Free Blue Moon by Alyson Noël

lap.
    But when I look at her and
see
the way her aura wavers and flares a deceitful shade of green, I can tell it’s not true. She’s smitten and that’s all there is to it. And if Roman becomes smitten too, then it’s
adios Josh, hello creepy new guy
.
    I unzip my lunch pack, going through the motions of pretending I’m still interested in food when I hear: “Ay, mate, what time’s the premiere?”
    â€œCurtain’s at eight. Why? You coming?” Miles asks, his eyes lighting up, his aura glowing in a way that makes it pretty obvious he hopes that he will.
    â€œWouldn’t miss it,” Roman says, sliding onto the space beside Haven and bumping her shoulder in the smarmiest, most insincere way. Clearly aware of the effect it elicits and not afraid to exploit it.
    â€œSo how was life among the A-list? Everything you dreamed it would be?” she asks in a voice that, if you couldn’t see her aura, you’d think she was flirting. But I know she’s serious, because auras don’t lie.
    Roman reaches toward her, gently pushing her bangs away from her face. A gesture so intimate her cheeks flush bright pink. “
Wot’s
that now?” he says, his gaze fixed on hers.
    â€œYou know, table A? Where you were sitting?” She mumbles, struggling to keep her composure while under his spell.
    â€œThe lunchtime caste system,” Miles says, breaking their enchantmentand pushing his half-eaten yogurt aside. “It’s the same at every school. Everyone divides into cliques designed to keep others out. They can’t help themselves, they just do. And those people you were just with? They’re the top clique, which, in the high school caste system, makes them The Rulers. As opposed to the people you’re sitting with now—” He points at himself. “Who are otherwise known as The Untouchables.”
    â€œBullocks!” Roman says, pulling away from Haven and popping the top on his soda. “Complete rubbish. I don’t buy it.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter if you do. It’s still a fact.” Miles shrugs, gazing longingly at table A. Because despite how he goes on and on about our table being the truly cool table, the truth is, he’s painfully aware that in the eyes of the Bay View student body, there’s nothing cool about it.
    â€œIt may be your fact, but it’s not mine. I don’t do with segregation, mate. I like a free and open society, room to roam around and explore all my options.” Then, looking at Damen, he says, “What about you? You believe in all this?”
    But Damen just shrugs and continues gazing at me. He couldn’t care less about A-lists and B-lists, who’s cool and who’s not. I’m the only reason he enrolled in this school, and I’m the only reason he stays.
    â€œWell, it’s nice to have a dream.” Haven sighs, inspecting her short black nails. “But it’s even nicer when there’s a remote possibility of it coming true.”
    â€œAw, but that’s where you’re wrong, luv. It’s not a dream at all.” Roman smiles in a way that makes her aura beam a bright shimmery pink. “I’ll make it happen. You’ll see.”
    â€œSo what? You fancy yourself the Che Guevara of Bay View High?” My voice contains a sting I don’t bother to hide. Though to be honest, I’m more surprised by my use of the word
fancy
than the tone of my voice. I mean, since when do I talk like that? But when Iglance at Roman and see his expansive, overwhelming, yellow-orange aura, I know he’s affecting me too.
    â€œI rather
fancy
that, yes.” He smiles his languid grin, his eyes gazing into mine so deeply, I feel like I’m naked—like he sees everything,
knows
everything, and there’s nowhere to hide. “Just think of me as a revolutionary, because by the end of next week, this lunchtime caste system will come to