P.S. I Like You (11 page)

“M
rs. Clark, did you have rules when you were dating?”

I was beginning to wonder if I was the only girl in the world who didn’t have dating rules, and if this was part of my problem. I was sitting at a desk in the main office fulfilling my aide duties, which today consisted of transferring the handwritten sign-out sheet from the day before into the computer.

Mrs. Clark looked up from her computer. She was about my mom’s age, and pretty, with long blonde hair and glasses. I could almost picture her as a teenager. Almost.

“Rules?” Mrs. Clark asked, furrowing her brow.

“You know, like ‘be mysterious but not too mysterious,’ ‘don’t laugh at your date,’ things like that.”

She smiled. “Do you make it a habit of laughing at your dates?”

“Only when they do something funny.”

Mrs. Clark thought for a second. “When I was dating, my girlfriends and I used to say, ‘Don’t cry in front of him before date three.’ ”

“Cry?” I echoed, frowning.

“Yeah. Guys gets skittish when you cry.”

“I don’t think I have to worry about that one.”

“You don’t cry?”

“I don’t make it to date three.”

She smiled again, like I hadn’t been making a joke. I had been. Sort of. “Rules are silly,” she said. “Just be real.”

“Easier said than done.” I entered the last sign out into the computer, then filed away the hardcopy. “Done.”

“Oh, good.” She pointed across the room. “Can you grab the keys and drop this packet off in Mrs. Lungren’s room?”

“Sure.” I got to my feet. “Why do I need keys for that?”

“Mrs. L locks up during fourth. Prep period.”

“Where are the keys?”

“Have I never had you drop things off in locked rooms before?”

“No.”

She gave a grunt like she was surprised. “Well, you’re responsible, so I can trust you.” She winked and went over to a cabinet at the very back of the office, retrieved some keys, and then placed them in my hand.

“Super responsible,” I promised with a smile.

So responsible that after dropping off the packet in Mrs. L’s classroom, I found myself in the Science building, heading toward room 201. The room where I had Chemistry. I’d just look in the window, I told myself. See who sat at my desk. True, Isabel had Chemistry fourth period, and I could have just asked her. Why was I doing this? My best friend would’ve mentioned if she’d seen someone writing notes the whole class.
She noticed things like that. Especially because she knew I was exchanging notes with someone. My pen pal had to have it second period.

Still, I wanted to look.

My heart was racing when I reached the room. But it was dark, and locked. Why? The keys I held dug into my hand and I was so tempted to use them. But for what purpose? To retrieve the note early? To see if my note was already gone? Both seemed too pointless to risk it.

I turned and rushed off before Mrs. Clark realized I had been gone way too long and took my future key privileges away.

When it was time for my Chemistry class, I arrived at the door to find it locked again, and the classroom still empty. This time I noticed a sign taped to the door. Had it been there earlier? It must’ve.

L
AB TODAY.
M
EET IN ROOM 301.

Lab. I’d forgotten about lab. That meant there would be no note today. It also meant he hadn’t read
my
note from the day before. I didn’t remember exactly what I had written. I vaguely remembered trying to make a few jokes. Would he think I was laughing at him? Was I trying too hard to be funny?

It didn’t matter. I wasn’t trying to date the guy. I didn’t even know who he was. I wasn’t going to overanalyze it. Besides, rules were stupid.

“It says:
Lab today. Meet in room 301
.” Cade said each word of the sign slowly.

I turned, wanting to throw an elbow as I did, but kept my arms safely at my sides. “Yeah. I got that.”

“You were standing there for so long I wondered.”

“Are you stalking me now?”

He held up his hands and stepped to the side. “I was just trying to be helpful. It’s who I am.”

“You should reevaluate your definition of help.”

He smiled and started ticking words off on his right hand. “To assist, to save, to be handsome. I think I have them all.”

“Pretty sure you only possess the one that doesn’t even fit the definition.”

“I’m glad you think I’m handsome, Lily. I always knew you did.”

My cheeks went pink as I realized I had walked right into that.

He leaned close. “That makes it two hundred and one … ” He pointed at himself. “To three.” He pointed at me. “Since you’re keeping score.”

I gave him a little push and walked away. “I have at least five points,” I mumbled.

I got to the lab and settled into my seat next to my lab partner, Isaiah. I knew there would not be a note under the long lab table. I looked anyway. There were only tubes leading up to the Bunsen burners. My pen pal and I probably sat in
completely different seats for lab. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed.

Isaiah handed me a pair of goggles and said, “I should probably control the fire this time. Your paper dragon last time almost set off the smoke alarm.”

“Thanks,” I sighed, and got to work.

I
was the first to arrive at the library after school. I found a table near the back and placed my backpack in the center. This was already off to a better start than the last time I hung out with David because it was taking place outside of my house. No spilled Legos and stacks of laundry, no bloody-chinned brothers and definitely no rabbits with bladder control issues.

Okay,
I told myself as I settled back in the chair.
Isabel is trying really hard in her self-appointed quest to make you dateable. You can try, too.
I wasn’t sure what trying consisted of. Not talking?

