Blake had one week to turn in his project before Christmas break started. He had asked everyone to gather on the beach and asked Matt if they could borrow his beach house. He had said sure after running it by his mom.

Silvia had agreed to take pictures too.

He started with Olivia and Silvia. Olivia seemed more attentive than before, more like herself than she had been in weeks. And, thankfully, she hadn’t made any more passes at him.

Lucita has told him what the school counselor had said. Confronting her might force her to relive her trauma. So, as much as he didn’t want to, he had kept what he had seen to himself. He only hoped it was a one-and-done type of situation.

So he stared with them, using his phone to take bursts. He’d edit them at school using the Adobe programs there, but for now, he was focused on the girls laughing, heads together, both so happy to be together.

Next, he focuses on Lucita in her shorts, wearing a black lace V-neck sweater over a purple tank top. As always, she had brought her book and notebook, unable to decide whether to read or write.

Blake caught some perfect candids of her writing, of her thinking, one hand poised under her chin as she stared out into the sea thoughtfully, tapping her pen against the notebook, headphones on. He liked this about their group. How could they all be together and do their own thing?

Setting himself up in the sand, he watched Becca, at home on the ocean on her surfboard. He was still mind-blown by the fact that her mother had caused her accident and then had just left her there.

After he took the pictures, he lay back against his towel, Matt taking a seat next to him. Jae hung out with the girls on the back deck, out of earshot.

“You done for the day?”

“Yeah. I think I got a lot of good ones. I only need six pictures, so I figure I’ll use 2 of Luci, two of Becs, and two of Olivia with Vee.”

“Can I see?”

“Sure.”

He unlocked his phone and handed it over to him, watching his face as she scrolled through them, stopping on one of Luci.

“You should use this one of Lu.”

Blake took the phone back, looking at the picture he had chosen. Luci looked like a model, as if she were posing on a patio chair, knees pulled up, notebook in her lap, pen in her hand, black hair blowing across her face as she stared ahead, thoughtful.

Blake studied it and the hard clench of Matt’s jaw.

“You have feelings for her, don’t you?” It wasn’t a question. Matt looked at him, meeting his gaze evenly.

“Just like you do for Vee.”

Blake signed. “You know, for a long time I thought I didn’t. But being her friend reminded me why I did. But now she’s with Olivia, and she’s happy.”

“Yeah. I get it.” Matt sighed. “I cheated on Jae.”

“What?”

“It was early. Jae and I had only really been on one date, hanging out at school. We weren’t official yet, not that it makes it better, you know. I just couldn’t get Luci out of my head, so I needed to get her out of my system. I told Jae about it. They just forgave me, like that. They don’t even feel any resentment for Lu.”

“Fuck dude.”

“I know. Wild right. But, like, I love being with Jae. But half the time, it hurts to see Luci and know she only has eyes for Cyrus. That night when we serenaded her, I was there, I was right there, and she didn’t see me; she only had eyes for him, as usual. It was like a punch to the gut. And I felt like shit because there I was sitting next to Jae, holding Jae’s hand, willing Luci to look at me the way she looks at him.”

Matt let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, and Blake saw his jaw unclench, a weight lifted from his shoulders. Blake wondered how long he had been holding it all in. It wasn’t like he could talk to his best friend about it anymore.

“I get it, dude. Being around Silvia, who only has eyes for Olive, fuck, it sucks.” Blake sat up, looking over their shoulders to make sure everyone was still out of earshot. “I saw Olivia cheat on Vee.”

“What?!”

Blake shushed him, then unloaded the whole sordid situation. About the pool, the laundry room, and what Luci’s therapist had said. Matt sat there, taking it all in, hazel eyes widening with every reveal.

“Fuck,” cursed Matt.

“I want to say something. But what if that makes everything worse? What if it fucks up everything? I do not want to be the person who hurts Vee, and the really fucked up part is that I wouldn’t just be hurting her. I would be hurting Olive, too.”

