Page 90 of Fall Fake-Out

“The what?”

“Beets. You know, the rooted vegetable?”

“I know what beets are.”

“The salad.” She gestures helplessly. “The beet salad I ate earlier with Liv and Reese. I guess when you eat beets, it can change the color of things. Private things.”

I stare at her.

Then stare some more.

Slowly, realization dawns.

She’s going to be okay. She’s totally fine, actually.

Relief pours over me hard, and without thinking, I pull her into a hug. She freezes, but I don’t let go immediately.

“I was so worried.”

Her voice comes out muffled against my shoulder. “You were worried?”

“Of course I was. You had me thinking you were dying.”

“Google was very convincing.”

I laugh.

Actually laugh.

The tension drains out of me all at once, and I release her, gesturing wildly around the clinic. “So you’re telling me the panic. The emergency. The dramatic texts.”

“Listen—”

“Were all because you got taken down by a vegetable?”

She presses her lips together. “I didn’t know. I’ve never eaten beets before.”

“I’m so glad that you beet the odds.”

She rolls her eyes, not giving me the satisfaction of a smile.

“Like, you really march to the beet of your own drum, don’t you?”

“Don’t.” She shakes her head, but it’s no use.

A smile loosens over her lips, and we both break into unhinged laughter. I buckle over enough that I have to sit. We laugh so hard that neither of us talks for over a minute.

I’m positive everyone in the waiting room thinks we’re crazy.

Ari sits up, holding her hand against her stomach. “Oh my gosh, this is the second time this weekend you’ve made me laugh so hard my stomach hurts.”

“I think you did this one all on your own.”

“I owe you.” She sits taller, smoothing her hair.

“Go on.” I grin.

“Just tell me what you want from me in order to keep this a secret from everyone I know.”