Her fingers played with the sleeve of his Star Wars T-shirt. “So you were saying there are plants in your backyard that can kill people?” Aria asked, her voice drunkenly loud. Somehow the topic had turned to plants—the villainous side of them, of which Ryan was apparently an expert. “Why do you have lethal plants in your yard?”

“Shh! You want our parents to hear us plotting their murder?” Ryan laughed tipsily and pressed his finger to her lips.

“Sorry,” Aria said between giggles. “So you’re a master horticulturist, huh?”

“No, not quite. Horticulture is the science of growing certain plants. Botany is the study of their properties.”

“If for a moment I doubted your geekiness, that moment is gone, dude.” Aria looked up at him, her vision hazy like smudged glass.

“What? I find botany to be interesting. Especially the mysteries of plants, like how a flower can cause a heart attack. But it’s not like I’m harvesting poisonous plants. The foxglove I grow is actually pretty common in gardens. And it’s only lethal if you eat a bunch of it.”

“Well, I better never get on your bad side. Don’t want you to poison me in my sleep.”

“I wouldn’t do it in your sleep, silly. I’d put it in your food or drink.” He winked, but Aria felt her stomach knot. It was either the low rumble of his words or the alcohol churning in her gut about to make a second appearance.

“You’re freaking me out, Ryan.”

“I’d never poison you, Aria,” Ryan said, his voice shifting to a brighter octave. “I like you too much to do that.”

“You like me, huh? You’re, like, three years older than me. Why would a senior ever be interested in a sophomore?”

“Because you’re smart . . . and beautiful . . . and fun.”

“And drunk,” Aria added.

Ryan’s eyes were all pupil, from booze or lust or both, Aria couldn’t tell. She’d never kissed a boy, but she recognized his posture as that of a boy hoping to lock lips. A casual slant toward her, a subtle shift closer. Aria scooted back to insert space between them. Oddly charming nerd-jock or not, Aria didn’t know if she was ready for her first kiss yet. Especially one she might not remember tomorrow.

“Where are you going? Are you scared of me?” Ryan asked. “I’m not going to bite, you know. Unless that’s what you’re into.” He laughed, a not terribly attractive braying sound, and waited for her to join in. She didn’t. “Uh, sorry, just a little joke. Besides, I know a girl like you would never go out with a guy like me.”

“What do you mean?” Aria felt guilty but she wasn’t sure why.

“You’re popular and I’m not. Guys like me never get the girl.”