“It’s a messed-up situation.”

“I fucking hate Evie. You know, I thought Tiffany was bad. Having dated her, I knew how awful she could be, manipulative, verbally abusive, I mean, she was awful. But Evie? She takes the cake; she’s just evil. Getting rid of Tiff let this monster out. I’m glad Luci beat the crap out of her.”

“Yeah, the tiny girl packs a punch.”

Blake remembered his own situation, two years ago, in a stairwell. “Don’t I know it.”

They sat there in silence for a moment.

“Are you going to stay with Jae?”

Matt nodded. “Jae is good for me. Jae makes me happy.”

“Good. I’m glad, man. Jason is still hung up on her. He’s so hung up on her, he’s thinking of dating Amelia again.”

“Because that went so well the last time,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Right! We’ve all told him it’s a terrible idea.”

“Guessing he won’t listen?”

“Nope. He’s being an idiot. They’re texting too much. It’s why he’s not here. Not to mention he’s too focused on studying for the ACTs.”

Matt groaned, leaning back on his hands. “I haven’t even been to look into that. I’ve already paid for it, but I haven’t actually started studying for it. Or the SATs.”

“Do you know what you want to do?”

Matt sat back up, rubbing the back of his neck, sneaking a glance over at Luci writing.

“Actually, yeah. So okay, I like to write poetry.”

This new bit of information took Blake by surprise. “No way.”

“Yeah. Actually, one of the reasons I hated Lu so much in middle school was because I entered this county poetry contest. Well, Luci’s English teacher also entered one of her poems without telling her. Guess who won?”

Blake matched his smirk with one of his own. “Luci.”

“Yup. And the poem was about Cyrus. You should have seen how red both of their faces were at the school assembly. It was hilarious.” He sighed. “I never told Cyrus, but I know he kept her poem. It’s on his desk, has been there for years, right under his keyboard.”

“I’m not surprised. Did you keep it?”

He nodded. “For a while, yeah. I wanted to know why her and not me. I came in fifth.”

“Did you figure it out?”

“Yeah. Mine was flowery, but sterile. I was focused on perfection, on writing this thing of beauty. But lacked warmth and emotion. Luci’s was about heartbreak. It was raw, emotive.”

“Do you still write?”

“From time to time. I’m really into screenwriting at the moment. There’s this school in Boston that came up as one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. I’m taking a tour next semester. I think that’s the school. Many of those in Massachusetts have outstanding writing programs. My safety school is Miami University, though. You?”

“I really want to go into Marine Biology. So I’m thinking of UM too, or the Hawaii Pacific University.”

“SHit, sounds amazing.”

“What are you guys chatting about over here?” Jae sat down next to Matt, draping their arms over his shoulders.

“College prospects.”

“Ooo. I’m thinking of fashion school. FIDM, namely.”

Matt smiled, looking up at them adoringly, giving them a kiss on the neck. “That sounds perfect for you.”

“I know. Have you seen my closet? Now, what about you boys?”

“Hawaii Pacific University or UM for Marine Biology and Oceanography.”

“Very cool. You, Matt?”

“Emerson is my—”

“Emerson?” Matt and everyone looked at Lucita. “I’m gonna apply there. They are supposed to have one of the best creative writing programs. I mean, next to Harvard, but I’m an MIT baby, so I can’t be applying to Harvard.”

“Well, maybe you’ll get to go together,” said Jae, smiling between them. Blake noted how genuine and kind it was. Then he looked at Matt, saw his jaw clench, and caught the mounting desire in his eyes.

“Somehow, Lu, I’m not surprised.” Blake watched him smile, small and slight, as if wishing for something he couldn’t touch. “Wouldn’t that be something,” he muttered, low and quiet. Blake wondered if Jae heard the wish in his voice, but the way they leaned their head on Matt’s shoulder seemed to indicate they hadn’t heard.

Order ‘New Girl,’ the first in my YA Romance series.