Spencer sat at Steam, the school's coffee shop, with her three best friends. The expression on her friend's face was one of incredible shock.
"You're kidding me, right?" asked Emily.
"Nope," said Aria.
Emily looked to Spencer. "A ninth grader?"
Spencer nodded. "It's better than what we all thought it was…"
"I never thought it was Alison," said Hanna, who was reapplying her lip gloss.
Spencer rolled her eyes, but the eyes rested upon something other than Hanna's glossy lips, or Aria's freakish outfit, or Emily's surprised expression.
Noel.
He was staring right back at her from across the small café.
Suddenly, Emily's phone buzzed, and everyone's head turned to her. Emily held her breath, and so did Spencer. If this was A, then they would all know that Spencer's tale was completely spurious.
Emily exhaled a huge sigh of relief. "Just my mother. The foreign exchange girl arrived today."
"There is no A, guys," said Hanna pulling out a nail file. "Alison is gone."
"I know, I know…" said Emily. "Force of habit."
"Yeah, Hanna. It's going to take us all a while for us to… remember that life can be normal," said Aria in defense of Emily.
"I've got to go," said Emily picking up her bag and leaving the table.
"I should go too," Hanna said.
"Same." Aria got up as well. She didn't even notice Noel in the corner.
Spencer was left sitting alone at the booth. In fact, she and Noel were the only two customers left.
He looked at her. Stared, more like. He had that irresistible grin on his face. That knowing look in his eye. He made Spencer's neck sweat. Her hands tremble. Her heart race. It wasn't an emotional connection. It was physical. A purely physical relationship. Or. At least. That's what she told herself.
Noel got up from his booth and walked over to Spencer's. He didn't sit down; he hardly even looked at her. As he walked past the table he swiftly placed a sheet of paper on top of the shiny surface.
It read: Art room. Same time.
Spencer knew she didn't have the will power to not go. All of a sudden, her phone buzzed. She reluctantly pulled it out of her bag.
Another date in the
Art Room? Aw, Spence.
I thought you'd know
better by now.
xoxo –A
Spencer looked around the coffee shop, but there was no one there but herself and the man behind the cash register.