I wasn’t sure how long we kissed. It could’ve been hours, for all I knew. But by the time we pulled apart, we were both breathing heavily. I pressed my fingertips to my cheeks, only slightly worried that I may have permanently scorched my skin from blushing so hard. Gabriel chuckled beside me and cleared his throat. Twice.
“Okay, so that was definitely different than the first time,” he said, shifting in his seat.
I peered at him out of the corner of my eye. Different was good, right? I hadn’t run away. And he’d seemed to enjoy kissing me just as much as I’d enjoyed kissing him.
“Yeah, different.” I ran a tongue over my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. “Better.”
He flashed me a sweet and slightly shy smile. “So much better.”
After staring at each other for a few seconds, we both went back to silently unlacing our skates and putting our shoes back on. All the while, sneaking flirtatious glances out of the corner of our eyes. My heart hadn’t stopped behaving like a drum set at a rock concert. It was still grooving, and gave me an extra little pulse of bass every time Gabriel looked my way. Finally, when we both had our skates off, Gabriel turned to me. Excitement danced in his eyes. He took my hands in his and held them tight.
“I really want to ask you a question, but I’m afraid of freaking you out. If you have any inkling of running away again, tell me now and I’ll zip my lips.”
I laughed and shook my head. No, the running away part was over. I’d been fully convinced of the charms of Gabriel’s lips. In fact, I fully hoped he was going to ask me if he could kiss me again.
“So I know this might be too soon, but it’s coming up this weekend, so I have to ask now or I’ll never forgive myself. Do you want to go to the Winter Ball with me on Saturday?”
A massive smile sprung to my face. Maybe it wasn’t another make-out session, but it made me just as excited. Gabriel and me at the winter ball? That was seriously a dream image. Not only would I no longer be the terrible fifth wheel to Lexi and Charlotte’s fairytale image, but I’d be on Gabriel Corrigan’s arm. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do more.
Except...Saturday was the day of the final round of the tournament.
It was the day I was supposed to prove to everyone once and for all that girls could game.
And by the time the dance came around, Gabriel would know the truth.
What was I supposed to do?
He must’ve seen the battle raging in my eyes because he put a finger under my chin and lifted it just enough to get me to look at him. “Am I totally freaking you out right now?”
“No.” I smiled sadly at him. If only he could know how much I wished I could go back in time and take back the catfishing plan. And then, I’d say yes in a heartbeat to his question. Fancy dress and all. “I actually really want to go with you.”
He gave me a heartbreaker grin that made my girly hormones go crazy. “Good, it’s settled. I’ll have the gaming tournament in the morning and then the world’s most beautiful date to a dance that night.”
“Um...sure.”
He pumped his eyebrows. “But I guess we’d better actually get to work on that project or Coach Hart is gonna make me do suicide drills on the ice all weekend long. Then I’ll have to miss everything.”
I laughed nervously, but he didn’t seem to pick up on the tone. With a quick peck on my lips, he went to grab his backpack. I didn’t have the heart to pull him back. How could I have explained to Gabriel that in a few days if I went through with my master plan, he wasn’t going to want to have anything to do with me?
I couldn’t. He wouldn’t understand. And I didn’t really feel like killing this major buzz I’d gotten from that whirlwind of a kiss. My lips still tingled, my limbs were jelly. A hundred butterflies still fluttered around the inside of my belly.
So the only thing I could do was let him believe we were going to have a magical time at this dance on Saturday. For the next couple days, we’d both live in a dream world where that happy ending was possible. Because that’s what I wanted, too. I’d wish for it over and over again until I believed it could happen.
That Gabriel would find it in himself to forgive me.
Chapter Seventeen
My heart wouldn’t quit hammering, even though it’d been an hour since I’d left the ice rink.
I stepped into the school gym, searching for two particular faces. The place smelled like old gym shoes and wax. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for. With my height and the few handfuls of people volunteering to decorate for the school dance this weekend, Lexi and Charlotte were easily spotted on the other side near the stands. Hustling forward, I zigzagged through the boxes of icicles and streamers that had yet to be hung and headed straight for my targets.
I needed guidance when it came to Gabriel. It was a red alarm kind of moment. Last year, if something like this had happened to me, I probably would’ve gone home and stewed about it in my room. I would’ve put in my newest Final Fantasy disc and played until I could turn off the overwhelming feelings bubbling up from inside of me. But this year was different. This year, I had two girls who could help me make sense of everything I was feeling. They’d been there with their own guys. And they’d be there for me.
“Pssst,” I said, coming up behind them.
Lexi held a mangled silver tinsel star in her hands. She was staring at it in disgust. But as soon as she heard me, she dropped the star and a bright smile popped on her face. “Good, you’re here! We could use someone with your height. The janitors only let us borrow one ladder and it’s making everything run at a glacial pace.”
“I’m not really here to decorate.” I wrung my hands together, looking around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. “I’ve got something to tell you, actually.”
“Are you okay?” Charlotte dropped a roll of tulle and grabbed my arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. And everything.” I laughed nervously.
“Weren’t you supposed to be finishing up your anatomy project with Gabriel tonight?” she asked.
