He was leaning against a wall across the way looking just as bored as I felt. Tall and dark-haired and sort of rumpled, but in a cute way, wearing faded jeans and a concert T-shirt. He was drumming on his knees and nodding rhythmically as if hearing music in his head—a musician, maybe?
I felt a weird little rush. Like all the blood in my entire body suddenly decided it needed to be somewhere else in my body. And then there was my head. There was some pinging going on up there. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Just … pinging.
“Check it out,” I whispered, more to myself than to Britt, as my gaze wandered back to the T-shirt. I’d recognized the logo right away. “He must be into Maybe There Is a Beast.”
Britt followed my gaze. “The Beast? They’re, like, your favorite local band ever!” she hissed. “You should totally go talk to him!”
She had that excited glint in her eye that meant she was getting revved up about this already. I had to reel her in before she did something embarrassing. Embarrassing for me, not her, obviously. But for a second I couldn’t say anything. I was still feeling that weird rushing and pinging. It was kind of distracting. Could these be the sparks Britt was always talking about?
A sharp poke in the ribs brought me out of my stupor. “Go over and talk to him!” Britt urged in a stage whisper so loud I was pretty sure they could hear it on Jupiter even without the help of any of the scientific space gizmos currently surrounding us.
The guy was still drumming on his knees, seemingly oblivious to everything around him. He still looked bored, but in a content, accepting way, as if he didn’t really mind that much and was happy just standing there keeping the beat with the music in his head.
I stared at him, for a second wishing I could do it. Wishing I were a little more like Britt. What would be the harm in going over and saying hi?
And then what? my brain demanded in a panic, pinging away more furiously than ever. You say hi, he says, “Do I know you?” You mumble something about the band. He stares at you like you have two heads. Then his girlfriend comes over and demands to know who you are and what you’re doing. You melt into a puddle of humiliation on the floor… .
“I—I can’t,” I stammered. Ms. Worst-Case Scenario strikes again. “I—I wouldn’t know what to say. I—”
At that moment a bunch of students poured out of a nearby doorway, completely blocking my view of Mr. Cute Maybe-Musician. By the time the crowd cleared, there was no sign of him.
I couldn’t help feeling a rush of both relief and disappointment. What was that?
“I can’t believe you chickened out.” Britt glared at me in disapproval, pursing her freshly-slicked lips. “He was just your type! I mean, how many guys could actually appreciate that wacked-out band like you do?”
“Yeah, good point,” I agreed weakly. “MTIAB isn’t for everyone.”
“He was probably your soul mate,” Britt said. “And now you’ll never know. Why don’t you ever listen to me?”
There was more, but I wasn’t really listening. I knew it all by heart anyway. Plus, my mind was taken up by more important matters. Like figuring out why in the world I’d reacted that way to some random guy I’d never seen before in my life.
Maybe Britt was rubbing off on me at last. Because for the next hour or two I kept catching myself looking for that guy. Every time we gathered for a lecture with one of the other schools; every time we headed back out into the main part of the museum. But there was no sign of him.
“What are you doing?” Britt asked as we stepped into the museum’s food-court-style restaurant. We had a half-hour break before the final two events of the day, another lecture and then some kind of planetarium show. Britt and I had decided to revive ourselves with a little caffeine and sugar.
I realized I was doing it again. Scanning the faces of everyone in the restaurant, looking for that guy.
“Um, I’m just looking for, um, Kris and Vivi?” I blurted out guiltily. “I figured if they’re here, we could sit with them.”
Britt narrowed her eyes, peering into my face. “No way,” she said. “I can’t believe it!”
“Can’t believe what? That Kris would eat anywhere that wasn’t one hundred percent organic-certified?” I joked weakly.
“No. That you’re actually still thinking about that guy!” She threw her arms around me, bringing surprised looks from everyone within a twenty yard radius. “My baby’s finally growing up!”
“No, I’m not. You’re crazy.” I yanked away from her. Then I sighed. I can’t lie to Britt. She always sees through me. “Okay, so what if I am still thinking about him? I just want to ask him where he got that shirt.”
She looked delighted. “See? That’s your perfect opening line!” she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and shaking it so hard I almost dropped my purse. “I mean, okay, it’s maybe not what I’d say, but this is you we’re talking about. You’ll probably do great with that straightforward, nice-girl stuff.”
