“He is an exception,” I say. My gaze hardens on my friend, who feels all too comfortable in my fake partner’s home.
“People don’t like me either,” Logan says in surprise, drawing my attention to him. “Especially classmates.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case,” I comment, not knowing how to deal with it.
“No, that’s exactly it,” Emily confirms, before popping a noodle into her mouth.
Just one. She eats one noodle at a time.
I look at Logan again, looking for an explanation.
“Nobody likes nerds.”
Now I understand the argument from earlier and his sideways glance.
“That’s not true.”
“You’re such a lawyer,” Mason says. I look at him. “You’re just spouting bullshit.”
“Hey, language,” Mr Yang warns, sitting down again.
“We like you,” Emily says with conviction, turning to Logan.
Her brother smiles at her.
“Besides, thanks to you, I never hand in blank assignments,” Mason adds, giving his brother an affectionate shove.
Logan adjusts his glasses on his nose, a little embarrassed.
“Rowan was a nerd too,” Paul says. “He still is, actually.”
“Really?” Logan looks at me.
I don’t like to talk about my past, and Paul knows that, but I think I’ll let it go in this case.
“Something like that,” I say vaguely.
“Thanks to him I always passed all the tests.”
“Does that mean you were a nerd who made others copy?” Logan asks.
“Just me,” Paul says proudly. “His best friend.”
I roll my eyes.
“You should know that Rowan and I have been friends for twenty-five years, no, what I say, twenty-seven. Right, Rowan?”
“Roughly, yes.”
“And have stayed friends all that time?” Logan asks, interested.
“It wasn’t easy to win his heart.” Paul continues to be an idiot, which is the only thing he does well. ‘But once you succeeded…”
“Are you done?” I scold him.
“No, don’t stop. Tell us,” Emily urges Paul.
“We want to know everything about him. After all, he’s our fake future foster dad, right?” Logan says.