As I sat there thinking about how to be normal, I realized I was staring in the general direction of a guy sitting two tables over. Not just any guy, but Lucas. I caught my breath.

His attention was fully focused on the book in front of him, his finger scanning the page. This was my opportunity to say hi or to ask him if he knew where the nonfiction section was or something. I could do that.

Just as I convinced myself that I really could do that, David arrived.

“Hey,” he said, placing his backpack next to mine.

“Hi.”

He sat down and pulled books out of his bag. I gave one last useless look at Lucas and then sat down as well. I unzipped my bag and pulled my book and notebook out. This not-talking thing was working well so far; it made things less awkward.

“Silence is kind of awkward, don’t you think?” he said.

Oh. Or not. “No. I’m okay with silence. We’re in a library after all. This is the birthplace of silence.”

“The library is the birthplace of silence?” David asked.

“All the words are being used by the books. When I was little, that’s what I used to think. That people were told to be quiet so that all their words didn’t get stolen by the books. I thought books needed words to exist. Well, obviously they do, but I thought they needed spoken words. Yeah … I was always weird.”

“And here I thought libraries were quiet because people were trying to study,” David whispered.

“That might be another explanation.”

He laughed a little and my eyes met his. It seemed like he was genuinely amused. That was a good thing. Or was it too early for that?

He opened his book. “So is Isabel normally this late?”

“Normally … That’s such a subjective word.” Especially since she and I never met in the library to study.

“Is it?” He looked at his watch.

Before I had to answer, Isabel came rushing in. “Hi, guys. Sorry. I got held up in Math class because Sasha needed notes from yesterday.”

“Sasha?” I said. “Cade’s girlfriend?”

“I don’t think she and Cade are together. Are they?”

“I thought they were.” I looked at David to back me up but he was turning pages in his Chemistry book as if he hadn’t been following the conversation.

“I guess they could be. She’s never said anything.” Was that jealousy in Isabel’s voice? Why would Isabel be jealous of Sasha?

“I didn’t know you and Sasha were friends,” I said, feeling sort of jealous myself.

“We’re not, really,” Isabel said, opening her books, “but everyone always asks me for notes. I’m a good note taker.” She looked from me to David. “Did you guys get started?”

I smirked. “Yes, the people who need help in Chemistry went ahead and taught each other. We’re super good at Chemistry now.”

Isabel rolled her eyes.

Over Isabel’s shoulder I could still see Lucas. He looked up, a small smile on his face. Had he been following our conversation or was he amused by something in his book?

Isabel hit my arm. “I hope you’ve learned by now that Lily likes to joke,” she said to David.

“I have,” David said.

“You have?” I said.

“Yes.”

Isabel moved her eyebrows up and down at me. I ignored her.

“Why are we extending the torture of Chemistry beyond school hours again?” I asked, picking up my pen.

“So we don’t have to retake the class next year?” David offered.

“Good point.” I opened my book.

“What are you guys up to this weekend?” Isabel asked, instead of focusing on Chemistry. “We should all do something.”

I glanced at David. I wondered if he knew that Isabel was trying to set us up.

“What day?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Isabel said. “Whatever day we all have open.”

I said nothing.

David flipped through the pages of his textbook. “The band is playing for the home game on Friday.”

“You’re playing at the football game?” Isabel asked, widening her eyes. “Fun. We’ll totally go watch you. Right, Lily?”

“Um … I’ll have to make sure I’m not stuck babysitting again, but sure,” I said hesitantly. “Sounds fun.”

“And maybe we could all hang out after the game?” Isabel added. She was so persistent.

David nodded and tentatively looked at me. I couldn’t read him very well. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to give an encouraging look or if he was trying to get out of this plan.

I smiled, just in case that would help when really I just wanted to say,
Yeah, I’m trying to get out of this too, but you don’t know my best friend very well if you think there is hope for either of us.

“We’ll be doing our marching band performance at halftime,” David finally said, glancing back at Isabel.

“I love watching the marching band,” Isabel exclaimed. “It’s so cool to see all those formations. How long do you have to work on those?”

“Months,” he said.

“Lily likes anything with music.”

Apparently I was still going with the “not-talking” strategy. I finally found my voice. “It’s true.”

David smiled. “Music and chemistry. Bringing people together.”

For some reason, I blushed.
Music and chemistry.
Why had he said that?

I thought about the
Suspects
page in the back of my notebook. I had written down two possibilities so far: A guy named George from my composition class who yesterday morning was going on and on about his parents’ divorce and how he was going to write a song about it. When I’d heard him say that, my heart had jumped. George wasn’t that cute, but he seemed smart. I was willing to consider him. The other suspect was Travis from P.E.; I’d overheard him telling his friend that reverse psychology works well on teachers. My letter writer had said something about reverse psychology. I guess I was grasping at straws.

But now, sitting in the library, I wondered if I could add a third name to the
Suspects
list:
David.