I turned my attention to Cole’s new mark to find Brittney DaSalvo presenting her cleavage to Adrian at advantageous angles. (After going to a one-day modeling seminar, she is all about knowing her angles.) Chelsea played it a little cooler since she had a boyfriend-point-five. She kept making these weird little jerking motions with her chin, like “Come on, boy, you and me, let’s go into the bushes!” Marci took a step back, but kept that desperate-to-catch-his-eye look, alternating it with awkward laughs that seemed to be out of step with whatever they were talking about. Hey, third in the queue for the QB ain’t bad. Besides, I’d heard rumors she’d already had her turn on the Adrian17 Express over the summer.

“He’s got twenty girls in line for him already,” Lexi said, unintentionally throwing down a challenge.

If any girl at Kismet High could get cut-zees, Cole could. Her self-imposed lower social standing made her all the more mysterious and intriguing than the always accessible BBs and PPs. Add in her unbelievable coolness and it was a devastating combination.

“Cole.” Lexi’s tone flattened in warning, but Cole was already shaking out her Aniston-esque hair and heading straight toward Adrian. He became caught in her spell from the moment she hit her stride. And in that very same instant, Chelsea and Brittney folded their arms over their chests, feeling the chill of already being in her shadow.

“Did you see that?” Lexi asked.

I assumed she was referring to Cole’s breezy execution of the Adrian17 fan club. But just to clarify, I asked, “See what?”

Lexi swiped her hand through the air, gesturing incredulously at Adrian and Cole.

“What about them?” I asked, sensing she was somehow hurt by all of this, but not really understanding why.

“This is just a joke for her. She doesn’t even like him.”

“Do you?”

“No! I’m just saying … she makes it look so easy. She likes a guy, she walks up and gets him. Why’s it so easy for her?”

“Lexi, don’t even sweat it. The guys Cole and Kori go for are just toys for them. That’s why it’s easy.” And then I thought about Kori’s dare and Anthony Beck, and I didn’t want to be like Lexi worrying and being scared. I wanted to be like Kori and live for the moment.

“Do you ever wonder why Kori became friends with you?”

I swung my gaze around. Looked at Lexi for a moment and then lied. “No, I don’t.” Then a few beats later: “What the fuck kind of question is that?”

“No, I just mean … she and Cole are so different from us.”