Page 31 of Never Not Friends

I really, really do.

There’s a guest lanyard from the front office hanging around his neck, but still, I’m confused. He’s only been to my school once over the years, and that was with Juliet. “What are you doing here?”

He points over his shoulder. “I have a delivery.”

Oh. The chair.

Kimmie raises her hand, not waiting for me to call on her before speaking. “Are you Miss Lawson’s boyfriend?”

“No!” I probably didn’t have to answer so aggressively, but the record must be set straight. Vinny Brooks is not my boyfriend. “This is my friend, Vinny. He’s marrying my other friend, Juliet. He’s just here to bring me a new desk chair.”

“Sorry to interrupt.” He waves back at my class so innocently. “I just had to say something about that super-awesome song Miss Lawson taught you. Isn’t she the best teacher in the world?”

I know they’re just words, but it feels like more than that to my heart. Because I know Vinny always means what he says.

Out the window, the other second graders run to the playground. My eyes glance to the clock. “Oh, it’s time for recess. You can go outside now.”

The students don’t spare us another second. They hop to their feet and rush out the side door to the back of the school.

“Do you need to go out and watch them?”

“Um”—I see Avery and the other teachers out there—“no, it’s fine.”

“Good.” He holds his smile on me for a few seconds before slowly walking around my classroom. “I love what you’ve done here.”

“You love the alphabet?”

“It’s not the alphabet. It’s you. The bright colors. The fun decorations. It’s Emma-coded.”

This makes me smile big. “You stole my line.”

“It was a good one.” His eyes meet mine again. “But seriously, this is all so…wholesome.”

“Wholesome?”

“Yeah.” He shrugs. “Like you.”

My heart sinks.

No girl wants to be known as wholesome by the guy she desperately loves.

It’s like sweet-spirit and endearing.

But those are the adjectives others constantly use to describe me.

I’m on the same level as a nun or Mother Teresa.

Great.

I’m Vinny’s Mother Teresa. Such a saint!

“Too bad you just had recess. If it were lunchtime, we could grab some cafeteria food.”

Like a date?

Vinny and I have never been on a date before.

We were too young when we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and any other time when we could’ve, he’d either been away at college or been with Juliet.