Page 17 (2/2)

"Soested a new bar that has a battle of the bands tonight"

That did sound halfway entertaining, plus I could tease Levacki about his new girlfriend We grabbed souys’ apartames for a bit Several other of Josh’s tearill ht Usually I just did a day trip but this time, I asked Josh to find iveme, either," he warned I hopped up on the counter while Josh pulled a beer out of the refrigerator

I picked at the label of the bottle he handed et away from Central"

"What about this Noah kid?"

Oh, Lana She had apparently called Josh in a pree brother uy," I shredded the label with y bit at time The bits felt wet and cold in ross I shook the uy you wrote to for four years showed up on your doorstep out of the blue?" He sounded skeptical

"How do you know all of that?" I asked shocked

Josh threwlook "You are my sister We lived in the saed "You never asked me about it"

"It didn’t seem important at the tio to sae as you, I think he qualifies as a person of interest" Josh was getting his crio FBI if the football thing didn’t work out for him

"We’re just friends," I lied I wasn’t about to tell Josh anything until Noah and I had settled things between us Maybe it was part superstition, butfeelings for Noah, this lecture fro

"But Lana said--"

I held updeal I can’t iriht Okay Well, be careful Guys suck They only want one thing Lecture over"

Thank goodness I was right to keeprelationship with Noah private After Josh kicked everyone out, he and I piled into Levacki’s car and headed to the bar where the bands were playing Josh had handed me an ID "It’s an old ID froirl So reet to the door your name is ‘Sara’’"

"Can I keep this?"

Levacki shrugged from the driver’s seat "Why not? I’ll just say you lost it or so"

"Cool" My own fake wasn’t even a fake but a real license with a picture of a brunette who didn’t look htclub it could easily pass as legitio out

When we got to the club, the bouncer recognized Josh and waved us through without requiring us to pay cover or show our IDs Josh’s celebrity can be a hassle at tiot us a few nice perks Someone had even set up a roped-off area for the bands that were co, and a couple of tables were cleared off and set up for Josh, Nate, and the other players who caht off the dance floor I could tell that other girls ondering how I came to be with Josh and Nate Once they found out I was Josh’s sister, every ti me how pretty I was so that I could report back to Josh how nice they were I wanted to tell them that a) this hadn’t worked since I elve, and b) there was no way Josh would bring hoirl from the bar when I ith hiood exaossiped about guys and sex, because I had gotten an earful ever since he started h, knowing he would be mortified I certainly was

I allowed myself to drink heavily Josh and others were there with me, so I kneas safe The liquor desensitizedand carousing in ood ti a pole for a few girls He looked happy

Josh saw me off on Sunday "Be careful down there at Central Have you thought about joining the chess club? I bet those guys’d ood boyfriends"

I scrunched up my nose "They have sex in the chess club, too I hear it’s really crazy The winner sweeps the chess pieces off the table and then just takes their partner right there on the table"

Josh look horrified and partly intrigued and said, "No shit?"

I laughed at hio to State with you You’d have beenpool non-stop"

He didn’t even look asha out formy hair, he handed the backpack toon the front , he handed the driver soas, and we headed back to State

I tossed my phone back and forth between my hands, unable to sleep on the return trip I wondered whether I should text Noah and ould ain I wondered what I should wear I hadn’t ever bought sex underwear before, and I assu sex with Noah at soht made me faint orry and overly excited I needed to have a long talk with Lana Were there books I should read onsoed back and forth inthe whole trip home I was relieved e pulled up to my apartment

I thanked the two for the ride and asked, "Do you guys need ood Text us anytiuy responded I nodded and slid out the door It was time to do soh school, wecoach as old enough to buy beer and young and stupid enough to be willing to supply it to underage kids While there was a social hierarchy observed at the parties, it usually started with male student athlete rather than rich kid

I never played sports in high school, even though I had the build I didn’t have erous, which was enough reason forup a wall at these parties Friendship with Bo, as rich and did play football, didn’t hurt

As I leaned against one of the posts holding up the roof over our deck, I couldn’t help but be re Even though I lived here and hadwhere I was, I still fit poorly I was always just waiting for someone to kick me out