I cringe. My brother’s so smart that he can pull straight A’s in his sleep. Literally. Archie has the unfortunate tendency of dozing in his classes, partly because he stays up all hours and partly because the material bores him. The impromptu naps may not affect his GPA, but they do affect his coolness factor. Add to that his habits of wearing the same clothes and scribbling formulas on whatever’s handy, and…well, let’s just say neither my brother nor I are challenging Bandit for his title of Most Popular.

Archie swallows hard. I can almost see him withdraw, like a turtle retreating into his shell. He puts on a brave front, but on more than one occasion, I’ve glimpsed a suspiciously red tint to his eyes. Allergies, he always says. As if you can get springtime allergies in the winter months.

Lee slings an arm around my brother’s shoulders. “Listen.” He lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Maggie Falk is newly single. You should ask her to prom.”

“Maggie?” Archie repeats cautiously.

“Yep. She’s super hot. And she’s on the honor roll. Exactly your type.” Lee gestures down the sidewalk, where a girl is just disappearing inside the building, her lustrous mane of brown curls bouncing. “She’ll say yes in a heartbeat. I have it on good authority that she has a crush on you.”

Archie looks from Lee to his friends. Their faces are neutral, relaxed—maybe even genuine. My brother clamps his lips together, as though a battle is raging inside him. “Is this a prank?” he asks calmly.

“What? No!” Lee widens his eyes. “Come on, man. We’re not in seventh grade anymore. I have no reason to make this up. She really does like you.” He pauses. “Think about it. Just…don’t wait too long, okay? Prom’s in only eight days.”

He catches my gaze over Archie’s shoulder and winks. “I’ve already got a date myself. But if you want to join us, Alice, I never say no to a threesome.”

I roll my eyes. “Gross.”

“Is it because I don’t play basketball?” he asks innocently. “I heard how you have an affinity for tall, blue-haired players.”

My ears burn. Okay, sidewalk. You can split open and swallow me anytime now. Better yet, maybe I can squeeze beside my brother inside his turtle shell.

Without waiting for a response, Lee saunters off, his buddies trailing behind him.

Archie turns to me, frowning. “What was that all about?”

I don’t know whether to laugh or sigh. My brother may have been on the lawn yesterday, but he probably got lost in his equations the moment I left his side. For once, I’m glad he can be so oblivious. One less person to witness my humiliation.

“Nothing.” Quickly, I change the subject. “Are you going to ask Maggie?”