20 Chapter 20

Daisy jerked upright alarmed. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, no. You said something right. I wish I knew anybodyelse who would say that to me.”

“I guess Iwould say that. You know me.”

“Yeah.”

Daisy didn’t know what to make of Riva’s tone. Was she not the person Riva really wanted to be here with?

Daisy lay down again slowly. She’d said the right thing, so she should have been relieved, but her muscles felt more tightly wound than ever. She raked her fingers through the sand, making perpendicular lines, trying to settle herself enough to be a friend to Riva.

Gradually, Riva’s sobs slowed. She wiped her face against her beach towel, wincing and complaining about the sand that scraped her in the process. “Do you have a boyfriend?” she asked Daisy

“Huh?” Daisy’s heart pounded. Her reputation as a prude was all over the school. She wasn’t used to being asked about boys by anyone but Jo. “No.”

Riva sighed. “I thought you might know something.”