I flipped through the channels, searching for basketball or soccer. Watching football or tennis would have been okay, still second choice. Austin checked out my closet but sharply spun around, squinting hard.

“What?”

He pressed a finger against his lips. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what—”

“There it is again.” He scanned my few pieces of furniture. “Hang on, dude, why is your bed vibrating?”

I rubbed my neck, unsure of how to explain what I’d done with my phone.

Austin dropped to his stomach and crawled under my bed, prying my phone out of the makeshift fortress.

“Well that’s just sad.” He tossed it to me. Fully aware of exactly what I’d tried to do. “If you had plans tonight, forget them. What you need is an intervention.”

“I’m fine.”

Austin had the same expression he’d had when he told me that the pickle smoothies he drinks to keep his hair shiny were more than marketing crap—as if he were the sole authority on such matters.

“You’re almost eighteen, Nick. No girl is worth taping your phone at eighteen.”

There would be no arguing with him. I couldn’t risk him asking who the girl was. If Austin knew I liked Eliza, he would definitely tell Carter, and that was something I wanted to do myself. Eventually. If I wanted to keep Austin from finding out about her, I’d have to humor him.

“Sure,” I said.

“Great. I’ll tell Carter.”

He paced across my bedroom floor, texting. Seconds later, a reply buzzed in his hand.

“Carter doesn’t want to leave his sister home alone tonight so we’re going over to his house,” said Austin.

“Why not? Eliza’s a big girl.”

It was too ironic that my “intervention” would happen at the O’Connor residence, but I’d never point that out. Not in a million years.

“Dunno. Do you need to grab anything?”

The AP bio textbook lay unopened and abandoned on my bed. With a big quiz next week, I considered putting it in my backpack.

“Nah. Let’s go.”

I lounged, fully outstretched on Carter’s queen-sized bed, while he and Austin took turns driving each other off the road in their racing game. It was a two-player, which meant the winner of each race got to keep playing and the loser had to sub out. Which meant that Austin and I got to take turns against Carter.

“See, Nick,” Austin said. “No girls, no drama, no stress. Pizza, video games, and music.”

“Taping your phone to your bed?” said Carter. “Tragic. I mean, if that’s what you have to do to wait forty-eight hours, fine. Still, who’s worth not having your phone for two days?”

If he only knew.

“Thanks for helping me see the light, guys.” Four days ago, I would have agreed with them. Amazing how things change.

“Hey, is your sister around?” I asked, trying to stay cool.

“Yeah, why?”

“She mentioned something about Josh Daley last night. Thought I’d check up on her, long as I’m here.” The lie was too easy.