Shouts rang out, and car horns blared. The few buses the district owned spewed plumes of exhaust as they sped away from the emptying school.

The sun’s heat warmed Ash’s back as Randy’s tongue scraped against the underside of her own, his hands sliding down to grab her ass.

She had all but forgotten the nastiness with Gwen that morning. After an awkward second period where Gwen and Ash pretended like the other didn’t exist, things got mostly back to normal. By lunch, everyone was back to their usual. Ash and Gwen bantered but much friendlier than that morning. Frenemies, if not actual friends.

From behind the pair, Scott snickered.

Ugh, he better not be looking at my ass again.

She lingered in the kiss a moment longer, then shot Scott a withering glance. He had the sense to wipe the sneer off his face and look away. The guy needed to get a life.

Instead of hanging on Randy like some lovesick puppy and checking out my ass when he thinks I’m not looking, he could get his own girlfriend. She almost shuddered for the poor girl desperate enough to date the skeevy lech.

The sharp tang of cinnamon lingered on her tongue. Randy loved cinnamon-flavored gum, and though she didn’t use to like it, she’d acquired the taste.

“You coming over tonight? I got some of that new stuff Scotty was talking about.”

Ash had to stop herself from snapping at him. Randy was always trying to get her to come over and try out some new party drug, probably hoping he’d find the right cocktail to finally get her to put out. She’d told him a thousand times she wasn’t into that. “Sorry, I’m going shopping today. Remember?”

Before he could answer, Randy stiffened, but not in the good way. “Jesus, what is with this guy?”

Following his gaze, she saw Sam approaching, a frown Randy’s equal on his own face. “What’s wrong?”

Randy disentangled himself from her embrace. “Nothing. He’s just always around. He follows you like some lost puppy. I just wish it could be the two of us for once.”

Ash’s eyes flicked toward Scott, but she didn’t point out the irony. “You know we’re just friends. Besides, we barely hang out at school.”

“What, like it’s better that you spend all your time outside of school with him?”

“You know that’s not true. So, come on, what’s really going on?” She dropped her voice so Sam wouldn’t overhear.

Instead of answering, Randy raised his voice so Sam could hear. “Hey, babe, here comes your lost puppy.”

Unsurprisingly, Randy’s comment garnered a guffaw out of Scott. “Careful, you don’t want him to beat you up.”

Randy barked a laugh. The captain of the rugby team, scared of little Sammy Dyer? “Like that would ever happen.”

Scott’s voice dropped as Sam neared. “Remember what happened in eighth grade? Dude’s crazy…”

Randy laughed again, but his eyes narrowed, and he wrapped his arms around Ash tightly.

Is he…jealous? There was no way. Randy was the most popular guy in school, had been since he stepped foot in Elsbury High. He was handsome, rich, and dated the prettiest girls—present company included. Sam was…well, Sam. He was smart, but not top-of-class. Cute, but in a dorky kind of way. He could be one of those nerds in a teen rom-com who got a makeover and the heroine realized he’s always been the perfect guy for her.

She had to fight the urge to snort at the thought. If Sam had more confidence, maybe did something with that mop of brown hair, and at least put in a little effort, he’d probably have a girlfriend. For a guy with a girl as a best friend you’d think he’d have all the know-how to maximize his assets. But the kid was hopelessly—frustratingly—inflexible.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She came to a decision. When they were out shopping today, she’d pick out some new clothes for him—clothes that would accentuate his assets rather than cover them up with layers of denim and thick, patterned cotton, and she wouldn’t rest until he agreed to try them on.

No one would know it by looking at him, but he actually has a killer bod. She was reminded of it every time he came over to swim. He had always been a scrawny kid, but he packed on some muscles sophomore year. At the time, she hoped Sam would grow more confident, but if anything, he spent even more effort blending in. If he weren’t so damned shy, she wouldn’t be the only person at school who knew it.

Sam smiled, but he looked like he caught a whiff of something rotten. “Ready to go?”

“Where are you two going?” A hint of accusation tinged Randy’s question. “I thought we were hanging out after school.”

“I told you I was going shopping today. Remember?”

