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to make me wish I had some excuse to leave the cafeteria.
    â€œSo, I was reading last night,” Kristen begins, and my head shoots up, eyes wide. She’s totally winging it and that never goes well for her. I do the only thing I know to save her from herself. I guess it’s true what they say: old habits die hard.
    â€œDid you pick up the new Cosmo ?”
    She stops cold and glares at me. “Very funny.”
    Rock looks at Kristen with obvious interest. “What were you reading?”
    â€œWell, I have a list of books I want to read before I die and, trust me, that list is long. Really long.”
    I close my eyes, cringing inside. The only list Kristen’s ever made was when she inventoried her shoe collection by designer. And a book list? Please .
    â€œImpressive,” Rock says, grinning.
    What’s impressive is Kristen’s ease when she’s lying about something so foreign to her. I mean, she might as well have made a list of the top ten economically impoverished countries in the world.
    â€œSo what book was it?” Rock asks again.
    â€œ David Copperfield ,” she says, a proud grin spread across her beautiful face.
    â€œCharles Dickens at his best,” Rock says appreciatively. I can tell by the look on his face he thinks he’s hit pay dirt with Kristen. Beauty and brains don’t often come together so seamlessly. If what she was saying were true, he’d be right. Honestly, Kristen is smarter than me in lots of ways. I don’t know another human being who can mentally calculate the price of a clearance item that’s been marked down eight times. But when it comes to academics, she’s more of a do-what-it-takes-to-get-by kind of girl.
    â€œIt was the first book on my list. I mean, who doesn’t love magic?” she asks proudly.
    Oh no. No, no, no. I shake my head at her as discreetly as possible.
    Rock stares at her, sandwich in hand. “Come again?”
    I fix my eyes on Kristen, but she stubbornly ignores me by giving Rock her undivided attention. Fine, I think. Let her hang herself.
    â€œWell, you have to agree that David Copperfield is one of the most talented magicians in America. Right?” Kristen asks, eyes finally darting my direction. When she sees the look on my face, she realizes she’s made a mammoth mistake.
    Shaking his head, Rock laughs. “Girl, you’re funny. Seriously funny.”
    She laughs nervously, looking at me with panicky eyes before turning her baby blues back on Rock. “Gotcha,” she exclaims, and grabs his arm playfully.
    Without hesitating, I jump in to save her. Talk about selfless love. “Kristen’s always been interested in Charles Dickens and since David Copperfield is considered his most autobiographical novel, it makes sense she’d choose that book first.”
    â€œExactly,” Kristen says with a whoosh of relief. “What better way to get in old Charlie’s head than to read David Copperfield ?”
    Rock smiles at me and then back at Kristen. “You’re full of surprises, Kristen.”
    A wide, self-satisfied smile spreads across her face.
    Like she didn’t just nearly destroy her chances with Rock.
    Like I hadn’t just saved her from herself. Again.
    Watching Rock eye Kristen like a starving man staring down a juicy steak is enough to make me lose my appetite.
    This is going to be the longest year of my life.

    â€œIf I hadn’t been there, you’d have been sunk,” I say to Kristen from the passenger seat on the way home.
    â€œI’ve already asked you to help me,” she says with her signature sarcasm.
    â€œI never said I would.”
    Kristen casts me a sideways glance, skepticism contorting her striking face. “Do you like him?” she asks.
    â€œWho? R-Rock?” I stutter, keeping my eyes glued straight ahead and praying she doesn’t notice the flush spreading up my neck. “No way. He’s all