Jayla notices me before Jubilee does, and she raises an eyebrow. “I don’t bite, you know. You don’t have to lurk in the shadows when you see me.”

“No, I know, I was just helping Vera in the back, and then I didn’t want to interrupt,” I lie. Well, half lie. “You guys seem happy.”

“You can come be happy with us,” Jubilee says, shoving her backpack behind the counter.

I glance at Jayla and then at Jubilee. “I don’t want to—you guys seem—it’s fine. I can go back and see if Vera needs help still.”

whyamisoawkwardfuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK

“Ridley, it’s fine, come hang,” Jayla says, and she’s smiling, but I can’t tell if it’s sincere or not. Probably not. Very few people really mean it when it’s pointed in my direction. But I go anyway. I’m willing to pretend if she is.

Jubilee nudges my shoulder as I walk by, and I drop onto the stool next to her. Jayla stays on the other side of the counter, leaning on one arm. She’s looking around the store like there are customers in it, but there aren’t. I try not to worry about that.

“So Jayla here just broke the pacer record for the third year in a row,” Jubilee says.

“Pacer record?”

“It’s a fitness-test thing in gym, tests speed and agility, kind of a big deal,” Jayla answers, polishing her nails on her shirt and giving me a big showy wink.

I laugh. “Well, congratulations on both your speed and agility, then.”

“Thank you.” She bows. “I would be remiss to not point out that Jubilee also got news this afternoon. She was officially offered an—” Jubilee shakes her head, though, and Jayla’s smile drops.

“Offered a what?” I ask, doubly curious now that Jubilee doesn’t seem to want to share. I’m probably being an asshole for asking, but.

“Nothing,” she says. “Just a music thing. Don’t worry about it.”

I look at her for an extra beat, but she just grabs a peanut butter cup out of the candy jar and looks away. I know that’s not all, but whatever it is, she obviously doesn’t want to share it with me. I paste on a smile and pretend that doesn’t smart.

“Awesome,” I say. I hope I sound genuine.

“What about you?” Jayla asks.

“Me?”

“You got some great accomplishment you’re hiding up your sleeve?”