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sending me photos of food,” Corey said.
    â€œFood?” asked Bryce. “What’s that mean?”
    â€œBeats me. She snaps photos of everything before she eats it. And she wants me to comment, but what’s there to say about a turkey sandwich?” Corey complained.
    â€œMaybe she’s hungry?” Bryce ventured.
    â€œThat’s another thing,” continued Corey. “At lunch, she never orders french fries. She says they’re unhealthy. But do you see who eats my french fries? It’s definitely not me! Lindsey takes fry after fry.”
    â€œYou’re supposed to share fries with your girlfriend, dude,” said Xander. “Don’t you know anything?’
    â€œI think she goes out with me just to nab my fries,” Corey said, a glint in his eye.
    â€œWell, that makes sense.” Ava smirked. “I can’t imagine what else she sees in you. It’s not your looks or your personality. Greasy potatoes, now that I understand.”
    â€œReal funny, Sackett.” Corey grabbed one of Xander’s rubber bands off the ground and flung it at her.
    â€œGirls get crazy about everything,” Bryce complained. “My sisters go nuts if you don’t go all out on their birthdays. It’s like they think they’re royalty or celebrities or something.”
    â€œOh, wow. When is Lindsey’s birthday?” Corey looked panicked.
    â€œBurn, man. You are in trouble!” Xander pumped his fist.
    â€œLook what she did for you for two months of going out. She’s going to expect her birthday to be epic,” Ava agreed.
    Corey hung his head. “Why do girls have to be like that, Sackett?”
    â€œYeah, why can’t they be chill like us?” Bryce waved his arm to indicate the four of them sprawled on their smelly laundry.
    And Ava couldn’t hold back her grin. She was no longer the lone girl on the football team. She was now one of the guys.

CHAPTER
FIVE
    â€œSay ‘Austin!’ ” Alex called during lunch on Wednesday. She framed the photo of Lindsey and Corey and clicked. “Let’s do a couple more. Corey, move in closer.”
    The shine of lip gloss highlighted Lindsey’s white teeth as she flashed an effortless smile. Her blond hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders. It was hard not to focus on her—she was so confidently pretty.
    Yet as she lined up the pictures on Lindsey’s phone, Alex found her own gaze stuck on Corey’s eyes. It wasn’t the bright blue color that reminded her of the ocean, but the flicker of uncertainty she saw there. His mouth was smiling, but hiseyes weren’t. Was he as self-conscious as she was in front of the camera? She always felt stiff, as if she were trying too hard.
    Alex shook her head. Why was she grouping herself with Corey? Corey and Lindsey were perfect. The perfect football player. The perfect cheerleader. The perfect couple.
    Rosa leaned on the cafeteria table and peered over Alex’s shoulder at the camera. “What’s with the cutesy photo shoot?”
    â€œYeah.” Corey stopped smiling. “Why are we doing this again?”
    Lindsey’s gaze flicked to Alex. Alex was ready for this question. “It’s for the yearbook,” Alex said.
    â€œCool!” Corey stuck out his tongue. “Take this one.”
    â€œWhat about me?” Logan protested. “Don’t I get to be in the yearbook?”
    â€œWho are you going out with?” Emily asked.
    â€œNo one. What’s that got to do with anything?” Logan demanded.
    â€œThe yearbook is doing a cutest couples page,” Alex explained, feeling a lump lodged in her throat as she spoke. She wasn’t even on the yearbook. Of course, no one questioned this part of the story that Lindsey had fabricated. Alexwas involved in everything else in the school, so why not the yearbook?
    Alex paused for a moment to consider this. Maybe she should join the