Casey shakes his head. “He didn’t seem to understand the question.”
    â€œWeird,” Felicia says, not as successful at hiding her grin.
    â€œOh, Graham! Look!” Roxana taps my arm and points down the hallway.
    I see them, coming toward me like a group of Inferi. Except, insteadof ravenous and scary, they look dazed but elated. Their silver wristbands hang off their wrists, gleaming like unicorn blood. Their eyes have a radiant, glassy sheen, like they have just beheld a dazzling god.
    As they get closer to us, I hear a soft buzz. Some of them are chattering.
    â€œWasn’t he just . . . brilliant?”
    â€œOh my God. What he said about Noth’s anger. And his loss.”
    But most of them are quietly reverent. Shoulders back and heads held high, like they’re coming from a medieval royal court. A few look over at my costume and Roxana’s and smile beatifically at us. There’s even a guy who’s got on the same Mad Max iteration of Althena I’m wearing. He gives me an excited nod.
    I can barely muster the energy to move my head in return. I mostly want to punch all these people in the face. Which is weird for me. I don’t usually have violent thoughts unless they’re about fictional characters.
    â€œShall we ask them how it was?” Devin asks in a shockingly cheerful voice.
    â€œNo,” I spit out bitterly and automatically. For once, I don’t want to know the details of something I missed out on. I don’t want to pore over fansites and message boards and get the scoop. I can’t abide the secondhand reports this time, not when I was so close to seeing the real thing for myself.
    And maybe that way, I can pretend it never happened.
    Roxana looks over at me and I can see that she understands, that she feels it too. “Maybe it’s better if we imagine what it was like instead,” she says to Devin. “Hey.” She turns to me again. “Maybe we can make an issue out of it? Like the Grand Mage is doing a tour and MH 237 gets chosen to host . . . but somehow the Misfits miss it.” She smiles at me.
    I try to smile back, but even for Roxana, I can barely muster it. “Maybe,” I say.
    â€œThe Misfits?” Devin asks. “Like the band?”
    â€œNo, the Misfits of Mage High. It’s the series Graham and I work on together,” Roxana explains.
    â€œIt’s really good,” Felicia chimes in.
    Roxana beams at her. “Thanks, Felicia.”
    Felicia shrugs. “Just telling the truth.”
    â€œWell, go on, then. Don’t leave a bloke hanging. What’s it about?” Devin asks.
    â€œWell, as you might have guessed, a high school. Of mages.”
    â€œI had somehow deduced that much, yes.”
    â€œAnd then there are . . .”
    â€œLet me guess. These misfits?”
    â€œCorrect. Wow, nothing gets by you,” Roxana