The Secret Recipe for Moving On by Karen Bischer (ebook reader for manga txt) 📕

I probably shuffle just as slowly to the table that’s piled with paper towels, bleach, and laundry detergent … where Jared is already standing. We’re joined by Hannah, who hasn’t said two words to me since Hunter dumped me. I inhale deeply and close my eyes, and when I open them, I see that Luke has landed himself with a girl from Jersey Strong and two girls from the Bakers, and they’re already laughing about something.

“Of course,” I mutter to myself, trying to ignore the twinge in my stomach.

On our table, there’s a clipboard with a chart on it, which we have to fill in with the products we have. It seems like it’ll be a good distraction, so I grab it. We work silently for a few minutes, until Jared seemingly gets bored and leans on the table, resting his chin on his hand. Then he grins devilishly, his eyes flitting between Hunter and me. “Is this weird for you guys, working together?”

“No, is it weird for you?” Hunter says with an amount of sarcasm I didn’t know he had in him.

“Oh, right, you guys were simpatico at the party,” Jared says, tossing a roll of paper towels like a football. “Although I think that might be because someone has moved on.”

I feel my cheeks flush and I hope the alarm I feel in my gut doesn’t register in my eyes. I just glare at him, maddeningly unable to come up with anything to say.

Thankfully, Mrs. Sanchez leaves two boxes next to our table and we can start packing things into them.

I notice that Brynn is bossing her group around, clipboard in hand, pen over her ear. I can hear her condescendingly explaining why she should be in charge of the chart. I lock eyes with A.J., who gestures like he’s strangling himself, which gets me to chuckle. But I can’t even hear myself over the loud peals of laughter coming from the canned goods table. Luke is pretending a box is so heavy that he can’t lift it, delighting his female partners. I exhale through my nose slowly.

“What’s the matter, Ellie? Missing certain family members?” Jared asks and sticks out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout.

“Do you, like, even have a life outside of trying to start shit?” Hannah says, narrowing her eyes at Jared, surprising me.

But he’s still staring at me.

“Jared, I don’t know what your problem—”

“And how’s it going here?” Mrs. Sanchez says before I can finish.

“Fantastic!” Jared says.

“Looks like you’ve got a full box already. Ms. Chow and Mr. Curtis, why don’t you follow me and I’ll get you situated with some packing tape and labels,” Mrs. Sanchez says, waving them toward the front of the room.

“Can we tape Jared’s mouth shut, too?” I mutter before I can stop myself, which makes Hunter snort so loud that he clamps a hand over his mouth.

“He’s such a dick,” Hunter says.

“The biggest,” I say.

There’s another burst of laughter then from Luke’s table—they’re all doubled over, giggling about something. Like, who knew canned goods could be so hilarious?

“So, have you gotten your Penn State application in?” Hunter asks as he piles paper towels into another box.

“Last week,” I say, grateful for the distraction. “What about you?”

I could be imagining it, but Hunter shifts uncomfortably. He bites his lip and nods. “Princeton, of course. And a couple of other safety schools.”

He must be worried he’s not going to get accepted to Princeton, and that his family will kill him if he ruins the family legacy and doesn’t get in. It’s the only thing that would explain that look on his face. But, since I’m not his girlfriend anymore, it’s not my business to ask, so I don’t say anything.

“I noticed you were late to class yesterday—was that something to do with your other applications? Because I know Ellie Agresti doesn’t cut class.”

A flicker of annoyance burns through me. We aren’t close anymore, and yet he’s under the impression that he knows me so well. Even if he is kinda right in this instance, it’s irritating that he thinks I’m still the same person I was two months ago.

“Actually, I was interviewing someone for a segment on RHHS TV. And I think they’re going to ask me to be the weather forecaster,” I say and I look directly at him when I say this, because I know his jaw is going to drop. And it does. Because I guess I still know him.

“Wow, that’s awesome,” he says when he recovers. I wait for him to add something vaguely undermine-y like, “I can’t believe you’re actually working there.” So I’m shocked when he’s like, “You seem really at ease in front of the camera. I bet you’ll be great.”

“Thanks,” I say, almost a little disappointed I can’t fight him on this.

“Are you going to have a funny sign-off or anything at the end?”

I wrinkle my nose. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“Oh, come on, you have to!” Hunter says. “Like, ‘That’s the forecast. I’m Ellie, don’t be jelly.’”

It’s so bad, I actually can’t help it when I chuckle. “Well, I’m definitely not going with that.”

Now Hunter laughs. “You’re right, it’s terrible.”

Our laughter has caught the attention of Luke, who’s peering at us over his clipboard. When our eyes meet, he quickly diverts his gaze back to his chart. I wish I could say I feel smug in having caught him, but I just feel sort of hollow inside.

Jared, apparently having witnessed this exchange of glances, gives me a smirk from the front of the room, and my feelings of hollowness are replaced with simmering disgust. I don’t hurl the roll of paper towels in my hand at him, and I consider that a small victory.

I have to take these wins where I can.

CHAPTER 19

Over the next couple of weeks, Luke and I only speak when necessary, and he’s as cool with me as I am with him. It’s not easy, but I