Page 85 of Dating and Dragons

My shoulders slump.

“—but you certainly seem happy doing it. It’s pretty funny watching your group fight monsters.”

“Yeah?” I shuffle my feet hesitantly. “You didn’t hate it?”

“Of course not,” Mom says. “How could we hate it when you love it so much?”

I glance back and forth between them as the tension drains from my body. “Um, well, thanks for watching. Though it’s kind of mortifying too.”

They smile and shoo me away. “Try not to tease Andrew too much when you pick him up!” Mom calls as I head out the door.

I spend the drive trying to imagine who this girl might be. I don’t know many people in Andrew’s year, so I doubt I’ll recognize her, but regardless of what my parents say, I’m totally teasing him on the way home. He doesn’t even like coffee. I bet he got the sweetest mocha whipped cream concoction they serve.

When I pull into the crowded parking lot at the coffee shop, my stomach does a flip-flop. I recognize one of the cars. But I push the suspicions from my head. There’s no way.

Absolutely zero way.

I jump out of my car and hurry to look in the cafe window.

Omigod, itisAndrew and Kashvi.

I gasp so loud that the harried middle-aged woman walking into the shop flinches as she passes me. The two of them are at a booth, each with a drink and a smile on their face. They aren’t holding hands or kissing, but the way they’re leaning over the table toward each other looks more than friendly.

Another customer walks in, but I stay in place staring at them like a stalker. How is this possible? Is Andrew actually on adatewith Kashvi right now? This is where she was this morning when I texted? The rational part of me says that I need to calm down and not jump to conclusions. Maybe his date fled after two words with him, and Kashvi happened to be here and came over to comfort him? Maybe Dad misunderstood and this isn’t a date, just a…weird, secret friendship hangout?

I step closer to the window. Oh no, he just laid his hand palm-up on the table. And—it’s like watching a train wreck—she’s putting her hand in his with a shy smile.

Knock, knock.

I lurch away from the window. The guy on the other side of the glass shakes his head and gives me a hard look. I wince with embarrassment. I practically had my face pressed into the glass. I’m such a creeper.

I march into the coffee shop, mindless and freaking out.

“Andrew?”

I stand at their booth, hands on hips, and wait for his reaction. Dimly, it occurs to me that I’m acting a bit like hedid when he found Logan and me in the kitchen, but this is totally different. This isKashvi.

Andrew’s face morphs into an almost comical horrified expression. “What are you doing here, Quinn?” he asks. “Did you tell her about us?” he asks Kashvi.

Kashvi’s eyes grow round. She looks busted.

“Mom sent me to pick you up.” I look between them. “Are you two…together?”

“I—”

“We—”

They both stop and stare at each other. “Maybe you should sit down.”

I don’t know who to sit next to, and I want to be able to see the expressions on both of their faces, so I pull an empty chair over to their booth. We all sit in silence for a few seconds, and then Andrew chuckles. “This is awkward.”

“I mean, I knew you liked her, but—”

“Quinn,”Andrew says sharply.

“You told her you liked me?” Kashvi asks in a soft voice.

Andrew’s neck is pink and blotchy. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out.”