Something in Between Read Free

sunglasses and a T-shirt with Bob Marley’s face on the front. I can tell she’s already developed a massive crush on him.
    â€œCheerleaders, huh?” Dylan asks.
    I sigh a little. “Good guess. How can you tell?”
    It’s not like we’re wearing our uniforms or anything, and I don’t like the way he said cheerleaders , as if we’re just chicks who shake their pom-poms. Our squad won Regionals last year. We’re just as much athletes as the guys in helmets we supposedly “cheer” for. (They lose every year. Our squad has a better winning percentage. Burn.)
    Dylan smirks. “Dorky white tennis shoes are pretty much a dead giveaway.”
    â€œLeave her alone, Dylan. She’s a friend of mine,” Lo says.
    â€œMy older sister was a cheerleader,” he says somewhat apologetically.
    â€œIt’s okay,” says Kayla, who’s practically drooling over him even though she’s trying to appear disinterested. “Where do you guys go to school?”
    â€œWe graduated last year. Dylan’s at Valley College. I’m taking some time off and focusing on music,” Julian says. “I might go back to become a sound engineer. I’m still figuring things out.”
    Lo tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Want to come over on Friday?” she asks. “I’m having a few people over for a kick back. It’ll be chill. My parents are out of town.”
    â€œI don’t know,” I say, hesitating to commit, even as I feel Kayla’s intense stare on me. “Midterms are coming up and you know what my parents are like. And Kayla and I already have plans that night.” To sit at home and bake chocolate-chip cookies, but I don’t mention that.
    â€œWe can change them!” Kayla chirps.
    â€œYeah, come on, Jas,” Lorraine says. “It’ll be fun. Hang out for a change.”
    â€œFine. Maybe. Message me the details?” I hate letting people down and I do miss Lo.
    â€œWill do,” Lorraine says. “See you guys then. Bye, Jas. Bye, Kayla.”
    Kayla seems shocked Lorraine even knows her name but recovers quickly. “Cool, thanks, Lo.” She looks at the boys. “Are you guys going to be there?”
    Julian seems amused. He exchanges glances with Dylan. I’m not sure what they’re trying to say to each other. Boys. I can never read them.
    â€œYeah, we’ll be there,” says Julian, and Dylan nods.
    â€œExcellent,” says Kayla.
    * * *
    Kayla and I walk to her brand-new pearly-white Dodge Charger, which her parents bought her for her seventeenth birthday. We throw our backpacks onto the backseat and plop into the front seats, overheated and exhausted, although I can tell Kayla’s in a good mood from the party invitation and meeting those guys.
    I’m catching a ride to the hospital where my mom works. I don’t know how to drive yet, and it’s kind of embarrassing, especially since I live in LA (okay, Chatsworth, but no one ever wants to admit they live in the Valley).
    Daddy always promises to teach me how to drive, but there hasn’t been any time in either of our schedules, especially since I’ve been training so hard at cheer. Right now I don’t really have time to go anywhere besides school and practice, so I don’t mind too much.
    Kayla turns on the ignition and rolls the windows down. “He was cute, right? Did he seem into me? Dylan?”
    â€œWho can tell behind those aviator shades?” I say, teasing her on her “bad boy” taste. As she drives out of the lot and down the highway next to the school, I change the subject. Once Kayla gets going on boy-talk, she’ll never stop, and I want to bring up something more important. “Hey, your tumbling is looking really good,” I say.
    Kayla rolls her eyes. “Thanks, but I don’t need false compliments.”
    I search Kayla’s face for a hint of sarcasm,