Chapter 12

                                    

                                          

"You seem...happier."
Emily was standing across from me, her body propped against the closest row of faded blue lockers. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a sleek, high ponytail and, as usual, her makeup was perfect. 
I didn't know how Ty ever managed to get a date with Emily in the first place. It's not that he wasn't cute, or charming, because at times he could be both, but I'd seen all the nasty boy sides of him, the ones guys don't normally show to their girlfriends. If Emily saw half the stuff he did, or heard half the stuff that came out of his mouth, she'd be running in the other direction. 
"Earth to Danny, are you in there?"
I finally acknowledged her comment, snapping out of it. "I always forget how much more perceptive girls are than boys," I told her. 
She laughed. "Well, all you ever do is hang out with Ty and Porter, and Ty's probably the least perceptive boyfriend on the planet."
"So, you guys are official again?"
Emily smiled. "I guess you could say that. But enough about me, what's got you all smiley?"
I thought about Jack and the time we spent together just the other day at the bistro. "It's nothing big," I said with a shrug, "I've just been talking with Jack a lot."
"No way!"
I nodded my head. "It was his idea."
"And?"
"I don't know. He said he misses me, and he wants to be friends. So that's a start. And, well, he might have kissed me."
I was unable to keep the news to myself, and Emily was just about the only person I could tell. The last thing I wanted to do was gush about Jack kissing me to my two guy best friends. They might have been my best friends, but they weren't the best when it came to guy talk. 
"He kissed you? Was that before or after he said he wanted to be friends?" she asked. 
"Before," I said thoughtfully, thinking back to the dinner we shared. 
Emily frowned. "Isn't that a little weird?"
"I guess," I admitted, "But you weren't there. It's like he wants more, but he's afraid that I'll say no."
"Would you say no?"
"Would you say no to what?"
Ty appeared behind Emily, his arms wrapping around her waist as he planted a small kiss on the top of her head. Both Emily and I looked at each other, discreetly communicating that Ty did not need to know anything about Jack.
"Nothing," I said nonchalantly. 
Ty shrugged. "So I was thinking that maybe this weekend we could all go up to my grandpa's cabin. He's out of town and I'm sure he left the cabinets stocked full of booze."
"Is that all you think about? Getting drunk?" Emily teased. 
Ty smirked. "Among other things."
From the look on his face, those other things included Emily. "Okay, ew. I really don't need to hear that," I said. "But I'm down for this weekend, as long as I don't have to witness any of your nauseating couple things."
"Deal," Ty said. 
"I have to get to class, but I'll see you guys at lunch!"
I waved goodbye to Ty and Emily and turned in the direction of my next class. Usually I walked with Ty but lately he'd been showing up late to class, no doubt because he insisted on walking Emily to hers. I'd barely gotten three steps before I turned the corner and ran directly into someone's chest. Stumbling back, I regained my balance by reaching out and grabbing onto a nearby locker. Jack stood before me, his eyebrows raised in surprise.