We had to stop talking then as we placed our food orders. I just got a soda. Britt ordered fries as well. When we picked them up, they looked pale and greasy.
“Ew. How can you eat that junk?” I asked.
She popped one of the fries in her mouth as we stepped out into the dining area. “We can’t all be raised on some crazy international smorgasbord like—”
“Hey! It’s beautiful Britt from Potomac Punk!” a voice yelled, interrupting her.
It was one of Britt’s new true loves. Not Trent the Greenleaf Guy; this was one she’d met earlier in the day. He was a little scary—tall and skinny with spiky blond hair, several eyebrow piercings, and a crazy look in his ice-blue eyes. But Britt just thought all that made him look extra hot, like one of the nutty guys from an MTV reality show. She has wide-ranging and sometimes exotic tastes in men, if not in food.
“Tommo!” Britt called back, waving a French fry at him. “Come on, let’s go sit with them,” she said to me.
We wound our way toward where Tommo was sitting with some friends from his own school, Grove High. By the time we got there, he’d already dragged an extra chair over for Britt. When he saw me coming behind her, he blinked.
“Oh,” he said. “Uh, it’s Linda, right?”
“Lauren,” I corrected. I was used to that. When you travel in Britt’s orbit, you get used to being nothing more than a boring, somewhat obsolete little satellite. See? At least I’d picked up some lingo during this trip!
“Okay,” Tommo mumbled, glancing around for another free chair. There wasn’t one anywhere nearby—the place was pretty crowded, mostly with other high schoolers from our huge group. So Tommo stepped over to some skinny kid with glasses at the next table and poked him on the shoulder. “Bro,” he said. “You’re almost done, right?”
The kid took one look at him and jumped to his feet. “Um, okay?” he said. Gathering up his half-eaten food, he quickly scooted out of the way as Tommo swung the chair up over his head and set it down in front of me with a flourish.
“There you go, sweetheart,” he said, his ice-blue eyes with the undercurrent of crazy meeting mine for a split second before skittering away. He straddled his own chair beside Britt’s and leaned closer to her. “So did ya miss me?”
We spent the next few minutes listening to Tommo and his friends show off for Britt. Well, at least Britt was probably listening. I was focusing on my soda and also doing my best to scan the room for a certain guy in a certain T-shirt. Not that I cared that much. I was just curious to see whether that whole pinging thing would happen again if I did see him. Call it scientific curiosity.
I hadn’t spotted him by the time an announcement came on in the restaurant ordering Potomac Point and East Elm students back to the atrium for our final seminar of the day. Britt and I stood up.
“Don’t go!” Tommo wailed, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into his lap. “Just blow it off. What are they gonna do?”
Britt giggled, pushing herself back to her feet. “We have to go. Lauren loves all this science stuff—right, babe?”
“Yeah, right,” I muttered. “Come on, let’s book.”
“At least say you’ll come to that party next weekend,” Tommo said, still not letting go of Britt’s arm.
Britt shrugged. “I’ll text and let you know,” she said, finally yanking free of him. “Or maybe message you on Facebook. Don’t forget to friend me back!”
With that we hurried out of the restaurant, joining the stream of our fellow Potomac Pointers flowing back into the main hall. A few minutes later we were all crowded into a smaller room off the back. A teacher from one of the other schools was in charge of us this time. She was a drill-sergeant type with short, no-nonsense hair but a surprisingly fashion-forward belted dress and Gucci glasses.
“Girls with long hair, please tie it back for safety around the machinery,” she told us crisply, her sharp gray eyes darting around to pick out those of us with hair falling past our earlobes.
A kid from my English class named Jared raised his hand. “Dude, what about guys with long hair?” he called out, running his other hand through his greasy, dark blond locks.
There were a few snickers. The teacher peered at him over the tops of her glasses. “Guys with long hair should tie it back too,” she said. “When you’re all ready, we’ll proceed….”
I reached into my purse for a rubber band. Working quickly, I pulled my thick hair back, twisting it into a bun with a practiced hand. When you have as much hair as I do, you learn how to keep it under control with a minimum of fuss. It’s a vital skill for those embarrassing high-frizz days.
