Free Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik Page B

catfights.”
    “You mean you don’t?”
    He grinned. I swear: Derek Edwards grinned . “I didn’t say that.”
    The guys we had originally bounced from the Ping-Pong table must have seen us put down our paddles, because they were drifting back toward us. Derek released my hand.
    “What should we do now?” he asked, like it was a given we’d stick together.
    “I don’t know.” I glanced around the rec room. Nothing inspired me. “Let’s go back upstairs and see what’s going on up there.”
    The second we moved away, the boys darted forward and grabbed our paddles.
    “Thanks for letting us play,” I called over my shoulder, and they bobbed their heads in a kind of salute.
    “I should probably find Juliana at some point,” I said as we headed up the stairs. “Except—”
    “What?”
    “I’m not convinced she wants to be found.”
    “I know what you mean. I’ve never seen Chase so—” He stopped. At first I thought he just didn’t want to finish what he was saying, but then I realized he was staring up the steps, where a long angular figure was tromping rapidly down toward us. Webster Grant.
    “Hi!” I said, happy to see a friendly face in a house full of strangers.
    “Elise Benton! My long-lost cousin!” He took my hand and pressed it warmly. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt that matched the color of his eyes. “Hey, Derek!” he said. “How’s it going, buddy?”
    Derek’s smile had vanished, leaving his face cold and rigid. He ignored Webster, just brushed past him and continued trudging up the stairs with heavy, deliberate steps.
    “Um, good-bye?” I called out to his retreating back.
    He looked over his shoulder at me. “Aren’t you coming?”
    “Kind of saying hello to a friend here?”
    “I’ll be upstairs.” He kept going and vanished into the hallway above.
    I stared after him. “A little moody, isn’t he?” I tried to sound lighthearted but I was truly stunned at Derek’s sudden transformation. We’d been having fun together. At least, I thought we’d been.
    Webster patted me on the arm consolingly. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you. How’d you end up hanging out with him anyway?”
    “We came in the same car. My sister and Chase wanted to come to this together, and we both tagged along. And then we played Ping-Pong—”
    “Not pool? I always assumed he was a billiards man—I mean, it’s so handy the way he keeps a stick up his—”
    “Hey, hey,” I said, laughing. “That’s Melinda Anton’s wittle baby boy you’re talking about and don’t you forget it.”
    “Oh, are we allowed to forget it? I thought there were laws against that.” He glanced around. “So where were you on your way to, young Elise, and may I escort you there since your companion appears to have abandoned you? His loss, I might add. Which may well turn out to be my gain.”
    “I’d like to find my sister. I’m ready to head home, but she’s my ride. Well, the Baldwins’ limo is literally my ride, but she’s my connection to it.”
    Webster whistled. “A limo? How very West Side of you. What’s it like living the good life?”
    “The ride is smooth, but the company stinks,” I said, and he grinned. I felt slightly guilty. It hadn’t been that bad, had it? I mean, Chase was a nice guy and Derek . . .
    I didn’t know what to think about Derek.
    “In that case,” Webster said, neatly pivoting on his heels so we could head up the stairs together, “how about I take you home? I ain’t got no limo, but I can offer you a ride in one smoking hot Chevy Aveo. It’s small, it’s slow, I bought it used, and if you wanted to find a cheaper car, you’d have to go to India. . . . But it works and it’s all mine.”
    “I don’t know,” I teased. “The limo had carpeting. And snacks!”
    We had reached the top of the stairs. He stopped and looked at me. “Seriously, Elise, I’d be happy to take you home. Honored, even.”
    I thought it would be kind of