Free Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

use nonetheless in casual conversation? Oh, I knew I liked him.
    “Hey, what are non-enemies for?” I asked. “Besides, it was my note. I couldn’t let you take credit for my rule breaking. People might start thinking you were cool.”
    The corners of his mouth twitched, like his lips wanted to smile but his brain refused to let them.
    I saw it, though. And somehow, I knew I’d just succeeded at something.
    “See you around, Ryder,” I said, my shoulder grazing his as I moved past him, heading for the classroom door.
    I didn’t look back, but part of me, the part that had seen a thousand bad romantic comedies, hoped he was watching me walk away.
    Amy was waiting for me outside of the classroom, and we headed toward second block together.
    “How did it go?” she asked.
    I smirked up at her, Ryder’s almost-smile flooding me with unexpected confidence. “He’ll be mine soon enough.”

Okay, so maybe I was a little overconfident. Just, like, a tiny bit.
    But so far my plan was working pretty brilliantly. On Tuesday, I asked Ryder if I could borrow a pen, and he let me. And on Thursday, he helped me pick up my books after I accidentally-on-purpose knocked them off my desk.
    Progress!
    My plan had one fatal flaw, however, because while I was making Ryder not despise me, making him not adore Amy was proving to be impossible.
    Ryder, obviously thinking he and Amy had a great cyber connection, kept trying to connect with her in real life. Over the next week, he walked up to her in the hallways at school, waved to her in the parking lot, and he continued asking her to sit with him at lunch.
    Amy always gave an excuse, but that was the problem. Amy was so sweet, so polite, that no one would realize she was trying to avoid them.
    “We’ve got to do something about this,” I said. “Steering clear of him isn’t going to be enough.”
    “I don’t know what else to do,” she said. We’d met in the parking lot before school that morning and were walking into the building together. “And he keeps texting me the sushi emoji.”
    I laughed.
    “I don’t get it,” she said.
    “It’s an inside joke. We had an emoji war once. It ended over emoji sushi.”
    “Well, I don’t know how to respond to it.”
    “Don’t,” I said. “In fact … let me do it. You might be too nice to scare him off, but I’m not. Here. Give me your phone.”
    She pulled it from her purse and handed it over. “You can hold on to it,” she said. “Like I told you before — the only people who ever call or text me are you and my brother. Well, and Ryder now, I guess, but he’s actually texting you, so …”
    I pocketed the phone and gave her a one-armed hug. “Thank you. Have I told you lately that you’re the best, most generous, prettiest friend I have?”
    “Yes. Last night when I let you borrow my nail polish.”
    “Right.”
    “And again five minutes ago when I let you have the last sip of my coffee.”
    “Noted. I’m a very appreciative person. You’re lucky to have me.”
    “And you’re so modest, too.” She elbowed me with a grin. “But what are we going to do about Ryder? If me avoiding him isn’t going to work, then —”
    But before Amy had even gotten the question out, we found ourselves face-to-face with the devil himself. Ryder had just rounded the corner, and he was heading our way.
    Amy only had time to mutter a nervous “Crap” before he was standing right in front of us.
    “Amy,” he said with a bright smile.
    A smile that should’ve been for me. But I shook off the sudden, irrational pang of jealousy.
    “Hi,” Amy said, fidgeting next to me.
    “How are you?” he asked.
    “Okay.” She glanced at me, her eyes begging for help. Only then did Ryder actually seem to notice that I was standing there.
    “Oh, Sonny,” he said. “Hi to you, too.”
    “Hey. Did you read the chapters for Mr. Buckley’s class?”
    “I always read the chapters.” His voice was flat and obvious, without a trace of