I nodded uselessly, unable to form the words that I needed to say.
Lexi squinted suspiciously at me. “Why is your face so red? Did you...?” Her eyes widened suddenly. “Did you guys kiss again?”
Rolling my lips in, I cringed partly in embarrassment and partly with pride. She squealed, drawing the gazes of the dozen other high schoolers gathering to put together the Winter Ball. Immediately, I hunched my shoulders and shushed her. The last thing I needed was for this to get out.
“Yes, we kissed. You don’t need to alert the media.”
“How was it?” Charlotte was barely holding in her excitement behind her gritted teeth.
“It was...” I inhaled deeply and then released it. “...amazing. I didn’t think anyone could kiss like that. I think I’m out of my league.”
“Ridiculous.” Lexi swatted me on the shoulder. “He’s lucky to be kissing you.”
My cheeks flushed a bit. “Whatever you say. But that’s not why I came to tell you. He actually asked me out to the dance on Saturday.”
This earned squeals from both of them. I rolled my eyes and refused to make eye contact with any of the other decorators curiously looking our way once more. Apparently, I couldn’t keep this on the low down, even if I tried.
“This is just perfect.” Lexi clapped her hands. “My mom told me last night that she’d rented a limo for our dance as a surprise. We can all go together.”
“But—” I swallowed down my nerves. A limo did sound nice. Especially if I imagined Gabriel sitting next to me, both of us sipping on sparkling juice from fancy glasses. If only.
“And Hunter’s mom can do our hair,” Charlotte blurted, her grin infectious. “She’s awesome at stuff like that. I know she’d love to be included.”
“That’s cool. But first—”
“The only thing left to do is get you a dress.” Lexi’s fashion critical eye moved over me. I tried to resist
the urge to cover myself with my lanky arms. “I saw something just a week ago in the mall that would fit her perfectly. I wonder if they still have it. We’ll go straight over there tonight and find it.”
They were moving so fast. I couldn’t slow them down. If I didn’t rein them in, I’d find myself wearing a dress, heels, and fake nails before I could even blink. That all sounded ridiculously scary, but there was one thing we had to do before then.
“Wait!” I stomped my foot for emphasis and it made a louder noise than I’d meant. Charlotte and Lexi both blinked at me in shock. I held up my hands in surrender, begging them to let me talk. “You forgot all about the gaming tournament on Saturday.”
Lexi squirmed with a guilty frown. “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that.”
“Someone else didn’t forget.” I held up my phone, showing them the latest message I’d received from Battlescar13.
Battlescar13: Can’t wait to finally see you in person this weekend.
We’ll celebrate our victories afterwards!
A sour taste filled my mouth as I slipped the phone back into my pocket. I hadn’t even replied to the messages Gabriel had sent to my secret profile after I’d left the skating rink. I didn’t have the heart to lie to him anymore. Not after what just happened.
“Yeah...that’s a problem.” Lexi grimaced. “What’s the plan?”
“The plan is to drop out.” I nodded firmly. “I made up my mind. I don’t want to ruin this thing between me and Gabriel. And besides, there’s always next year to win the tournament. This way, he never has to find out that I catfished him. It’s better this way.”
Lexi and Charlotte exchanged concerned glances. It frustrated me when they did that. It was like a bad omen. Whatever they were going to say next was not going to make anything easier.
“Are you sure you want to start off your relationship with lies?” Charlotte asked in a low and careful tone. I’d seen her use that same voice with some of the wild horses at the ranch she spent all summer riding at.
Crossing my arms tightly over my chest, I fought back my irritation. “I’m not lying. I’m just not telling him the whole truth.”
“Sounds like lying to me.” Lexi softly placed a hand on my elbow. “Come on, Beth, you know you have to tell him the truth. Might as well be now. We all know you’ve been dying to win that tournament and make your mark on the gaming world. You shouldn’t have to give that up for a boy.”
I pulled away from her, frustration building in my chest. “If I remember right, you were the ones that encouraged me to catfish him from the beginning.”
“Yeah and that was before we knew he wasn’t the bad guy.” She pressed her lips together and grimaced at me. “Whatever you decide to do, we’ll stand behind you. But I think we know you well enough by now to know that you’re not a liar. And the guilt of this is going to eat you up inside.”
I ran a tongue over my dry lips and thought about Lexi’s words. Could she be right? I already felt guilty enough about lying to Gabriel and using my online personality to extract information from him. Would I be able to keep that a secret for much longer? Was that fair to him?
“I just don’t want to drive him away,” I said in a small voice.
They both led me over to the bleachers and sat me down between them. They rubbed my back as my mind whirled. Lexi was right. I wasn’t a liar. I hated lying. Just as much as I hated putting on clothes that weren’t me or making myself up to be some fake beauty queen. That wasn’t me. And keeping the truth from Gabriel wasn’t me, either.
“I have to tell him tomorrow, don’t I?” I muttered with my hands over my face.
Charlotte chuckled sadly next to me. “That’s probably for the best. And whatever happens, we’ll be here for you.”
“And no matter what he says, you’re going to kick some serious tail at the finals on Saturday,” Lexi said firmly. “Because no boy is going to hold you back. Not even Gabriel Corrigan. You’ve got a lot to prove.”
