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Chapter 1

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"You sure these don't make my butt look big?" Jessie inspected her new jeans in the mirror, turning this way and that to check all the angles.

"Big in a good way or in a bad way?" I said, only half-listening as I scrolled through social media, desperate to see how people had changed over the summer. So far, I had seen new haircuts, hair colors, and cuter clothes. None of which I had.

"Bad way," Jessie said, plucking my phone out of my hands.

I scowled. "Hey, I was using that!"

"Yeah, I could tell." She gave me a look like, Pay more attention to me. "This is important. I want to make a good first impression for sophomore year. We're finally not the high school babies."

I sprawled comfortably on Jessie's bed, her lemon-yellow comforter beneath me. I shifted so I could get a better view. "Your butt looks fine. Also, I don't think anyone will treat us any differently." What I meant was: I don't think Mason will treat me any differently.

"You're talking about Mason, aren't you?" Jessie smirked.

"Am not," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm not trying to fight Alexis."

Alexis Perez was Mason's current girlfriend. They had been dating on and off for about two years. Despite their several breakups, one of which was during my and Mason's truth-or-dare kiss, they were still known as one of the senior power couples. No other person would ever dare to get in the way.

I didn't know Alexis well; all I had heard from Jessie was that she was nice, quiet, and on the girls' basketball team. And I had seen her arms: she was pretty jacked. There was no way I was getting into any kind of physical altercation with her, not that there was a reason to.

For the past two years, Mason treated me just like Jess, and nothing happened between us that would tell me otherwise. After all, as he said all those years ago, it was "just a kiss." Alexis was also wildly popular, had the sleekest brown hair (seriously, how did she get it like that? Jessie was convinced her secret was mayonnaise, but I wasn't so sure), tan skin from her Colombian heritage, and coffee-colored brown eyes. And she spoke fluent Spanish. It was no competition.

"Em, if he can't see how entirely amazing you are, then he's stupid. He's my brother, but he's stupid." Jess wrapped her arms around me and almost pulled me off her bed.

I laughed and pushed her away. "I love you."

I tapped my nails against the shiny black surface of Caleb's car, waiting for him to come out of the kitchen. My reflection stared back at me through the tinted window: thin blonde hair and brown eyes, looking less nervous than the first day of freshman year. I sighed and shifted my gaze back into the garage.

For a good portion of last year, Caleb drove me and Jessie to school. He turned sixteen in November, so he could drive pretty early on before most kids in his grade. With the Masterson siblings being rare "Irish triplets"—all three of them were born within three years—their mom wanted to limit the number of cars driving to the same school. Jess's birthday was in October and mine wasn't until November, like Caleb's, so we had a few more months until we got our own licenses.

Mason drove himself to school because he was always busy after with basketball practice, conditioning, or going to the gym. We were convinced he said he was too busy as an excuse to avoid us, but whatever.

"Caleb, could you be any slower?" I yelled out into the garage. I checked my phone: fifteen minutes until school started, and I hated being late.

"Chill, woman, I'm coming," Caleb said, grabbing his backpack with one hand and an energy drink with the other. Jessie rolled her eyes and followed him, heading towards the passenger seat. She and I took turns sitting shotgun, so I took the backseat with reluctance, carefully pushing aside greasy fast-food wrappers and stray homework assignments.

As we pulled out of the driveway, I noticed Mason walking towards his car, the one he had just gotten this past summer. It was silver and used; he'd spent two whole summers saving up his paychecks from the movie theater for it. He was wearing a light blue button-down shirt that matched the early morning sky and contrasted well with his summer tan. His khaki shorts and boat shoes made him the ultimate high-school frat boy. I looked away before anyone noticed my gaze, knowing Jessie and Caleb would give me shit for staring.

The ten-minute drive to West Lake High School didn't take nearly as long as I would've liked, despite my hatred of being late. All we passed in the small town of West Lake, Illinois was a strip mall, several fast-food joints, and the same cookie-cutter suburban neighborhoods. It was nothing like the bustling city of Chicago, only an hour train ride away. Jessie and I used to go to the parks and museums every summer, but lately, we'd been too busy.

Too soon, we were pulling into one of the many parking spots the student lot offered. Our school had three parking areas: one in front for seniors, teachers, and guests, one behind the school for juniors, and one a two-minute walk away for any sophomores who drove. Now that Caleb had upgraded to upperclassman status, we received the junior lot benefits.

As soon as the car was parallel to the yellow lines, Caleb swiftly turned off the engine, and we headed inside.

Our school wasn't giant by any means; it was one story with two small basements that, for whatever inconvenient reason, didn't connect, two gyms, and a brand new auditorium. The only thing the Panthers were known for was basketball. The boys' team was now under the reign of their brand-new captain, Mason Masterson, of course, and they were expected to win the conference championship.

"Bye, guys." I looked up as soon as we walked through the front doors to see Caleb already leaving and chasing after some tall brunette, who I presumed to be a friend of his.

"His appreciation for family leaves something to be desired," Jessie muttered.

"Hey, all we need is each other, right?" I said, looping my arm through my best friend's. We turned the corner in Senior Hall just to run into a couple furiously making out against some lockers. They broke apart, and the girl glared at us in annoyance, raising her eyebrows as if to tell us, Get lost. I shuddered and moved my gaze further on to see another couple arguing. Once I paid closer attention, I realized it wasn't just any couple, but Mason and Alexis.

Alexis's flawlessly tan hands rested on her hips, the hurt unmistakable in her eyes. Mason had his arms folded across his chest and was staring at her in confusion, their height difference only a few inches apart.

Jessie followed my gaze and guided me in the opposite direction of the quarreling couple. "This is for your own good."

I nodded, pulling my backpack tighter around my shoulders and fidgeting with the hem of my dress, a rare first-day-of-school occurrence. What could they have been fighting about? I tried to ignore whatever I was thinking, or whatever I wanted to think. Their fights and resulting break-ups rarely lasted more than a day, anyway.

"Earth to Emma?" Jessie waved a hand in front of my face. "I asked you a question and you are clearly not in this realm."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Jessica?"

Jessie shuddered. Only her mom called her Jessica, and usually when she was in trouble. "I asked if you wanted to go back to my house for lunch today." After freshman year, students could leave campus for lunch; it was now our turn for the privilege.

"I was going to stay in. I still didn't finish the summer homework Señora Garcia assigned," I said. It was the only class I had to work on over the summer, but my procrastination got the best of me. Luckily, I didn't have Spanish class until after lunch, giving me a chance to start off sophomore year on a pleasant note, in all aspects.

"Gross."

"Agreed," I said, craning my neck to see what else had happened in the saga of Mason and Alexis. They were nowhere to be found. Instead, a new couple was making out in their spot, despite the crowd of students struggling to get past their flailing bodies. A girl bumped into them and started frantically apologizing as the girlfriend glared at her. The boyfriend gave an awkward smile and tried to pull his girlfriend back, who huffed and walked away, leaving him behind.

Jessie noticed them too and groaned. "You know, I'm glad I'm a lesbian. You straights are too dramatic for your own good."

I couldn't agree more.

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