always appear to have more social grace.â
âIâm going to pretend I donât know what that means,â Riley says.
âPlease do. And chew with your mouth closed.â
In response, Riley makes her gnawing noise again and buries her face in the burger.
I laugh, then look across the cafeteria and spot Branden. My humor dies in my chest; heâs sitting beside Megan, her other sisters nearly blocking him from my view.
âWhat is she doing with him?â I say, not meaning to utter it aloud.
Tyler follows my stare.
âDonât worry,â he says. âShe doesnât stand a chance.â
But thereâs a sick feeling in my gut as I watch them talk. He laughs at something she says, and I donât miss the way her hand brushes against his as she reaches for a napkin. Suddenly all I can think of is Josh, the guy who stood me up, and the way he went for a cheerleader not a week after tormenting me.
âYouâre totally not listening, are you?â Tyler asks, nudging me with his elbow.
I jerk and look back at him. Was I really just staring at Branden like a lovesick idiot?
âSorry,â I say. Because heâs right, I didnât hear anything.
He sighs.
âI said, how was juggling?ââ He asks the question unnecessarily slowly.
âGood,â I respond.
âReally good,â Riley says, wiping her mouth with a handful of napkins. âJenniferâs picking it up real quick. I spoke with Jim after the audition, and I think weâre going to try to set up a partner Âroutine.â
I look at her, surprised.
âWhat?â she asks. âI told him I wanted to work with you, and he agreed. So yeah. Youâre definitely in.â She wraps an arm across my shoulders. âAnd youâre stuck with meeee!â she sings.
âI feel so sorry for you,â Tyler says.
âCould be worse,â I say. âI could be stuck in contortion with those three.â
Riley snorts with laughter.
âThat would definitely be a worse fate.â
âWhat about you?â I ask Tyler. âWhat did you audition for?â
âAcro and rope,â he says. âThough I spoke with one of the coaches who works as a hand balancer professionally. I guess they donât technically teach it during the camp, but he offered to train me on the side. Your boy Branden was there as well, auditioning for Cyr wheel. Heâs good. Really good. Except at backflipsâkid nearly broke his own nose. Too bad he plays for your team.â
âI thought you had your eyes set on the acro boy. Kevin?â Riley asks.
âOh, I do,â he says. He grins at Kevin, who catches Tylerâs gaze, returns it, then blushes and goes back to talking with a Âcouple of the girls from my hall. âBut that doesnât mean I canât admire beauty. And Branden is pretty beautiful.â
I sigh without meaning to and catch myself staring again at Branden, whoâs still sitting with Megan and her sisters. Branden, who looks so much more at home surrounded by that much talent and beauty. Tyler says Megan doesnât stand a chance, but I think heâs just trying to make me feel better. Brandenâs cut out to be with someone immensely talented. Iâve already proven thatâs not me.
After that realization, itâs practically impossible to find my appetite. I pick at the fries on my plate and listen to everyone else talking around me. But Iâm already drifting. Theyâre already moving faster than I ever will.
â¢Â  â¢Â  â¢
Near the end of lunch, right after they bring out a tray of what I thought were brownies but are actually chocolate-chip granola barsâa terrible misconception, albeit still tastyâOlga nonchalantly walks over to a bulletin board on the wall and pins up three sheets of paper. The casting announcements. Sheâs barely taken a step to the side before half the camp is