Caught (Caught By the Bad Boys Book 1)

by Raathi Chota

  “What do you want, Carter?”

  “Will you be my date to Homecoming?” he whispered in my ear. The sound of Homecoming sent shivers down my back. I completely forgot about Homecoming—it’s next week. I didn’t bother with school dances; usually, when guys asked me, I’d be so gullible as to say yes, then on the night, they either didn’t show up or they did and found ways to humiliate me. I stared at Carter for any humorous gesture but found nothing.

  “What? Why? Me?” I muttered the last part. There must’ve been a catch to it. Never in my life had I ever thought Carter Halls would ask me, Lana Willson, to Homecoming.

  “Just…I would like to take you to Homecoming because you’re cool.”

  “Ugh…yeah, right.”

  “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I truly am. Ethan told me he said sorry to you, and it made me realize that I should be doing the same because you’re different, and if we weren’t such assholes back then, we would have all been friends or something,” he said. The bullying started in middle school when we had dance class. I paired up with Benny Nielson. He couldn’t dance, and he’d get annoyed and told me I couldn’t dance, so he went and told the whole school I sucked. That led people to make fun and tease me. It wasn’t only about the dance, but to have a sheriff as a father made people want to embarrass me even more.

  “I’m sorry, Lana. I was so stupid, and I can’t believe I did those things to you.” He sighed. To think…a week ago he pulled my chair and laughed at me. Now, he apologized. I considered his beautiful blue eyes and noticed how they sunk in sadness. “Do you forgive me?” Carter asked. I took a deep breath and sighed. I leaned my head against his shoulder, which made him tense up, but he eventually relaxed.

  “It’s okay, Carter. I forgive you,” I barely whispered, but he heard it. He rested his head on mine, and I listened to the happiness in his voice.

  “Thank you…thank you so much, Lana,” he said as he put his hand on my thigh and stroked it. It was my turn to twitch at the sudden contact, but I closed my eyes and tried not to ruin the moment. Everyone deserved a second chance; it was the only way to forgive, forget, and eventually move on with life.

  The rest of detention, Carter helped me with the math work since he was also smart but never showed it off. Even though I knew the answers, he helped me so I’d get it done quicker. Once the clock hit four, Mr. George dismissed us. I grabbed my things and made my way to the exit.

  “Hey, want a ride?” Carter asked as he came up beside me.

  “If it’s no problem,” I said. Carter nodded, and we walked to his truck. He moved faster, and I playfully rolled my eyes. Carter opened the passenger door for me, and I thanked him as I got in. He shut it, and I never saw him come to the driver seat. I looked up and saw him in front of Blake. By the look of it, they’d had an argument. I tried so hard not to look, but it was hard not to since they were right in front of me. Carter threw his hands up and walked to the driver’s side. My eyes locked on Blake as he turned to me. My eyes widened at first, but it was replaced with a small smile. Luckily, he returned the gesture and walked across the parking lot to his motorcycle.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Carter said as he got into the car.

  “It’s okay,” I said as I watched Blake get onto his motorcycle and drive off. I tried so hard not to ask what that was about, but Carter grinned.

  “It was nothing…just a disagreement,” he said and started the car. The rest of the drive home was silent but comfortable. Sometimes I caught Carter staring at me, and I’d yell at him to keep his eyes on the road. We pulled up to my house. I glanced at it and saw my mom’s car in the driveway. Dad wasn’t here yet; he’d have a ton of questions as to why guys fetched and dropped me off. I looked over at Carter, who already seemed to have his gaze locked on me.

  “Err…thanks,” I said as I opened the door.

  “No problem, and sorry again.” He avoided eye contact as he spoke.

  “It’s okay.” I forced a smile, then got out, shutting the door. I leaned on the open window. “Yes,” I said, then bit the inside of my cheek. He raised his eyebrow and gave me a questioning look.

  “Yes…?”

  “Yes…I’ll be your date to Homecoming,” I said as I felt my cheeks warm. I looked at him, and he had a smile on his face. “See you tomorrow, Carter.”

  “See you in the morning, Willson,” he called. I watched him drive off as I opened the door.

