Jungle Princess ✔

Chapter 30: Royal Treatment

Amarissa looked forward to the subway rides to school. Never before had she been so excited to get onto a crowded, smelly, moving mode of transportation until she had Deandre, who would always sit in the third carriage, waiting for her. So would Lai, whose eyes lit up every time she saw Ricardo, who would sit next to her. It was so cute how they'd make awkward conversation. On top of that, they had to finish their volcano project that night, as it was due on Monday. Lai had become a daily guest at their house that past week, which meant seeing Deandre more often as well.

"So there's this Halloween party I'm going to..." Deandre began, just as Tamsin walked in at Grand Central, hair straightened and outfit glamourous as usual. Her heels clocked against the floor as she searched for Amarissa, and when her eyes landed on Amarissa's, she inwardly groaned. Amarissa had been enjoying her time with Deandre, and here Tamsin was to wreck it all.

"Hey, Amarissa!" Tamsin waved, squeezing past groggy looking passengers to sit beside her best friend who she had been avoiding for the past two weeks. Amarissa wondered why she was taking the subway today, when all the other days she'd hitch a ride with Tyler. Tamsin didn't even acknowledge Deandre, who sat on the other side of Amarissa. She just jumped straight into conversation.

"Happy last day of being sixteen!" she congratulated. Amarissa smiled vaguely, glancing briefly at Deandre, who raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks, but -"

Tamsin interrupted her. "Guess who's throwing a party tomorrow night?" She didn't even let her try to guess before exclaiming, "Tyler is! And you're our special guest!"

Amarissa knew where this was going. "Is this a surprise birthday party?" she asked flatly, contrary to her friend's bubbly energy.

Tamsin averted her eyes sheepishly and cracked a smile. "Maybe."

"Well, I can't go. I'm grounded," Amarissa huffed.

Tamsin frowned. "Since when?"

Oh, that's right. Amarissa hadn't told her about last Friday night. She had only vaguely described Deandre, but hadn't gone into too much detail about anything else.

"Since I...punched Ricardo in the face," Amarissa lied.

Deandre stared at her incredulously. "Wait, why would you do that?" he asked.

"It didn't actually happen," Amarissa hissed.

Deandre looked relieved. Tamsin snaked her head around Amarissa in order to get a better look at who she was talking to. "Deandre! I knew you looked familiar!"

Deandre shot a discreet look at Amarissa that said, "Seriously?" Amarissa shrugged.

Tamsin squinted at Deandre, then exclaimed, "Oh! That's where I remember you! You dated my cousin, Jordana, right?"

What was this she was hearing? Amarissa vividly recalled Tamsin knowing Deandre from Shake Shack. But obviously there was more to the story...

Deandre's eyes widened. "No, I didn't. You must have me mixed up with someone else," he said stiffly.

Tamsin shook her head insistently. "No, no, I'd never forget a face like that. I mean, those eyes, like wow. What's your ethnicity?"

Deandre looked uncomfortable. So did Amarissa, since she had suddenly become an invisible wall between Tamsin and Deandre, who talked over her.

"I'm not actually sure..." Deandre gave Amarissa a pleading look, as if to say, "Get this girl off my back!"

"Tamsin, darling, I think you need to calm down with questions, k?" Amarissa said soothingly to her friend, who must've overdosed with the coffee that morning. She was literally buzzing, it was unnerving.