Page 33 of The Beta Test

“Earth to Avery!” Jenna calls out. The girls around us giggle, apparently at my expense. Maybe they’ve been trying to get my attention for a while.

I tear my eyes away from Analiese and meet Jenna’s quizzical gaze. “Yes?”

“We asked if you’re coming to our game this Saturday. It’s the last one before Thanksgiving and we’re going to a movie after. You in?”

Jenna, Amanda, and the other girls in Jenna’s inner circle look at me expectantly, all with eager and friendly expressions. They seem genuinely happy at the idea of the outing and my participation in it. The levity of their conversation clashes with the worldview crisis my mind is struggling to navigate. I notice my hand is holding my sandwich mid-air. When did I even get it out?

After putting my sandwich back in my bag, I refocus on their question. In the past, I’d never made a huge effort to get closer to Jenna’s volleyball friends, but it’s not because they’ve excluded me. It never felt necessary—I had Braden.

Another pang of guilt washes through me—here’s a group of girls offering friendship so easily, while Analiese has been stuck on the outskirts for years. My inner devil’s advocate points out that maybe she’d be more accepted if she were more pleasant and didn’t do things like burn people’s science fair projects.

Jenna elbows me, reminding me that I’m still sitting there blandly instead of answering the question. After a quick mental calendar check, I decide I’m free for the outing.

“Sounds fun! I’m in,” I say with manufactured enthusiasm. I do want to go and support Jenna, but I’m struggling to move past whatever-this-is with Analiese.

Everyone smiles approvingly and the chatter picks up, leaving me to brood in my thoughts once again. My head immediately swivels back in Analiese’s direction, but she’s already gone.

“Hey, baby.”

Braden’s voice causes goosebumps to erupt on my arms. Even though I’ve been so mad at him recently, his effect on me is undeniable. I still love him. All my worries about Analiese from earlier in the day seem like a distant memory already.

My phone is locked in a death grip, like that can keep him on the line. My hand cramps. I force myself to relax.

“Brae, I’ve missed you so much! I’m so glad we caught each other.”

A voice in my head starts tallying all the times he’s ditched the schedule I made. I shut it down. He’s here now! This is our turn for the better. I can feel it. “Are you sure we can’t FaceTime instead so I can see your beautiful face?”

He chuckles at my enthusiasm. “I missed you too, Av. But I can’t. My camera isn’t working because I dropped my phone. Anyway, tell me how things are going—like that swim class you mentioned in a text. You seemed excited about it before.”

I was excited about it before. I think back on my naive self from a couple of months ago. The class was my opportunity to prove myself ready to be selected as swim captain, which could still happen, but now the entire experience has been overshadowed by my interactions with Analiese. She is, after all, my main rival for the captaincy, and I wasn’t expecting her to be in the class at all. It was supposed to be an Analiese-free experience and an opportunity to put in face time with Coach Kim.

Braden knows Analiese, and the idea of telling him her private business makes guilt prickle under my skin. I keep it vague. Old Avery wouldn’t have hesitated for even a moment to share everything with him.

“It’s going great! There are some freshmen and sophomores in the class preparing for swim season, and I also helped a couple of athletes who’d twisted their ankles. I think Coach Kim is happy with how the class is going.”

“Of course she is. How could she not? I’m positive you’ll be captain this year, and you’ll be the best captain ever.”

I beam as bright as the sun. Too bad Braden can’t see it. “No one could ever top the captain we had last year! He was handsome and had the school record for the 100 butterfly.”

He laughs loudly. “I’m sure my record will be beaten this year. There were some juniors who were very close to it.”

I scoff, but he launches another question at me before I can respond.

“And calculus? Did you find a good study buddy? I know you were a little stressed about that class.”

Is he going to admit he saw the Instagram post? A part of me wants to try to get him to say it.

“Um, it was off to a rocky start, but it’s much better now.”

I can tell he’s waiting to see if I’ll elaborate. There’s a long pause then a shuffling sound like he’s repositioning himself on a couch. It better not be Tricia’s couch.

If I get evasive, he’ll crack. He knows me as well as I know him, and normally I talk his ear off until he has to cut me off—lovingly, of course. But Braden can be possessive, and that Instagram post is probably living rent-free in his head right now.

“Remember all those afternoons I’d come to your house, or you’d come to mine and we’d do homework together?” He chuckles, then continues. “Doing geometry proofs together and eating so many snacks.”

“This conversation is making me think about M&Ms,” I joke.

“Yeah! I’m pretty sure those accounted for half of my meals sometimes.”