I chewed nervously on my bottom lip. She was right, of course. I’d set out on this journey to make a point. A point that was bigger than me. Gabriel had been a wonderful find along the way, but if I didn’t at least try to win this war, it would eat away at me. Just like the guilt of lying. I really had no choice. I had to put my neck on the line.
“Do me a favor?” I asked, dropping my hands from my face.
Lexi smiled. “Anything.”
“When you go find that dress for me tonight, can you pick up some chocolate, too? Whichever way this goes tomorrow, I might need it. I’ll ask him to meet me at the club and then I’ll break the news.”
“Deal.” She gave me a thumbs up. “But I’m sure it’ll be a happy chocolate binge.”
“I hope so.” I glanced over at Charlotte. “But make sure she keeps the receipt for the dress. Just in case.”
Her lips curled into an understanding smile and they both wrapped their arms around me, pulling me into a Beth sandwich of support.
Dread settled over my skin like a wet, damp blanket. Still, I swallowed down the nerves and clasped my fists tightly. It was time to do what was right—for both me and Gabriel. It might change his plans for Saturday, but I’d never regret living truthfully. Either way, where we went from here would be up to him.
I could only hope that when I saw him on Saturday morning at the final battle, it wouldn’t be as enemies. That would hurt more than anything.
But doing the right thing was never easy.
Chapter Eighteen
Usually, the Rock Valley after-school club was kind of like my sanctuary. It didn’t matter who else was there—even Michael Corrigan—I could find some sort of safe space in one of the study rooms or the half-court gym where guys came to shoot layups after school. But today...today was different. I paced the slowly emptying lobby, cold droplets of rain running down the small of my back from the dreary weather I’d run through to get inside.
Maybe Gabriel wouldn’t even show. It could happen. I didn’t do social media and since we hadn’t exchanged numbers yet, I’d written him a hastily scrawled note and shoved it into his locker between lunch and third period, asking him to meet me here after his practice was over. Maybe he didn’t see it. Or it got lost somewhere in the dark vortex where all random missing things from high school lockers went to ferment—along with the missing socks from the dryer. I could only hope.
I was looking less and less like the super hero figure Gabriel had drawn of me and more like the cowardly lion. If I waited much longer, I’d be nothing more than a nervous puddle on the ground.
“And you’re not helping,” I grumbled at the bulletin board beside me.
They’d taken down the brackets from the first two rounds of the gaming tournament and replaced them with big bold printouts of each online player’s handle. CurrerBfighting was right there, printed in ink as dark as the thoughts rolling around in my head. Battlescar13 was there too. Along with UBDead—Michael’s profile name. There were ten of us in total. Each destined to fight to the death on Saturday with one champion to claim the prize.
I already felt enough pressure.
This display wasn’t helping.
“Can I help you?” a feminine voice said behind me.
I spun to see a slender woman wearing wire-thin round glasses standing there. She had her hands calmly folded in front of her thick gray wool dress. Recognition hit me immediately. With a shaky arm, I held out my hand.
“Ms. Brown, it’s an honor to meet you.”
This was the woman who’d sponsored the tournament. The one who’d moved to Silicone Valley and was basically living a dream in the tech world. I couldn’t have been more awed.
“Please, call me Fred.” She shook my hand firmly and then blinked up at the bulletin board. “Are you in the gaming tournament?”
“Yeah, sort of,” I blurted. She smiled curiously at me. “I mean, yes. Yes, I am. It’s kind of a secret, actually. No one is supposed to know that I’m playing. But that’s me, right there.�
��
I pointed at CurrerBFighting on the wall. For the first time in days, pride swelled up inside of me at the knowledge that I’d made it this far in the tournament. And there was only one round left to cinch this victory.
“And what a perfect name for your alter ego,” she said with a toothy satisfied grin. “You know, I was hoping to find some girl gamers at Rock Valley. I was pretty much the only one when I went to school here. It wasn’t easy.”
“I don’t think it’s gotten any easier,” I said with a hollow laugh. “The boys around here pretty much think I’m a freak and that I should go back to playing with dolls or something.”
Her sharp chin jutted out as her nostrils flared. “I hope you told them they could go eat dirt.”
I laughed. I liked this chick even more, now. “Something like that.”
“Good.” Her expression softened and her gaze flicked over me. “I’ll be secretly rooting for you on Saturday. Tell me your name.”
“Beth Frye.” I bounced on the balls of my feet. “And thank you!”
“Good luck, Beth. I’m sure we’ll talk again soon and you can tell me all about your big plans for the future.” She winked and turned to head back to the administration offices in the back.
“Thanks...Fred!”
I watched her go with bated breath. My heart was just about ready to fall out of my chest. I’d been so nervous. That wasn’t like me. Already, I was thinking of a million different questions I should’ve asked her. How did she get into her line of work? What made her go to Silicone Valley? Would she do anything differently? Did she still game? I was coming up with them faster than I could memorize them. And by the time she slipped into the offices, I was feeling more than a little overwhelmed.
Dare You to Catfish the Hockey Player (Rock Valley High Book 6) Page 13
