The summer we turned thirteen (Published)

Chapter nineteen: Nostalgia and new beginnings

James

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Farrah and Amy were going to make sure I didn't blow things.

Before I was "allowed" to see Hyland, they made sure to thoroughly threaten me and make sure I wouldn't screw anything up.

Well, Farrah threatened me anyway.

Amy just seemed to be nodding and agreeing with everything she was saying, like always.

I had been downtown standing outside the arcade, waiting for Hyland to show up. Amy and Farrah had plans to go get manicures at the nail salon right down the street from the arcade and had run into me.

Unlucky timing for me, I guess.

"Also James, remember that Hyland is shy," Farrah warned me, "So if you don't work to make conversation,"

"There won't be one," Amy finished for her.

I had a feeling the only reason Amy was so eager to set Hyland and me up was that it meant Hyland might spend more time around me and less around her and Farrah. I didn't voice that though; I just nodded my head, hoping Farrah had run out of threats and reminders.

She hadn't.

"But that doesn't mean you can talk all over her either. Give her a

chance to speak. Don't be too chatty," Farrah instructed, and I stifled a sigh at the blatant hypocrisy. She hadn't let me get a word in since she started lecturing me.

"You better not be overly flirty either; you'll make her nervous," she continued.

At that, I became offended.

Farrah may have known Hyland very well. But she didn't know me well at all; otherwise, she wouldn't have made a statement like that.

"Have you ever witnessed me being flirty towards anyone? I'm not that kind of a guy, Farrah," I informed her.

"Just checking." Farrah raised an eyebrow.

I noticed Hyland's familiar head of curls exiting the passenger door of a black convertible in the parking lot and exhaled.

I was saved.

"Look, there she is now, okay? So, you two had better leave before she thinks you're crashing her date or something," I said, hoping to finally run them off.

"Oh, please, James. Hyland will be happy to see us here," Farrah admonished.

"Yeah, she will," Amy agreed.

"And for the record, I think you are a flirt. You're just low-key about it instead of obvious like someone like Jasper would be," Farrah said to me.

"Jasper? Jasper doesn't flirt with anyone. He's too busy oppressing everybody," I told her.

"Hmm, according to Harlee, he's been acting very differently towards her lately," Farrah said.

"Yeah," Amy chimed in, "he was the first one to run after her after what you did at the party."

I tried not to cringe at the memory.

But Farrah and Amy were right.

Jasper had been especially nice to check on Harlee that night.

Has he been flirting with her, though? I wondered worriedly.

What is he up to?

Why would he be flirting with Harlee?

Why would he flirt with Harlee unless...