JANUARY 21

I pulled myself up onto the stage. Adrian was already there, finishing up a homework assignment for English that had been due this morning. He very rarely turned assignments in on time. Neither Tyler nor Tommy were there yet. But that wasn't surprising. Tommy was never on time, and he was the one who drove Tyler to practice – Ty didn't have his license yet. Besides, we still had another twenty minutes before practice actually started.

Adrian glanced up at me briefly before looking back at his paper. "How did it go? Yesterday, with Jonathan?"

I shrugged. "It was…really weird. We didn't really know how to talk to each other."

"What did you guys talk about?"

I shrugged again. "Mostly me. He wanted to know about me and my interests and stuff. We talked a little bit about him, but not much. He's opening a skateboarding shop just across the street from Avalon University. He and his fiancée are living in an apartment over the shop. He likes to draw, cartoon-style stuff. And graffiti style. He's planning to sell some of the skateboards that he's designed. We have like, nothing in common." I leaned a little closer to my best friend and whispered, "He did ask me, near the end, if I'd inherited my mom's magic."

"Whoa. So he obviously knew about her magic when they were dating." Out of all of my friends, Adrian was the only one who knew about the magic in my family. I'd told him when we were both in kindergarten, bragging about how my mom and Aunt Maddie could use magic whenever they wanted, and of course he'd thought it was awesome. What little kid wouldn't think it was awesome?

What was not awesome was the lecture we'd both received from my parents about keeping it a secret, when they found out that I'd told him. I, being a little kid, had come home the same day I'd told him and blabbed to my parents that I'd shared our family secret with my best friend.

Yeah, my mom just about had a heart attack at that little announcement of mine.

I nodded. "Yeah. Mom must have told him before they broke up. Our entire conversation was full of awkward pauses and stuff."

"Are you gonna hang out with him again?"

"I don't know. Like I said, it was weird. We exchanged our numbers, and he said I could call him anytime. I don't know if I will. And I don't think I'll meet up with him again anytime soon."

"I don't really blame you." Adrian sent me a smirk. "Hey, I'm going to totally change the subject now. Did you see which scenes we're practicing today?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling my cheeks heat up slightly. "Shut up, Adrian. Of course I've seen which scenes we're practicing today."

His smirk widened even further. "So you know that you're going to be making out with Mallory today, right?"

"I won't be making out with her. The kiss is a cheek kiss, that's it. At least, in today's scene it's just a cheek kiss."

"Hope you brought some chapstick," he continued, as if I hadn't said anything at all. "And some breath mints."

I pushed him off the stage, which sent him and his homework to the floor. "Shut up."

"Whoa, dude," Tommy said, as he and Ty walked up to the stage. Holy cow. They were early to practice for once. That never happened. Well, okay, it happened once in a blue moon. "What's with all the hostility?"

"Nothing. Adrian's just being stupid."

"As usual," Ty said. He got up on the stage. "I don't get why Miss King makes us all come to every practice. I'm not even in any of the scenes we're going over today. Why do I have to be here?"

"I think she still expects you to be working on your scenes, even if they're not the focus for the day," I commented.

Adrian smirked, still on the floor in front of the stage. "Personally, I'm glad that I'm not in eighty percent of the play, like Stryk here. And I'm so glad that I don't have to make out with my secret crush - who still hasn't been asked out - in front of everybody, for the first time. Today."

I threw my backpack at my supposed best friend. "I hate you. You know that, right?"

"I know."

"You haven't asked her out yet, Stryker?" Ty wanted to know. "Come on, man. You said you were going to do it yesterday."

"I know, I know. I will. I'm going to do it right after practice today."

My friends all snorted, shaking their heads. They obviously didn't believe me. "Do it right now," Adrian demanded, settling back on his elbows. "Seriously. Don't put it off any longer. Look, she just walked in, and she's got her arms way overloaded with prop boxes. Perfect opportunity. Go help her, and then ask her out."

I gulped, opening my mouth to protest, but Tyler pushed me off the stage, and then Adrian kicked my shin from the ground.

"Go," he hissed.

If I didn't go, they would just make a scene.

I approached her. "Hey, Mallory. Need some help with that stuff?"

She sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Yes, please. I can barely see where I'm going." She gave me about half of her load, smiling brilliantly. I may have forgotten to breathe for a few seconds. She really was beautiful. "Oh, that is so much better. Thanks, Stryker."

She knew my name.

Holy crap.

She knew my name.

"Anytime. So, where to?"

"Backstage."

I nodded, and we walked in that direction. "Hey, Mallory."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering…Doyouwanttogooutwithme?" I gushed. Then I wanted to slap myself. That was way too fast. There was no way she would have understood that. I took a deep breath and started again. "Sorry. Do you...want to go out with me? We could...catch a movie or something. If you...want." I gulped nervously, setting down the boxes I'd been carrying. There, I'd said it. It was up to her now.

Mallory smiled widely. "Finally. I'd love to."

"Wait. Really?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You're a really sweet guy, Stryker. And totally hot. And talented. And smart. I was about ready to ask you out. By the way, I'm totally excited about our scenes today. Thanks for helping me with the props. I've just got one more box in the car. Be right back, and then I'll give you my cell number and we can plan a time to go see a movie."

I stared at her as she walked away.

Did that really just happen?