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her, so in a sense she is very popular. But she’s not the bragger popular. Kind of a secret popular.”
    Secret popular? I gave her a warning glare, “I know people I go to school with is all. And the baseball team, of course. I’m not on a popularity crusade.” Gads, I sounded like a geek.
    Michael smiled, his crooked smile, showing his beautiful straight white teeth.
    “You have perfect teeth. I kind of have a tooth thing.” Please Alex, please stop saying stupid things.
    I felt my phone vibrate and saw a text from Erica’s mom….
    Jennifer: I will be there to get you girls in 15 minutes. I am not dressed to come in and get you, so be watching.
    Michael leaned over, pretending to read my phone. “Was that Brad?” He asked.
    “Why would Brad be texting me?”
    “He told me the other day at the ball park to stay clear of you. That you two have an understanding.”
    “He said that?” I asked, “You have got to be kidding.”
    “Nope, I blew it off. I wanted to find out for myself. So, is there any truth to that?”
    “ None,” I said, wanting to instantly find Brad and tell him to leave me alone. “If anything, I avoid him every chance I get.”
    I looked out the window and saw Brad standing with the group of jocks. He saw me look and waved. Then I could see his face darken when he saw Michael beside me. I looked away. I wasn’t scared , but uneasy seeing him look that way at me.
    “It was Erica’s Mom. She will be here in 15 minutes to pick us up.”
    “And Erica is?” Michael asked.
    “She’s our friend. She was at the party the other night. If you see me, you usually see Erica. Her and Kaitlyn went to the ball park,” I said , while texting Erica to get back.
    “There are no games tonight,” Michael said, taking a bite of his hamburger.
    “I’m sure they are making out or doing something.”
    “Awe. Gotcha. So Abbie , tell me about Alex. Apparently she doesn’t want to brag about herself.”
    “Let me think,” she looked up. “Oh! She’s adopted. Just found out a few months ago.”
              “Really?” Michael looked at me sympathetically.
    “No interesting story there,” I said, not really wanting our first conversation to be about me being adopted.
              “She’s captain of the cheer squad. Pissed Hailey off like you wouldn’t believe.”
    “How’d you get that honor,” he asked, sounding interested.
    “I got the highest score at tryouts. It’s always been the rule that the highest score gets captain, but I think it is going to the school board. Hailey swears her score was higher and is really making it difficult on everyone on the squad. We can’t ever get anything accomplished because she has to announce me as Captain Cheater and then go into a long explanation about how she deserved it more. I was going to step down so it wouldn’t be such an ordeal, but my mom said for me to follow through and fight for what I earned.”
    “Smart mom.”
    “ It’s just not fair to the squad though. We waste at least thirty minutes a day listening to her.”
    “Hmmm,” he said, but I couldn’t tell if he was agreeing with me or just understood what I was saying.”
    “Anything else?” He asked, looking at Abbie .
    “She’s made straight A’s her entire life.”
    “So,” Michael interrupted, “I’m sitting next to a perfect girl, eh?”
    I was so embarrassed. “I’m not perfect.”
    “Well your looks are perfect and as far as I can tell your personality is perfect.”
    I started looking out the window, not knowing if he was teasing me or being sincere. He could tell I was uncomfortable.
    “Hey,” he smiled, “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just wanted to know more about you.”
    I looked in his eyes, the sparkle in them made me want to look at him forever.
    “Hey Alex, let’s go!!! I heard Erica yelling. “Jennifer’s here!”
    “You have to go?” Michael asked, sounding disappointed
    “Afraid so,” I shrugged.
    He