  “I’m home!” I shouted as I walked into the comfort of my home. I walked to the kitchen and saw Mom with a phone in one hand while she sipped tea with the other. She smiled and mouthed a hello. I walked up to her, kissed her cheek, then walked to the fridge. I took out a fruit cup and sat opposite my mom at the island.

  “That’s great, Jade!” Mom said to the person on the phone. My eyes immediately widened at the name. Maybe Mom knew another Jade. “Oh, I can’t wait. It will be like old times again.” Mom laughed. “Okay, tell Richard and Levi we say hi, okay? Love you…bye.”

  “Can’t wait for what?” I asked as she set down her phone. She looked at me with bright eyes.

  “Did you forget, dear? The Radcliffs coming this year?”

  “Oh,” was all I said. “When are they coming?”

  “December, dear,” Mom said. The Radcliffs were our neighbors ever since I was six years old. Richard and Jade Radcliff got along with my mom quite well. They had a son a year older than me by the name of Levi. We were best friends and did almost everything together, until a few years ago, when Mr. Radcliff expanded his business to California. They couldn’t turn down the opportunity, so they moved, but it didn’t keep us apart. Every year, they’d visit. It was fun, but as we grew older, Levi was distant, so I was distant too. Our parents thought nothing of it, and we spent hours in a room and watched movies, not a word to be spoken. I wasn’t very excited because of what happened last year, though. Seeing him again would make things awkward. Hopefully, they’d stay at a hotel. “How was the library, sweetie?” Mom snapped me out of my thoughts.

  “Oh, yeah…it was okay, I guess. Got my work done,” I said as I made my way up the stairs. In detention.

  ***

  I woke up bright and early, ready for day two of being a badass bitch. Over the past few days, as I got to know Blake Gunner, I’d learned a few things from the bad boy himself, and it’s to just not give a shit. Today, I decided on a pair of black jean shorts with tights, tank top, leather jacket, and boots. If my looks didn’t convince them, then I’d have to take it to the next level. I entered the kitchen, where I found my mother busy. Thankfully, Dad wasn’t here, so it’d be more comfortable if Ethan came. “Morning, Mom.”

  “Morning, hun. Here’s your…” She turned around and stared at me. I grinned as she placed the coffee on the table and sat next to me. “Baby, are you okay?”

  “Peachy!”

  “Why are you dressed like that?”

  “Just experimenting, Mom,” I said, then stood up from my seat.

  “Just…be careful, okay?” she pleaded, and I knew she’d warned me because of my dad.

  “I will…and Mom? What did you tell Dad yesterday when Ethan came?”

  “I just said Miranda couldn’t give you a ride, so a friend gave you one…the one who came over to do that project,” she said, and I couldn’t believe she still remembered my project with Ethan Baxter, which must’ve explained when she said yes the previous Saturday for letting all of them be in my room.

  “Thanks, Mom. Where’s Dad, by the way?”

  “He had a night shift, and now he’s tired.” She chuckled as she took a sip of her tea. I smiled and thought how lucky I was. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a loud roar from outside. My eyes widened, and so did my mother’s. I walked to the front door and stiffened when I saw him. “Ooh…I like him, Lana. He’s handsome. Is he your ride for today?” Mom asked as she looked out the window. She was childish sometimes. I rarely had boys over anymore, and she was tired of me at home every weekend. Well,
I had Miranda, but she said I needed to have more male friends that are my age.

  “Err…I got to go, Mom,” I mumbled as I kissed her on the cheek then grabbed my bag and went out the door. He took off his helmet then eyed me. “What the hell are you doing here? Where’s Ethan? Or Carter?”

  “Keep the attitude for school, princess,” Blake said, then tossed the helmet toward me.

  “Please, don’t call me princess, and I am not getting on there,” I said, then shoved the helmet at him.

  “You’re going to be late.”

  “What’s your problem? The whole of yesterday, you ignored me and said I could do better, then I get to detention and see you sucking Kelly’s face off, and now you offer me a ride?”

  “Why? You jealous?” The corner of his mouth rose as he got off his motorcycle and approached me.

