#libby bennet

'I’m totally left out,' Lynn says.  'Why am I the only one without a loser guy to not text me?' 'Because you’re the smart one,' I say and exchange a smile with Carol.

‘Did you really change Annemarie’s tire?’ He laughs.   ‘Does that impress you?’ I smile.  ‘Maybe.  Are you going to get all conceited now?’ ‘Don’t I wish.  I hate to ruin whatever story Annemarie told you about me being all manly, crawling under the car and whipping off the tire.  But I’d never done it before.  I had to watch a YouTube video explaining how.  It probably took me half an hour just to figure out how to jack the car up.’ A weird feeling passes through me.  I think I might be more impressed now.  ‘That was really nice of you.’ He looks at me like I’m crazy.  ‘Yeah, I’m a really nice guy.  Did you fall and hit your head again, Bennet?’

‘Now, I don’t want you staying out late.  And remember what I told you about high school boys.’ ‘They only want one thing,’ I say. Jeremiah smiles a little.  I’ve barely played my role all weekend, but now I’m so mellowed from the beach, I don’t have it in me to fight him.  ‘That’s right,’ Jeremiah says.  ‘I trust you have your chastity belt buckled tight?’ Cherry laughs.  ‘Yeah.  Hers couldn’t get any tighter.’ ‘Shut up,’ I say. ‘Don’t talk to your mother that way!’  Jeremiah’s voice is so loud I jump. ‘No.’  Cherry’s tone is firm.  ‘I’m not in this.’ ‘Don’t talk to this strange woman who’s sitting in our front seat that way!’

‘I thought we said that you’d never tell anyone that you like knitting or Frozen.’ ‘You said that!  I never did.’ I try to grab my phone back, but she keeps it out of my reach. ‘I thought you liked that scarf I made you,’ I say. ‘I do.  But I tell people my grandma made it.’ ‘Cherry!’ ‘I do it for you.  To protect your reputation.  How can you like knitting and Frozen?  Are you five or eighty?’

I look over to see Jeremiah on his hands and knees, wiping the floor with an old rag.  Where’d he get the rag?  'Do you know what I’m doing, Libby?' Jeremiah asks. 'Mopping up unicorn blood.' 'Yeah.' Will nods.  'That stuff really stains.'  He steps closer to me and lowers his voice.  'I’ll ask you again tomorrow.”

'It must be a relief that he finally asked you, and it’s over,' Will says. 'What do you mean?' 'Just that it must have been stressful, knowing he liked you and was going to make a move eventually, with you trying to be nice to him but not encourage him or anything.  But now at least he did it, and it’s over.' 'Wow.  That’s exactly how girls feel.' He smiles. 'I have a sister.'

Mr. Anderson turns his same curious stare on Will.  'Your persistence paid off, Mr. Fitz.  When I try it, the women call it stalking.  Must be that you still have all your hair.'