Free Kiss & Sell by Brittany Geragotelis

asked, raising an eyebrow.
    “Why do you think we keep you around, Phin?” I added. “You’re like one of the girls.”
    “Take it back,” Phin said, stopping mid-chew.
    I smiled at him innocently.
    “I hope you two know that I have guy muscles, and guy sweat, and plenty of girls don’t think of me as ‘just one of the girls,’” he said, narrowing his eyes at us.
    “Okay,” McCartney answered.
    “Whatever you say,” I said, nodding my head.
    Phin could hear the sarcasm in our voices. “You guys suck.”
    Teddy snickered as she left the room, closing the door behind her. We made our way over to the food and brought it back to the bed.
    “Now, on to more pressing matters,” McCartney said, dipping a chip into the salsa and popping it into her mouth.
    “Such as?” I asked.
    “Well, the Homecoming dance is coming up,” she answered. “It’s our freshman year, so we have to decide whether we’re going to be making an appearance or not. And if we’re going as a group or with dates.”
    “Sorry to burst your bubble, girls,” Phin said, quickly. “But there’s no way I’m not getting asked. And as I’ve learned by hanging out with you two today—three’s a crowd. And so is four.”
    “You know we were just joshing you before, Phin,” I said. “You’re the manliest man around. Really. You’re more guy than Bradley Cooper. Man sweat and all.”
    “Now say it once more with a little
more
feeling,” Phin answered, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest.
    “So, does that mean, we’re voting on the side of going to the dance?” McCartney asked, ignoring Phin’s show of masculinity.
    This was a good question. on the one hand, going to a high school dance had been something that the three of us had been talking about ever since Phin’s older sister had bragged about it while we were in grade school. But on the other hand, who needed the added stress of finding the perfect dress, bagging the perfect date
and
having the perfect time while trying to dance around in heels?
    Still, I already knew what Phin and McCartney were thinking, so I sighed loudly.
    “Okay. I’m in,” I said. “I’m not promising I’m going with a date, though. It’s enough that I have to deal with this whole kissing thing. There’s no way I want Homecoming to turn out to be like another date with Dan.”
    “Fair enough. Let’s just agree to go, with or without dates,” McCartney said. “We’ll all share a limo no matter what, and no one’s ditched or left behind.”
    “Sounds like a plan, stan,” Phin said, hopping up from the bed. He crossed the room and picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Gotta jet. Mom’s cooking lasagna tonight. See you two chicks later.”
    And before we could say goodbye, Phin had ducked out of the room.
    I shook my head and laughed as we listened to him lumber down the stairs.
    “So, we’re Homecoming-bound?” McCartney asked me, holding out her hand.
    I rolled my eyes and then shook her hand. “We’re Homecoming-bound,” I answered with a groan.
    “This is gonna be awesome, arielle. Just wait,” she said, tossing a chip in the air and catching it in her mouth. “Totally
epic
.”

BY THE TIME I got home that night, the table had already been set and dinner was beginning to cool.
    “Sorry I’m late, Mom. We were hanging over at McCartney’s,” I said and let my bag fall to the floor before slipping into one of the empty seats.
    “And how are things over at the Janning’s?” Mom asked, placing a heaping spoonful of what appeared to be tuna noodle casserole onto my plate.
    “Fine. The usual,” I answered and poured myself a glass of milk.
    “And where are McCartney’s parents this week?”
    “Um, I think Paris, maybe,” I said, scratching my head. “Or maybe it’s China. I can never keep track.”
    “Well, you guys let me know if she needs to stay here for a few days,” she answered, taking a bite of her food.
    “Thanks, Mom, but it’s not