Heartthrobs Don’t Date Wallflowers (Texting the Boyband)
Chapter 13
50%
thirteen
Not Zesty
Please help me stay awake
I’m in the most boring class in the world
Ivy
Lies
Because I’M in the most boring class in the world
I was actually in English class but we were going over a book I hadn’t read yet, since they’d all read it before I moved here, so I was completely lost. For the first twenty minutes, I’d tried to look somewhat engaged in the lecture, but by now, I’d given up. When he texted me, I was on the verge of falling asleep, so I didn’t even feel bad about pulling my phone—at least I’d be awake.
Not Zesty
Can’t be worse than mine
Imagine drama class
BUT INSTEAD OF DOING ANYTHING TO DO WITH DRAMA?—
The principal is in here lecturing us about not using drugs
Ivy
Ok I can admit
That does sound worse
Not Zesty
Oh no
He just said we have to make skits
About how to say no when peer pressured
Ivy
Can you leave???
Pretend you’re sick and need to go to the nurse
Not Zesty
I’VE BEEN COMPROMISED
Ivy
WHAT
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
HELLO??
He didn’t respond. I could only assume that meant the “compromised” message was about a teacher spotting him on his phone and taking it away. I hoped I was wrong, since that would mean no more texting him all day and I wasn’t sure I could live with it, but as the minutes stretched by, I thought it was probably true. But I was still worried about falling back asleep from boredom, so while I waited for him to respond, I moved over to the group chat, which was constantly going off, as usual.
Group name: I promise this isn’t a group chat, Dad
Members: Ni-Ni, Bay, Sharky, Tis Moi Luca, Eggo, Not Zesty, I cheer you cheer, the fangirl, Ivy
Ni-Ni
LOOKEY HERE
A SHIRT
OWNED BY THE ONE AND ONLY
HUDSON SHAW
Bidding starts at $50
The text was accompanied by a photo of a simple black t-shirt with a label in it that said H Shaw, held up in front of a lost and found bin. Somehow, I found it hard to believe that the actual pop star Hudson Shaw would label his clothes like that, so I had to assume it was someone else’s that happened to have the same initials. But then again, the lost and found in the photo looked a lot like the one at Summerfield, so maybe Hudson actually had lost it.
Tis Moi Luca
$50?? Are you crazy??
FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $999
I cheer you cheer
FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $99999
Eggo
For the low low price of your sanity
Bay
For the low low price of your life savings, your house and your dog
Tis Moi Luca
BUT I DON’T HAVE A DOG
I cheer you cheer
WELL YOU BETTER GET ONE
Bay
For the low low price of a pack of Nina’s cookies
Ni-Ni
The ones from Port Lane??
THOSE WERE SO GOOD
Sharky
There is nothing in the world that is worth stealing Nina’s cookies
TRUST ME
Ni-Ni
Yeah our wall is still dented from the last time you tried
Eggo
She punched the wall over a cookie??
Ni-Ni
No she TACKLED FI INTO IT
Sharky
We don’t need to re-live this
I still have trauma
Ni-Ni
Oh come on it can’t be the last time she’s tackled you
Sharky
…
I don’t even want to ask what you mean by that
Ni-Ni
You know when you’re kissing…
Sharky
WHAT KIND OF WEIRD KISSING DO YOU AND GRACE DO??
I cheer you cheer
Please do not answer that
I don’t want to know
“Miss Wade?”
My stomach dropped as my name was called. I dropped my phone onto the desk and looked up, trying to act casual and not like I’d been completely ignoring Mrs. Miller for the last twenty minutes.
“Yes?” I asked.
Mrs. Miller gave me a look. One of those teacher looks that clearly said, I know exactly what you were doing.
“You were following along, weren’t you?” she asked, crossing her arms.
I nodded way too enthusiastically. “Oh yeah, totally. I’m just, uh, reflecting on it. You know? Internalizing.”
She looked me over, then sighed, softening a little. “Look, Miss Wade, you’re not the only one who’s zoning out in here. But just try to stay with me a little longer, alright? The period’s almost up.”
My eyes flicked toward the clock on the wall and I realized she was right. There was only ten minutes left. I nodded again.
“And that goes for you too, Mr. Turner!” Mrs. Miller called in her strict voice again. There was a loud clatter as Jude’s phone fell onto the desk and he practically jumped out of his seat. Everyone broke out in giggles.
He smiled good-naturedly, probably used to having all the attention on him, and said, “Yes, ma’am.” I wasn’t sure he even knew what he was saying yes to.
His phone had fallen on its side, propped up by the textbooks on the table, leaving its screen completely visible to me. With his brightness up so high, I could see the contents of it easily—including the fact that it was open on a group chat. One whose last messages looked an awful lot like the one I’d just been reading.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. He was obviously friends with Megan, since he was dating her best friend, so I guess him being in the group chat did make sense. But my biggest question was who he was.
And more importantly, if he knew the real identity of Not Zesty.