Free Backstage Pass by Elizabeth Nelson Page A

first, but I haven’t had any today.”

    She glared. “That’s a shit excuse, Sasha.”

    I dropped my forehead to the counter. “I know.”

    Silence stretched between us. The clock above the fridge ticked away the seconds.

    “Do you like him or are you just horny.”

    My silence answered for me.

    “So now what?”

    I rolled my head back and forth in a helpless gesture.

    Kerri stroked my hair. “Want to know what I think?”

    “Not really—I mean, yes.”

    My phone rang and I squeezed my eyes shut. But then I remembered that Jesse’d never called me. Later tonight I could expect a text.

    Kerri slid my phone over and I stared at the number. It looked vaguely familiar. “Hello?”

    “Sasha? Hey, it’s Dew,” came from the other end.

    I avoided Kerri’s death stare. She wasn’t done talking about Jesse and deep in my belly I knew what her advice was going to be. I wasn’t ready yet.

    Spinning around on the stool, I cradled the phone against my shoulder. “Hi.”

    “Did all those signatures make your foot heal yet?”

    I smiled. “Not yet.” Behind me, Kerri clattered plates against each other and crammed our Styrofoam containers back in the paper bag. It wasn’t possible for her to make more noise. I eased myself off the stool and hobbled toward the couch.

    “That’s too bad. Hey, I wanted to see if you want to come to our game tomorrow.”

    “I have labs until six.”

    “That’s okay. The game doesn’t start until seven.”

    Kerri slammed a cabinet door and I flinched.

    “Okay, then I guess, yes.”

    “Super. Can I pick you up?”

    I hadn’t given much thought to how I was going to get around tomorrow. Kerri’s car was going to be mandatory. No way could I get myself around, and the walk to campus was a couple blocks. Tomorrow was our worst afternoon for coordination. “Sure, but can we meet at the chem lab parking lot?”

    He paused. “Uh, sure. See you tomorrow?”

    “Bye.” I hung up and leaned my head into the couch.

    “Who was that?” Kerri jammed napkins into the trash.

    “Like you don’t know. Are you going to the game to watch your rugby player tomorrow?”

    She shook her head. “He hasn’t called.”

    Nice . Way to be an ass, Sash. “Oh. Well will you go with me?”

    “Pretty sure Dew thinks that’s a date.”

    “To a game? That he’s playing in? Doubt it.”

    She pushed her stool in and leaned against the counter, keeping an entire room between us.

    I sighed and closed my eyes. “Will you come over here and talk?”

    Nothing moved on that side of the room.

    “And bring pain medicine.”

    That got her moving, but made me feel like an even bigger jerk. She tossed me the bottle and I barely opened my eyes before they cracked me in the nose.

    “Thanks.” I swallowed the pills dry.

    “Just give him a chance, Sasha.”

    I closed my eyes. One of the pills was lodged on the left side of my throat. “Why? Why should I be the one to break my rules?”

    “Because you like him, for one.”

    “Or my drugged brain thinks he’s hot.”

    “You know that’s not true.”

    I squeezed my eyes and twisted my fingers in the hem of my shirt. “Which is why I need to go out with Dew more than any other reason.”

    Kerri huffed.

    I propped myself up on my elbows. “Are you mad?”

    Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she shrugged. “More disappointed, I think. Jesse is great and you’re condemning him because he happens to be a super talented musician. That’s not a crime, Sasha. Not for the rest of us. I’m going home.”

    I fell into the couch and threw my arm over my eyes. “Then you date him,” I said, giving up.

    “He doesn’t want me.” The door closed softly behind her, echoing through an empty house.

CHAPTER 8

    Navigating through classes was worse than I’d imagined. Mondays were my heaviest days, and today was no exception. After a botched shower attempt, I gave up and rinsed my hair, then managed a pair of sweats and