First Impressions: A YA Twist on Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 2

Jane and Cherry are waiting at my locker after school.

"Hurry," Cherry says. "We're going to Tasteze."

"We are?" I raise my eyebrows at Jane. "I take it Teo will be there."

Jane smiles and shrugs.

Tasteze is a couple of blocks from school, but we rarely go. It's where the football players and cheerleaders hang out. It's not for mere mortals like us. But Teo's on the football team. Blech. That popular clique. Teo's nice, but the rest of them love being exclusive and keeping people out. I hate that kind of thing.

"Only for you, Jane," I say, and she links arms with me and smiles.

Tasteze is one of those fifties style diners, with shiny red booths hugging the walls and stools perched beside the counter. Posters of Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens surround us, and guitar chords from Johnny B. Good float out of the juke box in the corner. We order milkshakes at the counter and then slide into a booth. We're lucky we snagged seats because about ten minutes after we arrive, it's packed with all the perkiness and arrogance I expected.

Cherry takes a sip from her milkshake and then leans toward us. "Lots of cute guys here. Jane gets Teo, of course, but Libby, you and I have to find a target. It's all about strategy." She's wearing a very serious expression for someone who has chocolate milkshake on her mouth.

I do a quick look around the room and then shake my head. "Teo is cool. But I'd die if I had to hang out with anyone else here for more than five minutes." The words are coming out of my mouth at one of those awful times when the room goes mysteriously quiet. And everyone hears me.

Jane's eyes are glued to her lap. Cherry's face freezes in a look of horror. My stomach goes gooey and I feel like such a horrible snob, but I can't back down now. I already said it. So instead I shrug and say, "OK, that was messed up. I could totally do ten minutes with at least half of you."

There are a couple of laughs, and then people start talking again—probably about me—but at least the moment passes.

"You don't mean that," Jane says. "A lot of these guys are okay, nice even."

I want to be as sweet as Jane, but I'm not. "That's why I saw JJ over there shoving a freshman into a locker last week, and a bunch of the people here laughing and egging him on."

"You're right." Cherry nods. "A lot of them suck. Doesn't mean you have to commit social suicide over it. Oh, wait. You just did."

I roll my eyes at her.

Jane bumps my elbow. "He's here."

I follow her gaze and see him, ordering at the counter. He's laughing with the lady at the cash register, but I can tell it's not in that flirty and creepy Bobby way, but more in a sweet and cute Teo way. Teo even looks sweet, with his boy next door look and puffy cheeks that I imagine his grandma likes to pinch whenever she sees him.

Jane finger combs her perfect hair. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful," I say.

"Go talk to him!" Cherry says.

"I can't! I haven't talked to a new guy since Bobby, and I was with Bobby so long—three years! What do I say? How do I act? I can't do this, you guys."

But he's looking at her—staring at her is more like it—and the minute she looks in his direction, he smiles and pushes his way towards our booth. I want to reassure her—her inner beauty cup is full of sunshine. How could he not like her?—but we only have time for a quick "He's coming!" from Cherry before he's here.