The teacher went on to explain that we would all be sitting in some kind of cockpit and learning about all the doodads inside. We were supposed to pair up and wait our turns.
Britt and I took our place in line. We found ourselves standing behind some couple we didn’t know who immediately started making out, complete with loud and fairly disgusting slurping noises, and in front of a pair of exchange students who were chattering to each other in Russian.
“So what do you think of Tommo?” Britt asked. “Think we should hit up that party next weekend?”
“I don’t know. He seems kind of cracked out, even for you.”
“I know.” She giggled. “Isn’t he cool? Hey, maybe if we can track down that dream man of yours—”
“You mean the guy with the T-shirt? I wouldn’t call him my dream man. I just thought it was cool that he likes the Beast, that’s all.”
“Whatever. If we can find him, maybe you can invite him to that party. Wouldn’t that be a great opening line?”
“For you, maybe,” I said. “But can you really picture me pulling it off? Besides, I’m starting to think maybe he wasn’t even with our group. He might’ve just been some random tourist who stopped in here to use the bathroom or something.”
Britt looked alarmed. “I hope not,” she said. “You said you never get sparks, but you totally did with him—admit it!”
“I just thought he was cute. Since when is that an admission of true love, let alone this mythical love at first sight? I mean, let’s be realistic here—”
“Oh, please.” Britt rolled her eyes so hard I was afraid they were going to pop out of her head, like my neighbor’s pug dog’s had once when I was a kid. “That’s so like you. You totally use being a realist to keep from being real.”
“That’s deep. Did you read it in a fortune cookie?”
“You know I hate Chinese food.” Britt swung her purse, almost hitting the madly Frenching couple. “But stop changing the subject. I just want to know one thing. If we do see that guy again, are you going to do anything about it?”
I stopped to think about that. As soon as I pictured him, my brain started pinging again. Uh-oh.
“Let’s worry about that if it happens,” I said firmly. “But listen, back to this party …”
Our cockpit experience was just finishing up when we got the announcement to head into the planetarium for our big finale. The day was almost over. Finally.
All the schools were coming together for this show, which meant the place was packed. Britt and I filed in and looked around for seats. We saw a group of our friends goofing around near the back, but just as we headed that way, some kids from another school hurried over and took all the remaining seats in their row.
“Come on.” Britt grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the front. “There are some spots up here.”
“If we can’t find seats, maybe we’ll have to head back to the bus early,” I said hopefully.
But Britt was making a beeline for the seats she’d spotted. We snagged the last two in the middle of the second row. A few other people hadn’t found a spot yet and were milling around up near the edge of the room. I glanced at them, mostly just checking to see if any of our friends were up there.
Then I froze. I didn’t see any of my friends. But I did see someone else I recognized.
“It’s him!” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Britt had been digging around in her purse, probably planning to check BBB for new messages now that she was safely out of teacher view. But at my words she sat up straight and spun around like some kind of boy-seeking missile.
“Who? You mean him him?” she hissed eagerly. Following my gaze, she spotted him too and let out a gasp. “OMG, it is him! You’ve got to go over there, Lauren!”
“What? No! Are you kidding?” I was feeling flustered. Even though I’d been looking for the guy in the MTIAB T-shirt all afternoon, I guess I’d sort of given up on actually finding him. Maybe even started to assume that he was some kind of mirage brought on by too much boredom.
But now here he was again, just a dozen yards away from where I was sitting. He was talking to a couple of other guys, chatting with them and laughing at whatever they were saying. He looked even cuter when he smiled; it lit up his whole face and made him look so friendly and interesting that I could hardly stand it.
As I watched, the other guys bumped fists with The Guy and then wandered away. That left him standing there by himself. He leaned back against the wall, one hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans, not seeming in any particular hurry to find a seat. I couldn’t help admiring his cool. If it had been me standing there all alone, I would have felt totally self-conscious. But it didn’t seem to bother him at all.
“What are you waiting for?” Britt gave me a shove. “Hurry—the show’s going to start soon!”
I hesitated. Once again I found myself wishing for some of Britt’s natural confidence. Maybe then I’d be able to take advantage of the second chance that had just fallen into my lap… .