“You didn’t say you’d be going with him.”

Ash crossed her arms. “Do you want to come instead?” Surprise, and a little hurt, flitted across Sam’s face.

“I don’t wanna go shopping. I’ve still got a pair.” Randy sneered and grabbed his crotch.

She slapped his arm. “You’re such a jerk sometimes. I’ll call you later, okay?”

Randy nodded, and after giving her one last long kiss, he and Scott took off.

“Well, that was charming,” Sam said once the two were gone.

“Give it a rest.” It was bad enough that she had to deal with one moody guy in her life.

“You sure you wouldn’t rather go shopping with Randy? When you’re done, he could take you to the mall. I hear that’s where all the cool kids hang out.”

Ash winced, realizing she probably shouldn’t have offered to ditch Sam to go shopping with Randy. She linked arms with him. “There was no chance in hell he was going to agree to go thrifting with me.”

Sam pulled his arm free from her grasp and headed toward the parking lot. “Let’s just go.” He didn’t offer to let her drive this time and set about coaxing the old beater to life.

A sullen silence descended on the car while they waited for the long line of vehicles to file out of the school parking lot. It dragged on for minutes until she couldn’t take it anymore.

“My god, you’re such a little bitch sometimes. Just say it already.”

He wasn’t going to make it that easy though, the prima donna. “Say what?”

“Whatever’s chapping your ass.”

Outside the window, the middle and elementary schools slid by. Traffic finally thinned a few blocks later. Sam navigated toward the strip mall near the highway to Dunwich.

“I’ve got nothing to say.”

Ash let it drop. If he wanted to play the silent game, she could play it, too. Minutes passed, the silence only broken by their breathing. Well, and also the cacophony of sounds emanating from the car. The thing was a mobile orchestra of dings, cracks, and pops.

“He’s a fucking Neanderthal.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden outburst.

“Who?”

“Randy. He’s such a douche. All he cares about is looking cool, and he treats you like a trophy.”

“First off, have you seen me? I am a fucking trophy.” He chuckled, and some of the tension leaked out of the atmosphere. “Second, he doesn’t like doing stuff like this.”

“Like what?”

“Shopping. Thrifting. You know.”

“Stuff that you like to do, you mean?”

“He’s a guy.”

“I’m a guy.”

Ash threw her hands in the air. “But he’s my boyfriend. You’re just my friend.”

“There’s a difference?”

“You’d know there is if you sacked up and asked Veronica out.”

That shut him up real quick. The right side of his face flushed, and he stared out the window for a few moments before responding, “We’re not talking about me right now.”

“I’m just saying… It’s different. We’re friends. Randy’s my boyfriend. It’s a different dynamic. By the way,” she said, hoping to change the topic away from her boyfriend’s many faults, “I heard Veronica talking about you today in the bathroom.”

For a moment, she didn’t think he was going to take the bait.

“You did? What’d she say?”

“I knew it!” She pumped her fist in the air. “You’re still totally in love with her!”

“I am not,” he said with little conviction.

“You totally are!”

“Are you going to tell me what she said or not?”

“Depends. Are you going to admit that you’ve got the hots for her?” Sam let out a long breath but stayed quiet. “Then nope, I’m not gonna say anything.”

She sat back in the rickety chair and crossed her arms. She would eventually tell him what Veronica said, but she’d let him stew in misery for a while. Maybe it would teach him not to mouth off.

The car ride lapsed into silence again until they pulled into the strip mall. A long, low building stretched into an “L.” Home to a thrift store, a greasy spoon diner, what passed for an arts and crafts store—but was really just a place for the local spinsters to quilt and gossip—and a storefront that had been empty as long as Ash could remember.

The car squeaked, rattled, and putted into a parking space. She helped the seat belt spindle back into the door frame, an action done so many times it was basically muscle memory.

“You know,” Sam said before she climbed out, “I may not know much about relationships, but you’d think with Randy leaving town for Spring Break that he’d want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

Ash opened her mouth to tell him to mind his own business, but the words wouldn’t come. The Tercel’s door rebounded back toward her as she shoved harder than necessary to get out.