“I know we will.” The look on her face is so simultaneously dreamy and confident, I will Jasmine not to roll her eyes; the rest of us have learned not to.

“That’s really nice,” Jasmine surprises me by saying, and I look up to see her digging through her salad as if the meaning of life is buried underneath.

Encouraged, Gia launches into the Plan, which means describing how she and Tommy will stay in the dorms their first year so they can make friends and stuff, but then get an apartment together in between their two schools, provided she gets in somewhere within twenty-five miles of BC. The rest of us have heard this many, many times, but Jasmine nods and says “that makes sense” at all the right points, leaving us free to finish our food and go over our own plans.

I’ve nearly forgotten Jasmine’s there when a familiar voice says, “This seat taken?”

We all look up to see Chase standing there with Lucas Miller, both of their trays piled high with meat and carbs. There’s only room for one tray between me and Shannon, and before I can say a word, she smiles at Lucas and says, “I think we can squeeze you in.”

“Dude,” Chase protests as Lucas slides his tray between ours.

“Gotta be faster than that at the hot chicks’ table,” Lucas says gleefully, plucking a fry from Kiki’s plate even though he has plenty of his own. She snorts but pushes her tray forward slightly. Kiki’s not immune to a compliment from a hot guy, even if she doesn’t have any interest in dating the ones at our school.

“Tommy doesn’t.” Chase gestures at where his teammate is strolling up to the table, dropping a kiss on Gia’s cheek as he slips in next to her.

“No, Tommy doesn’t. My girl saves me a seat because she likes me.” Gia rests her head on Tommy’s shoulder as he brags. “Maybe you should work on that.”

I wish I could physically pull the smug grin off Tommy’s face as he looks from Chase to me. He’s only teasing, but I still don’t know how to deal with Chase going from fantasy to reality, and I hate him for pointing it out.

“You can have my seat,” Jasmine says, getting up and taking her tray with her. “I have a meeting with the college guidance counselor anyway.”

“You have a meeting about college guidance you didn’t mention even though we were talking about college?” Kiki’s meticulously threaded eyebrow shoots up.

“I didn’t realize my meeting schedule was of general interest,” Jasmine says wryly. “Duly noted for the next meeting of the College Crew.”