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they didn’t have a good reason. And of course that made me curious.
    “Adrian is super hot,” Priscilla said. “And I think he has a thing for Sarah.”
    I had just swallowed a mouthful of tea, and I coughed and sputtered as it went down the wrong way. “We talked to each other for all of ten minutes,” I said, though I couldn’t erase the stupid grin that had spread across my face at the mention of his name. “I highly doubt he has the hots for me.”
    David pointed his fork in my direction. “I don’t want any boys coming around here. You’re too young to date.”
    I rolled my eyes. Nothing irritated me more than when David pulled rank, especially considering he was only nine years older than me. Meg was a few years older than David, and it was generally she who laid down the law. But I wasn’t your typical troublemaker, and I usually did my best to fly under the radar. I was a good girl.  
    “I saw you roll those eyes,” David said. “I mean it. No boys.”
    “FYI, you’re not my dad. And anyway, I’m almost seventeen. That’s definitely not too young to date. Half the girls at school have boyfriends. And just because you and Meg are currently unattached doesn’t mean I have to be, too.”
    David’s eyes got all wide and psychotic-looking at that. “FYI, I am one of your guardians. And if I say no boys allowed, I mean no boys allowed! ” He looked around then, clearly embarrassed. “And my love life is none of your concern.”
    I laughed. He had to be joking about the no boys allowed thing, right? But then I realized no one else was laughing, and my temper got the better of me. I seldom lost it with my uncle, or with anyone else, but when I did it was because he was being an unreasonable jerk. Not me.
    “Are you saying you don’t trust my judgment?” I said through my teeth. “Even if I were interested in Adrian, it’s not like he’s some big bad wolf waiting to pounce. Seriously, he’s harmless. He’s nice .”
    “No boys, and that’s final.” David said. “I don’t want one sniffing around here uninvited or for you to,” he bent his head at this part, “to wind up in trouble.”
    My face felt suddenly hot, and my cheeks tingled as though I’d just been slapped. I couldn’t believe he was even suggesting such a thing.
    “Is that some polite euphemism for getting knocked up? I can’t believe you, David! You have no right to . . . ugh !”
    I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at my aunt, too flustered to say what I was even thinking. “A little help here, please?”
    Meg cleared her throat and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I happen to agree with David. You’re, uh, a little too young to date.”
    “This is ridiculous,” I said, now furious with Meg. I could usually count on her to be on my side about most things. “How about when I was fourteen? You let me go to the movies with Marcus Grable.”
    “That was a group date. And it was Marcus Grable,” she added with a suppressed grin.
    She was obviously remembering how I’d been majorly peeved that Marcus had let his nerves get the better of him. He ignored me the entire time. He wouldn’t even look at me, much less hold my hand.
    Meg knew I was right, though, and yet for some reason she wouldn’t admit to it. She couldn’t even look me in the face when she said “That’s just the way it is,” and “You have to respect our rules.”
    All I could do was shake my head and bite back the rude comments threatening to escape. The last thing I wanted was to pick a fight—a real fight—with my aunt and uncle. But they were being so unfair about this!
    Meg looked at David as if she wanted him to say something to smooth things over, but all he did was throw his napkin on the table and stalk off without a word. He’d barely eaten anything on his plate.
    “I’m going to be seventeen soon,” I said as calmly as I could. “I’m not a kid anymore, so please stop treating me like one.”
    Meg reached across the