Free Home Sweet Drama by Jessica Burkhart Page B

Canterwood history whodoesn’t have homework?” I asked, nodding at the folders. “Because then I’d be so jealous.”
    Paige sighed. “I have homework, but I really want to go over all of this first.”
    I nodded, not saying anything, and went back to my textbook. I wanted to talk to Paige about
so
many things, like my party and what we were going to do over fall break, but all she wanted to talk about was Homecoming.
    â€œSo, has anyone heard from Jasmine?” Paige asked.
    I looked up slowly. “That’s kind of random. Why would any of us hear from her?”
    Paige shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t expect her to contact any of you, but I kind of wonder where she is and stuff.”
    â€œI don’t care as long as it’s not here.” I uncapped my pen pointedly, trying to signal to Paige that I was done talking about Jasmine.
    â€œHow are Julia and Alison doing?” Paige asked. “They have to be feeling awesome now that the truth about what really happened is finally out.”
    I stiffened in my seat. I knew Paige well enough to know where she was going with this. If I let her, she’d make the conversation about my party. She was using Julia and Alison’s situation as a way to ease into talking aboutmy party. I wanted to talk to her about it, but not like this. Not when she’d spent so much time talking about poor Jasmine and Homecoming.
    â€œJulia and Alison are happy. Glad to be back on the team.” I pointed to my book. “I’ve really got to get this done, okay?”
    Paige shrank back a little. “Yeah. Sorry. I’ll go get my homework.”
    She gathered her folders and left the common room. I folded my arms on the table and laid my head on the desk. This was
ridiculous
. I couldn’t even have a normal conversation with my roommate anymore! She was obsessed with Homecoming
and
with trying to find a way to prove that I’d lied about what had happened with Jacob at my party. And I was getting tired of it—I wanted to tell her the truth on my own terms.
    Paige entered the common room without a word moments later and we both got to work. Neither of us talked as we did our homework and the tension in the room was crazy. I was considering saying I was done with my homework, even though I wasn’t, and telling Paige I had to run to the stable to pick up something I’d forgotten. Just as I started to close my book, my phone buzzed.
    4got 2 get egg from u yest. Wanna trade now?
    It took me two point five seconds to type a response.
Sure. Meet me outside Winchester.
    I picked up the egg, its padded box that Jacob had made, and our notebook, leaving my books spread open on the table.
    â€œBack in a sec,” I said. “I’ve got pass my egg to Jacob.”
    â€œâ€™Kay,” was all Paige said.
    I left the room and felt immediate relief the second I got out. I hurried down the hallway and when I pushed open the door, Jacob was leaning casually against the railing. I tried not to smile when I saw him, but I couldn’t stop myself.
    â€œHi,” I said. My voice sounded shy and it felt like it was the first time we’d met.
    â€œHey,” Jacob said, his voice soft. Our eyes met and, for a second, all I could think about was how much I’d missed the tingly feeling I’d had whenever I’d looked into his eyes.
    Stop it,
I said to myself.
He’s with Callie. Just like
you
wanted. You had your chance to be with him.
    I thrust the egg and notebook in his direction, then took a step back toward the door.
    â€œI logged everything in the notebook,” I said. “If you just write that you took it tonight, we’ll be ready when we turn it in tomorrow.”
    â€œGreat.” Jacob looked at the egg, then back up at me. “I know we’ll get a good grade. There’s no way we won’t.”
    â€œYeah, we really did carry that thing