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At school, she easily avoided Zach—they hardly moved in the same social circles—but there was no way to avoid Mia Their lives were too braided together After the last bell, Mia walked Lexi to work

All the way don, Lexi kept a smile on her face as she listened to Mia’s dance play-by-play Again But the word liar screah her mind over and over, and every time she looked at her best friend, she felt sick to her stomach

“We made out Did I tell you that?” Mia said

“Only about a million times ” Lexi stopped in front of Amoré, where a sweet, vanilla-scented air enveloped theo inside, but instead she paused “What was it like?”

“At first I thought his tongue was kinda slippery and gross, but I got used to it ”

“Did you cry?”

“Cry?” Mia looked confused, then nervous “Should I have cried?”

Lexi shrugged “What do I know about kissing?”

Mia frowned at Lexi “You’re acting weird Did so happen at the dance?”

“Wh-what could have happened?”

“I don’t know So with Zach, maybe?”

Lexi hated herself; she wanted to tell the truth, but the thought of losing Mia’s friendship terrified her And ould be the point, really? It had just been a single kiss, not the start of anything “No, of course not I’’s fine ”

“Okay,” Mia said, believing her And that just made Lexi feel worse “Later ”

Lexi walked into the ice crealass and chrome ice cream counter and a small area that contained a few tables and chairs In the war busy, but now, in mid-October, business was pretty slow

Her boss, Mrs Solter, was standing at the register when Lexi walked in A bell tinkled over the door at her entrance