The tension was very real to Lizzie. Whenever she and Jacinta were at odds, a tiny pebble lodged itself in her chest, a hard, cold feeling that spread as she worried whose side Mina would pick.
This isn’t a competition, she told herself. But as soon as she thought it, she immediately went into overdrive, working to get Mina on her side.
Cinny wasn’t going to win this one.
Lizzie cleared her throat.
“Look, I’m serious. We all have boyfriends now…”
“Not me,” Kelly said. She groaned at Lizzie’s open sympathy. “Okay, don’t give me that look. Am I that pathetic?”
“No,” Mina spoke up. “And if I have anything to do with it, you won’t be single long anyway.”
“And you know, once she sets her Cupid’s bow and arrow on you, it’s as good as done,” Lizzie said, making the girls laugh and getting a tiny smile out of Mina.
Everyone was aware that the second Mina found out that Greg Canon, a quiet, but friendly chocolate cutie from her Spanish class needed tutoring, she’d known just the tutor to send him to. She’d slipped Kelly’s number to Greg, a junior and the only black dude on the lacrosse team, and practically demanded that he call Kelly to arrange a tutoring session. Kelly had tutored him for two weeks before heading to Hawaii. Their sessions started up again Monday to ensure he passed the upcoming Spanish final. Lizzie knew Mina had been working behind the scenes to make sure the tutoring turned into a date soon.
“Well, you can still take the pact for when you do get a boyfriend,” Lizzie said, giving Kelly one more sorry look. “If we take the pact together, it makes it easier to stick to it. You know?”
Her neck slow craned as she looked from Mina to Kelly for confirmation.
Kelly nodded, but Mina remained oddly detached.
Lizzie paid it no mind. When she had Mina to herself, she’d go all best friend on her and get them on the same page. For now, Lizzie focused the pact on herself.
“I’m just not ready to take it there with Todd,” she admitted.
“I wasn’t with Angel, either,” Kelly said.
“Mi?” Lizzie said. Her eyes asked her best friend what her mouth didn’t—“how about you?” But Mina was silent. Lizzie couldn’t read her face. She pressed more than she had intended.
“I think it would take the pressure off with Brian.” She smiled weakly. “No more ninety-nine percent nights.”
They’d all had them—nights where make-out sessions went that-close to something more before they pulled back.
Lizzie chuckled and continued, “I think a pact is easier. But you could always try the Lizzie O’ Reilly method for abstinence.”
“I gotta hear this. What is it?” Jacinta asked, near laughing already.
They exchanged a childish second, sticking their tongues out at one another before Lizzie went on and sheepishly admitted to the girls about her alarm system.
Jacinta’s eyes widened. “Lizzie, un-ah. And Todd hasn’t called you on why your phone always goes off?”
“Nope. But when it goes off, I pull back and either start a new conversation or ask him to drop me home or whatever.” Lizzie’s shoulders popped. “It works for me.”
Jacinta shook her head in wonder. “Seriously, y’all bobblehead ’burb girls got a plan for everything. Timed make-out sessions? I think I’ve heard it all.”
“Why fifteen minutes?” Kelly asked.
Lizzie’s shoulders shook as she laughed to herself. “Because usually, by fifteen minutes, he’s completely in the zone and moving to unbuttoning, and it’s when I’m really, really close to letting him.” She shrugged. “The alarm literally wakes me up from how good making out feels.”
“Okay, I’m not sure I want to stop that badly,” Mina said with an apologetic smile.
Lizzie smiled back, but it was plastic. She wanted Mina to agree that there were ways to not do it, not shoot down her suggestions.
“See, that’s what I don’t get.” Jacinta frowned. “If you want to do it…just do it.”
“But I don’t,” Lizzie said. She fixed her eyes on Mina. “I mean, I really, really like Todd.”
“You left some reallys out, didn’t you?” Mina teased.
They giggled. “Okay, really, really, really, really like Todd.” Lizzie sat up straight. “I admit I like him a lot. But that’s my point. I like him so much he’s distracting. Remember my B on my Chem test?”
Jacinta laughed, not unkindly. “First of all, in our world, there’s nothing wrong with getting a B, Miss Liz.”
“I know that’s right,” Mina said. She unfolded her legs and leaned back on her hands, warming up to the conversation.
“Second,” Jacinta continued, “if you’re doing all that, setting alarms and whatnot, just tell the boy you not down and save him the trouble of trying so hard.” She snorted. “You are going to tell him you’re officially refusing to do the nasty, right?”
“First of all, I wouldn’t call it that,” Lizzie said. She flipped her hair primly. “Second, it’s totally my decision to do this. I’m not trying to be funny, but what does Todd have to do with something I’m choosing to do?”
“Hmm…let me think…” Jacinta looked to the ceiling. She rolled her eyes. “Because he’s your boyfriend, Lizzie. How you goin’ take a pact not to have sex and not let the boy know?” She raised her eyebrow. “You plan on the alarm thing working every time? Just how dumb is Todd?”
“He is not dumb, Cinny,” Lizzie snapped, glaring.
“Liz, you know Jacinta was just trying to be funny,” Mina said. She kneed Jacinta in the elbow.
“You know I love T, Lizzie,” Jacinta said, taking the hint. “But real talk, you’re treating him like he’s stupid by going through all this. Just tell the boy…or are you afraid he gonna break up with you once you do?”
“Todd’s too sweet. He’d never do that,” Mina said, seeing the shadow of doubt-realization cross Lizzie’s face. She sighed loudly. “Come on, y’all. We don’t have to fight about it. I mean, we all have our different views.”
“True,” Jacinta said. She turned and looked Mina in the eye. “But you know the deal, Mina. The clock is ticking. Ticktock. Ticktock.”
“Did I miss something while I was gone? Is Brian pressuring you?” Kelly asked.
“The pressure is his fine body rubbing on hers,” Jacinta cracked, dodging a Mina swipe at her head. “Todd’s body is fiya, too. I don’t know how you do it, Lizzie. Do you know how many girls are always talking about how cute he is?”
The thought had occurred to Lizzie. But she wasn’t about to admit it. It was one of the reasons that fell in the Pro column of why she was taking the pact in the first place. She wasn’t going to let the reality of competition push her, and she said so. “Am I supposed to have sex with him just because other girls would?” she asked sulkily.
“No,” Jacinta said. “You’re supposed to have sex with him if you want, period. If you don’t, that’s cool, too. Right?” She fixed Lizzie with a meaningful stare until Lizzie nodded, then brought her point home by saying, “So Mina, do you want to do it?”
Lizzie stared into Mina’s face, trying to read it, the familiar pebble in her chest expanding with every breath.
“Okay, I’mma take that as a yes,” Jacinta said, satisfied, mistaking