  “No, I thought you’d have West on the back of your bike,” I said. I saw his boots opposite mine; he placed his finger on my chin, then tilted my head. My embarrassed blue eyes met his brown ones. We stared at each other once he’d look at my lips, then back at me, while I did the same.

  “Get on the motorcycle.” He snapped me out of my gaze.

  “No.”

  “Lana, get on the bike!”

  “Make me,” I whispered and noticed how he licked his bottom lip.

  “As you wish,” he said. Next thing I knew, his hands wrapped around my waist as he pulled me over his shoulder. He held me with one arm as his other gripped the helmet.

  “Put me down, you son of a bitch!” I yelled as I balled my fists and hit his back. Blake put me on his motorcycle, then got on himself. He looked over his shoulder and handed me the helmet. “Don’t you need this more than me?”

  “Nope.” He grinned. Blake started the motorcycle, then kicked the side stand in. “Hold on tight, babe,” he said, and off we went. Well, at least he didn’t call me princess.

  ***

  “Err…we’re here, Lana,” Blake said as the motorcycle came to a stop. Even though I’d been in a fast car before, it was an entirely different experience on a bike. So many times, I thought we’d fall over at the speed Blake went.

  “I don’t want to let go,” I said as my grip tightened around his waist. He took my helmet off, and I blinked.

  “You don’t have to, babe,” he whispered. Instantly, I let go and got off the motorcycle. As we walked toward Ethan’s car, I noticed their gaze on us.

  “Hey, guys.”

  “Are you guys together or something?” Aidan asked as he looked at Blake, then me.

  “No. Blake’s just an ass.”

  “You look good today,” Carter said. I smiled.

  “So what’s the deal with you and Kelly West?” Ethan asked Blake, who lit a cigarette.

  “Just a hookup, man. She’s so fucking annoying, trying to get in my pants…all of them.”

  “But you gotta admit they’re good in bed.” Carter said, and they all laughed in agreement while I scoffed.

  “What’s wrong, Lana?” Aidan asked.

  “Just so pathetic that you guys sleep around using girls as toys.”

  “Aww…Sheriff’s daughter jealous ’cause she’s a virgin,” Blake said, and they laughed. I rolled my eyes, then slightly shook my head. “You’re not?”

  “Who was the lucky guy?” Blake asked, and I noticed how they waited for an answer. From the corner of my eye, I saw Aidan look down as he tried to avoid eye contact.

  “None of your business,” I said as the bell rang.

  ***

  “You guys are so cute together!”

  “Whatever, Miranda.”

  “Yeah, you guys even have matching outfits! It’s so cute!”

  “Matching outfits? Carter’s wearing navy blue. I’m wearing black.”

  “Girl, I was talking about you and Blake. Everyone is talking about it!” she said as we stood in line for lunch. My eyes widened. I was never the center of attention. I wanted to crawl into a hole. The only time people talked about me was when they pranked me. “You two were made for each other!”

  “Yeah, if I only dress and act like this,” I mumbled as I paid for my stuff. We walked to the center of the cafeteria and sat down at a table.

  “So which one of them is your date to Homecoming?”

  “Me,” a familiar voice said. I looked up to see Carter and the rest of the guys. They sat down yet didn’t even bother to ask.

  “Sure, you can sit,” I sarcastically said. Miranda blushed as Ethan and Aidan sat next to her. I rolled my eyes as Carter and Blake sat next to me.

  “So what’s the gossip today, girls?” Aidan asked in a high-pitched voice. We laughed, but apparently, he really wanted to know.

  “Actually, everyone is talking about our grand entrance.” I pointed to Blake with my pizza. He grinned, then took it from me. “Hey! I paid for that!” I shouted as I tried to get it, but he shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

  “What do we have next period?” Miranda asked after she calmed down from the two hot guys on either side of her. She’d always had a crush on Ethan, so I guess it was heaven for her.

  “Phys Ed.” I mumbled at the thought of being with all four of them again.

  “Speaking of classes…thanks for that,” Carter mumbled.

  “What?” Blake asked.

  “Dude, this girl comes and tell the sexy Ms. Rosa we were late for class because she had to get some forms for her dad.”

