Toby: Good.

 

Good?

Becca: Did you just want to check up on me?

 

Toby: Yes and no.

 

Becca: What does that mean?

 

Toby: Yes, but that’s not all.

 

Okay, now he’s the one with the vague answers.

Becca: What else?

 

Toby: Probably shouldn’t say.

 

Becca: Then why did you bring it up?

 

Toby: Touché.

 

Becca: I’m waiting.

 

And I’m totally confused.

Toby: I was wondering if you wanted to hang out 2morrow.

 

Becca: You mean study?

 

Toby: No. Unless that’s what you want.

 

He’s never asked me to hang out before, and what about the girl he likes?

Becca: What were you thinking?

 

Toby: Something Tori would hate.

 

Becca: Why?

 

Toby: She wouldn’t like us hanging out.

 

Becca: Right.

 

Are we friends now? Is that what’s going on? God, there are so many questions and no answers at all.

Toby: I’ll think of something. Just come up with an excuse for why you can’t hang out with Tori.

 

Becca: You want me to lie to her?

 

Toby: Only if you want to hang out with me.

 

Of course I do, but I don’t want to lie to Tori.

Becca: Make it something she’d never want to do, so I won’t have to lie.

 

Toby: You got it. Night.

 

Becca: Night.

 

Do I have a date with Toby tomorrow? A real date?

Chapter Six

After I ace another trig class—well, I’m able to keep up at least—I’m ready for whatever Toby has planned. Except I’m nervous, confused, and feeling like the worst best friend ever. Not only am I hanging out with Toby behind Tori’s back, but I never called her last night and I’ve been avoiding her all day. I’m lugging around the entire contents of my locker just so she can’t corner me, and I even skipped lunch.

I take the back way out of school and rush to my car. Only Tori’s leaning against the driver’s side door.

“Where have you been?” She stands up and gestures wildly. “I’ve been looking for you all day, and why is your cell turned off?”

So you can’t get a hold of me. “Sorry, the battery must be dead.”

“Yeah, well, that doesn’t explain the disappearing act you pulled today. You didn’t go to your locker once.”

No, I went once, about forty minutes before school started when no one else was around. “I had a busy day.”

“Doing what?” She adjusts her shoulder bag and crosses her arms. I’m so on her list right now.

“Um, make-up stuff for trig. Toby’s tutoring is helping, but I needed to go back a few units and catch up.”

“Well, don’t ever scare me like that again. I thought you’d been kidnapped or something. I almost called your mom.” She’s being overly dramatic, but I know it’s only because she was worried about me. “You’re coming over, right?”

Damn it! I turned my phone off, which means I never got Toby’s text telling me what we’re doing. I don’t want to lie again to Tori. “Hang on a second.” I pull my cell out and turn it on.

“I thought the battery was dead.”

“It is, but sometimes I can get it to turn on for a few seconds. I’m expecting a text.”

“Yeah, well you’ve got about ten from me.”

She’s right. I scroll through them, looking for Toby’s. It’s buried at the bottom of the list.

Toby: Bowling. Tori hates it. Thinks bowling alleys give you diseases. 3:45

 

I haven’t bowled since I was nine. But it’s time with Toby, so I’m not complaining. “I have plans to go bowling.”

Tori’s eyes widen. “Bowling? With who?”

Crap. So much for not lying to her. “Dad says he wants me to join a school team. He used to bowl, so…” At least that’s true. Although I have no intention of joining the bowling team. “Want to come?” I hope Toby’s right about Tori hating bowling alleys.

“Not in this lifetime. You’re on your own. Feel free to stop by later though—after you’ve showered all the germs and nasty diseases off you from the rented shoes and dirty—” She shivers. “Ugh, I can’t even think about it. See you later.” She waves and walks away.

I get in the car and text Toby.

Becca: Which bowling alley?

 

It feels like an eternity before he texts back.

Toby: Thought you’d bailed on me.

 

Becca: No. My phone was off.

 

Toby: Avoiding my sister?

 

Becca: Yes. I hate lying to her.

 

Toby: You’re not. You’re withholding information.

 

Becca: Same thing.

 

Toby: Technically not.

 

Even though he can’t see me, I roll my eyes.

Becca: Which bowling alley?

 

Toby: The one on 1 st and Elm.

 

The really skeezy part of town.

 

Becca: Classy.

 

Toby: You want to risk Tori’s friends being there?

 

Becca: No. See you soon.

 

I still have no idea what this even is. Maybe it’s completely harmless. Maybe it’s somehow a trig lesson. No, that’s just stupid. Something’s up. I’m not sure what, but I’ll find out.

I drive to the bowling alley and park around back so no one sees my car if they drive by. As soon as I walk inside, I see Tori’s point about bowling alleys. When you’re little, you don’t really notice how disgusting these places are. But at seventeen, it’s clear as day. Cigarette butts are all over the entrance carpet, which is completely worn and looks like it hasn’t been vacuumed in a decade. A shady guy eyes me up and walks toward me, but an arm pulls me toward the shoe rental counter.

“There you are.” Toby smiles at me. “You’ve got to be careful who you make eye contact with in this part of town.”

“Thanks.” I stare at his hand on my arm.

“Sorry.” He pulls away. “Um, I already paid for two games, so we just need to get shoes.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.” He paid. Like a real date. No. Stop it. It’s too soon to know if that’s what this is.

“What size are you?”

“An eight.”

Toby gets our shoes and carries them over to the very last lane. “So.” He hands me my shoes and sits down.

“So.” Yeah, this is awkward. I change my shoes and wait for him to do the same. I can’t think of anything to say because the only thing on my mind is “Is this a date?” and I can’t exactly come out and ask him that.