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don’t you start packing for Ireland just yet!”

C HAPTER 5

    pleanal (plenn-UHL): advance planning; scheming

    Now it was Rigel’s turn to tell me not to listen to Trina, that she was just jealous, but I was uneasy. I’d had way too much experience with Trina’s vindictiveness from second grade on and knew what lengths she’d go to pay off a grudge. She’d already been pissed at me about Rigel and Sean, both of whom she’d decided she had first dibs on. Now this. At least I only had to keep my guard up for a couple more weeks.  
    At lunch, Rigel got mobbed by cheerleaders while Trina waylaid Sean again. This time I focused, so I could hear what she said.
    “Hey, Sean, congratulations on that scholarship. I guess you guys found out about it because of being from Ireland, huh? I so would have applied if you’d told me, I’ve always wanted to go there!”
    From several yards away, I snorted to myself. Trina had already spent a summer in Paris and at least two winter breaks in the Bahamas, as she told anyone who’d listen. Must be nice to have rich, doting parents.
    “So how come just you four knew about this thing?” Her voice was still syrupy sweet.
    “Um, well, our folks are friends with the Stuarts, so I guess my mum mentioned it to them. And M is my girlfriend, so of course I told her.”
    I stiffened, even though I’d heard him use the word before. (I’d definitely never used the word boyfriend to refer to Sean!) Trina obviously didn’t like it, either.
    “So you two really are official now, huh?” The honey had disappeared. “When did that happen?”  
    “It’s been kind of gradual, I guess, ever since the winter formal.”
    Trina made a rude little “tch” noise. “When are you going to wise up, Sean? Everyone else knows her whole innocent girl-next-door thing is just an act.”
    “What do you—? No, never mind.”  
    Sean walked away from her then, but still looked upset when he sat down beside me a second later. He dumped ketchup on his fries, then frowned at me. “There’s nothing everybody else knows about you that I don’t, right?” His bright blue eyes bored searchingly into mine and I met his gaze steadily.
    “Of course not. You need to ignore Trina, Sean. She’s just trying to make trouble for me, like always.”
    Rigel reached the table before he could respond, sitting down with a thump. I jumped a little, thinking he’d seen that look between Sean and me. “Sheesh! I didn’t think I was going to get away from them in time to eat lunch.”
    I forced myself to laugh. “You can’t really blame them for trying, Rigel. I mean, you are the quarterback and super popular, and, um, single these days.” Not to mention the best looking guy in the school, by a couple orders of magnitude, I added.
    He grinned, though I knew it was at my silent comment and not the word “single.” I hoped.  
    “So I’m the best catch in school, is that what you’re saying?” And no, I was not smiling about being single. I’d change that in a heartbeat if I was allowed to, you know that!
    I only replied to what he’d said aloud. “You think I’ll puff up your ego any more by admitting that?” Though of course it was true. He had to know it as well as I did.
    Bri was distracted from her latest gossip session about Matt by the scent of something potentially juicier. “So, Rigel, who do you have your eye on these days? I know Hailey Wallace was really hoping you’d ask her to the Valentine’s dance, but then you didn’t go at all. And Amber says you’ve been talking to her kind of a lot these days…”
    Rigel shot me a quick glance. “Nobody special right now, but who knows?”
    Of course, that got Bri pumping him even harder for hints, which she did often now she’d regretfully decided Rigel and I weren’t getting back together.  
    I tried not to listen as Rigel gave a mostly flattering assessment of the various girls Bri suggested. Even though I knew he was just toying with Bri