  “Nice excuse,” Ethan said, then high-fived me.

  “Yeah, you saved me from another detention,” Carter said as he put his arm around my shoulder.

  “Oh,” Blake mumbled.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I just thought of you doing something…with him in class.” He avoided eye contact as I gaped. Never ever would I do something like that in a classroom with Carter Halls.

  “Hi, Blakey poo,” Kelly said as Jennifer and Melissa trailed behind.

  “Hey, babe.” He rose to his feet. Blake wrapped his arms around her, smashed his lips on hers, and they made out on the table. My eyes widened in shock. Everyone else in the cafeteria either cheered or fell silent like I did. Carter’s grip on my shoulder tightened as I stared at them. I would’ve slapped him with my pizza, but he ate it!

  Chapter Five

  Lana

  I looked at everyone at the table to see Miranda’s glare and Ethan’s smirk, while Aidan laughed. As Blake sucked her face off, his one eye opened, and he looked directly at me. I squinted my eyes, then turned away.

  “Mr. Gunner! Miss West!” The teacher pulled them off each other, then Kelly and her friends walked away. The bell rang, and people got up. I stood up and ran out of the cafeteria. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want him to see my reaction. I walked down the hallway until it was quiet. I walked past a door and saw a familiar face. I slowly opened the door and stood there.

  “If you have any questions, ask me during or after class but not right now, be—”

  “Hi, Uncle Griff.”

  “Lana, I didn’t recognize you there with all that…happening.” He pointed at my outfit.

  “Listen…I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday,” I said as I walked closer to his desk. He stood up and leaned against the desk, folded his arms, and looked at me.

  “It’s okay, just…why? You’ve always been an A student, Lana. When I saw you in the cafeteria with that Gunner kid, I already knew something was up, but now seeing you with Aidan when all he is, is trouble…” Mr. Bronx said in disbelief. I looked down at my feet, too embarrassed to meet his eye. “What happened?” I couldn’t tell him. It wouldn’t be fair. He’d let things be easy for me, which will make the guys wonder.

  “If I could tell you, I would, sir, but…I can’t.”

  “Well then, Lana…all I can tell you is be safe and don’t let those boys get to you,” he said, then approached me. He kissed my forehead and had that smile on his face that could end world hunger.

&nb
sp; “Thank you, Uncle Griff,” I said as I turned around to walk out.

  “I miss those glasses of yours!” he said while I walked out. I laughed and took them out of my pocket, then put them on. He gave me the thumbs up and smiled while I closed the door.

  “What just happened in there?” a high-pitched voice asked. I turned around to be met by Melissa Singe.

  “None of your business,” I stated and walked off.

  “Are you having a—”

  “No!” I yelled, then spun around. She had a mischievous grin on her face. I rolled my eyes.

  “Then what?”

  “I just asked him something…which is really none of your business,” I said as I walked off.

  Benny and his friends teased me and said that I wasn’t good enough for Blake, or any hot guy for that matter, and to think, it’s all Blake’s fault. He made out with Kelly…right in front of me! Miranda gave me a ride home, and I was glad; I didn’t want to see the guys again, especially Blake. I couldn’t believe this morning he talked about Kelly like she was another bang, then at the cafeteria he’s back with her?

  “I’m sorry,” Miranda said as we drove in silence. I snapped my head at her and furrowed my eyebrows. “About Blake and Kelly.” I scoffed and looked out the window.

  “Like I care.”

  “Oh, but you do, girl. Everyone felt sorry for you.” She frowned at me. I remembered people stared at me with pity in their eyes—that or they laughed.

  “I don’t care,” I said and sighed deeply. The rest of the ride home was quiet, yet Miranda tried to cheer me up.

  ***

  “What in the world are you wearing?” Dad asked as soon as I got home. I forgot he was on the night shift; he’d probably leave in the next few hours.

  “I don’t know, Dad.” I sighed as I walked up the stairs.

  “Young lady, you stop right there and tell me what the hell is going on!” he said behind me. I flinched as I slowly turned around.

  “Nothing,” I mumbled as my thoughts drifted off to what happened with Levi and me last year. Right at this moment, I got the same feeling.