Beside me Britt was practically vibrating with impatience. “Are you going to do it, or do I have to go play matchmaker for you?” she demanded. “Because I’ll totally do it!” She brightened. “Actually, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. I mean, you are new to this. What could I say, though? I guess I could go with the truth—just walk over and say, ‘Hey, my friend over there thinks you’re sexy, but she’s too shy to tell you.’” She considered that for a split second, then shook her head. “Nah, too boring. Maybe I could pretend it was all my idea to set you two up because of the band thing. Or I know—I could just invite him to sit over here, since it looks like he doesn’t have a seat, and then just casually mention that you happen to be single—”
“No thank you!” I cut her off before she could go on. “If I want to be totally humiliated, I can do it myself.”
“So do it then.” She gave me another little push. “Hurry! This could be your last chance.”
I shot the guy another look. Still standing there. Still looking cool. Too cool for me?
For a second I was ready to chicken out as usual. After all, what were the odds that things would work out even if I did go over there? How likely was it that I wouldn’t trip over my tongue, he wouldn’t think I was pushy for coming over, it wouldn’t turn out that he’d borrowed that T-shirt from a friend and we actually had nothing in common … ?
I was ready to let it go, to give up. But as I stared at him, I felt that weird pinging sensation start up again. Sparks?
“Go on,” Britt urged. “Take a chance, for once.”
That was all it was, I reminded myself. Taking a chance. Giving it a try. If it didn’t work and I ended up embarrassed? Britt was right. I’d never have to see the guy again. And if it did work? Well, I wasn’t sure. But maybe it was worth finding out?
“Okay,” I blurted out before I could overthink it any more. “I guess I will go over and say hi.”
I stood up, ignoring both Britt’s shocked and delighted expression and my own rising panic. Now all I had to do was get over there, which wasn’t going to be quite as easy as it sounds. The seats on either side of us were all filled. I decided to scoot out the left side of the row, even though the guy was off to the right. There were only a few seats to the left and like a dozen or more the other way.
I climbed over Britt, then the blond girl sitting next to her. Blondie shot me an annoyed look as I stepped on her foot.
“Excuse me,” I mumbled. I kept my gaze focused on the girl in the next seat, hoping to get past without maiming her, too. “I just need to—”
At that moment the lights cut out. The place was pitch-black. Hoots and hollers and giggles rose from all around the planetarium. I could only imagine the groping and pinching and related mischief that had to be going on under the cover of the sudden darkness.
I froze as an announcement came on that the show was about to start. Something about the Big Bang and the birth of the universe. Now what was I supposed to do?
It was tempting to take this as a sign to give up. But when the girl I was standing over gave me a shove and muttered something impatient under her breath, I shook off the feeling. It was too late to turn back now.
I kept going, pushing past the second girl’s legs. How many more seats were left in the row? One? Two? I couldn’t quite remember. Being in the dark that way was totally disorienting, sort of like swimming with your eyes closed.
“Excuse me,” I whispered, feeling around for the next seat back. Instead I felt my hand close over an arm. A thick, hairy arm.
“Hey, honey,” a male voice said. “Looking for a seat? There’s one right here on my lap.”
Ew! I shook off his pawing hands, shoving my way past him as quickly as I could manage. Grabbing for the next seat, I almost did a nosedive as I hit only empty air. Whew! I was out of the row.
Now all I had to do was find my way around the front to that guy. There were tiny running lights marking the aisles, but they weren’t much help with anything more than an inch off the floor. So I just turned and walked blindly in the direction I’d last seen Mr. T-shirt. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do when I got there. Maybe just cling to the wall and wait for the end of the show to approach him.
I walked on as carefully as I could in what I hoped was the right direction. One foot in front of the other …
A sudden explosion of sound and light caught me by surprise. It was as if the entire roof of the planetarium had just blown off in some huge explosion. I gasped and leaped forward in a panic. My foot caught an uneven spot on the floor and I tripped, flying forward.
“Oof!”
I felt myself hit something. Or rather some one. A pair of strong arms caught me just in time to stop me from hurtling us both right into the wall.
“Sorry!” I gasped, looking up just as another burst of light went off overhead.
My eyes widened. Standing there, his face only inches from mine, was The Guy!