“I wouldn’t get too comfortable in that jacket,” Gigi said. “It’ll be mine by the end of the week.” She blew me a kiss and then she and her minions strutted off in their high heels.

I looked down at my flats. I’d never felt so insignificant in my life. “He’s been texting her?” I whispered.

“Stupid boy games. I hate high schoolers. You should really only date guys that are at least in their twenties. It’s science.”

“You have a date with Pavel tomorrow.”

“It’s just for show. Obvs. But I am excited to see if his nickname is true.”

“You mean the nickname we made up? Pavel the exploder?”

“Oh. Did we make it up?” She shrugged. “I thought everyone called him that. Only time will tell.”

I sighed and walked toward the front doors of Empire High. I just wanted to go home and faceplant into my bed.

“At least we found out about Axel’s betrayal today instead of tomorrow. Tomorrow’s our fresh start. And this would have been a pretty terrible way to start it.”

It definitely would have been. But also...I wasn’t even that surprised. I’d given Axel a million chances. And I refused to give him a million and one. If he liked me even half as much as I liked him, he’d never treat me this way. And I was done with high school boy games.

I stood up a little taller as we pushed through the doors. The first smells of autumn were in the air. Tomorrow really was a new beginning. And I was going to make the most of it. “It’s fine.”

Sophie raised her eyebrows. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “Axel is dead to me. If he wants to take Gigi to homecoming or the Sadie Hawkins dance just to spite me, that’s fine. He can dance with the devil. Besides, I’m busy. I have a lunch date tomorrow with a great guy.”

Sophie nodded. “Team Jacob.”

“And I have a stalker that needs some sexy photos.”

“Really?” Sophie looked so excited.

“Wait.” I grabbed her arm. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

Sophie groaned.

“If my kiss thief isn’t Jacob, then texting someone else sexy photos will just be something else I need to come clean about...”

“But it could be Jacob. And either way, it’s not like the two of you are together right now. You’re overthinking it. Come on. Let’s just take them and you can decide later if you want to send them.”

That was true. I slowly nodded.

“Let’s go take the sexiest photos in the world.”

I laughed. It was hard not to be caught up in her enthusiasm. “Yes!”

Sophie clapped her hands together. “Boudoir shoot! And I have the perfect idea.”

***