***1st Place Winner in Teen Fiction for the Undiscovered Writer Awards***
***One of the EarnestyWriterAwards favorite female leads***
Lulu's mom is sick and Lulu desperately wants to be free of all her troubles so she convinces herself that she no l...
"Told you that guy was a jerk. I don't know why it's bothering you so much though," Matty said, squinting at Lulu.
"He did it on purpose. He knows I don't like Gemma," she retorted.
"Why wouldn't you like her?"
"C'mon, I have to not like her on principle. It's solidarity, Matty."
They were outside Seafoam Scoops, sharing a small tub of ice cream. After school, Matty had found her sitting on the front steps of the school, her shoulders slumped and had known just how to cheer her up. Only, it wasn't working how he had hoped.
Lulu watched with a pout as a few surfers braved the icy waves on the beach. Matty looked at her and laughed at the expression on her face.
"I thought you'd be happy," he said echoing Zac's earlier words.
"I just don't get why he hates me."
"You were the one who hated him first," he said matter-of-factly.
"But I apologized for everything! And he still hates me. It makes everything weird when we're working together."
"Well, Lulu, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" he asked as he stood up, dusting off his jeans. "You don't have to deal with him anymore, I do."
Lulu forced a teasing laugh, but if she was being honest with herself—something she rarely was—it wasn't a relief to be rid of Zac. It should have been; he was arrogant and difficult to work with, but it still felt like he was giving up. Like he had given up on her.
Don't be ridiculous, she chastised herself. There is nothing to give up on.
After some more sulking, she followed Matty down the boardwalk and to his car. He drove her to Ava's house, Lulu claiming that they were starting early preparations for Homecoming. He had just laughed and shaken his head, still unsure about how girls' minds functioned, but accepted her excuse without question.
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Early Friday, Ava and Lulu had just gotten to school when they spotted Zac getting out of Liam's car, followed closely by Gemma. They watched as she placed her hand around his arm, guiding him from the parking lot up the steps of the school. Though, he had his dark glasses on, Lulu could see his annoyed expression. He tried to shake off Gemma's hand but she wouldn't budge, guiding him into the school, like an unwelcome guide dog.
Ava caught Lulu staring and gave her a sly smirk.
"What?" demanded Lulu, shrugging on her heavy backpack.
"'What,' what?" her friend feigned innocence and Lulu threw her a sour look but only kept walking up the school steps with Ava.
They met Matty and Michael in the cafeteria having breakfast, both with extra plates for the girls to eat, and sat down. The boys had unsurprisingly gotten along extremely well since the day they had all gone to the beach and it warmed Lulu to see Matty banter with Michael. This morning, though, both boys were quietly eating their breakfast, and Lulu exchanged a confused look with Ava as they poured milk into their cereal. Matty's leg was bouncing up and down nervously while he swirled his last few cheerios around in the milky dregs at the bottom of his bowl.
