Besides, we're not the only ones in the bathroom. There are three other girls too, staring wide-eyed between me and Heather. While the two stay behind, the third one quickly makes her exit—probably afraid we’ll break out into a catfight or something.
As if. If only she knows how tempted I am to run after her. But I can’t do that. These girls will think I'm guilty if I do that. And there's absolutely nothing to be guilty of.
So I square my shoulders and walk into an empty stall like my heart isn't threatening to break out of my chest from being tense and uneasy. Like the two senior girls don't intimidate me in the slightest.
I silently pray that they'll be gone once I'm done, but God clearly doesn't listen. They're still there when I step back out.
It's Sydney who delivers the first blow while I wash my hands at the faucet. "Heather, isn't that the boyfriend stealer?"
The two other girls—who are openly watching the scene—laugh out loud as if Sydney just told the funniest joke.
I stiffen, my jaw clenching, but I remain quiet. I don't want to engage in verbal sparring with them. I'm not stupid enough to think that I'd come out victorious. But it doesn't mean I'm going to stay here and torture myself.
Without acknowledging them, I head for the door. But Heather chooses the moment to address me.
"Annie, is it?"
Crap.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I slowly turn around. "It's Allie," I squeak out.
Yeah, that'll show them that you're not feeling intimidated.
Sydney snickers and flips her long dirty blonde hair, as if sensing my weakness.
Clearing my throat, I push my glasses up my nose. “Um, you want something?”
With pursed lips, Heather crosses her arms over her chest. “Yes. I want my boyfriend back. Will you return him to me?”
Not even trying to beat around the bush. I swallow down a hysterical laugh. “Didn’t you already dump him?”
“How long do you think until he comes crawling back to me? Seriously, doesn’t it even occur to you that maybe you’re just a rebound?”
Ouch. She doesn’t really attempt to pull her punches, does she? It would have stung so bad if Duane and I were dating for real. Not that the thought of them getting back together doesn’t hurt at all.
I open my mouth to retort just as the door swings open, as if the newcomer is frantic to get in.
We all turn our heads to see Indie with a stormy expression on her face.
Focusing her glare on Heather and Sydney, she snarls, “Back the hell off, bitches!”
Then before the rest of us can react, she grabs my hand and pulls me out of the bathroom. She continues to drag me until we round a corner. Halting her steps, she turns to me. “Are you okay? Did those girls hurt you? I'm so glad Claire Hopkins thought to alert me of what was happening in there.”
She must be talking about the third girl who left before Heather and Sydney confronted me. I should probably thank the girl, but it wasn't like I couldn’t handle the situation myself. Calling my best friend for help hadn't been necessary.
“They weren’t hurting me. They were just being their regular mean selves. Honestly, it was nothing.”
The Four Blondes are untouchables in our school, but I've never heard them physically attack anyone. They prefer to use words as weapons. They probably regard physical confrontations as tacky and something beneath them.
Indie scoffs. “Nothing, my ass. Tell me what they said,” she demands, looking as if she’s thinking of storming back in there and confronting Heather and Sydney herself.
If I ask her to do it, she probably will. She calls my brother overprotective but, to be honest, she's just as bad.
But another confrontation is the last thing I want. Not to mention it's my problem to deal with, not hers. So I’m just going to do my best to avoid those girls in the next few days. Maybe until Duane and Heather make up. Like Heather said, it shouldn’t take long, right?
Ignoring the stab of pain in my chest, I tell Indie, “Nothing that I don’t already know.”
CHAPTER 5
“Honey, aren’t you going to answer that?” Mom asks from the chair next to me as a hairdresser applies color to her long brown hair.
We're at Hair Flip, a beauty salon we've been frequenting for years. Well, Mom is a frequent customer. She usually just drags me along with her. But it didn't take a lot of convincing on her part this time—not even a bit. When she mentioned she was going out for a hair color treatment, I instantly jumped up from the couch and bailed on the movie I was watching and told her I'd go with her.
I have two reasons: (one) it's Saturday and I have nothing to do aside from a couple assignments; and (two) I feel like it's time for something new.
And as I watch my hairdresser work with my hair through the mirror, I'm trying to pretend that my sudden need for change has nothing at all to do with the boy blowing up my phone for the last hour.
Rejecting the call for the umpteenth time, I turn my phone off and slide it back into my purse before telling Mom, “It’s nothing. Just an annoying classmate.”
The thing is, I’ve been avoiding Duane as much as I can ever since that incident in the bathroom with Heather. I still sit next to him during lunch and let him walk me to my classes to keep up pretenses, but I don’t let him hold my hand anymore. I make it a point to keep a little distance between us so he won’t be able to touch me. And I don’t allow myself to be alone with him.
I thought he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Now, apparently, he’s catching up. Yesterday, he asked if we could talk. And when I purposely evaded him until I got into my car and drove home, he started calling me.
Not a single one of those calls have been answered.
I don’t know what I’ll tell him on Monday, but I’d like to worry about that later.
“There you go, pretty girl,” Brenda, my hairdresser, announces and gently squeezes my shoulders. “You’re all set.”
Slowly, I lift my eyes up to the mirror and grin wide at what I’m seeing.
For the first time ever, I’m sporting a short hairstyle. The ends of my new hair flirt around my shoulders, giving it a beautiful bounce. And since I’ve been feeling a little adventurous, I allowed Brenda to infuse barely-there blonde streaks into my locks.
Staring at my reflection now, it tells me I made the right decision.
“Oh, honey, you look absolutely gorgeous!” Mom exclaims.
I give her a sheepish smile. “You think so?”
“I know so.” She arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me. “Did Indie convince you to chop off your hair?”
I shake my head, loving the way my new locks bounce around. “It was all me.”
Mom smiles approvingly. “Well, I’m glad you decided to be a little adventurous. Change is rather good, don’t you think?” she says with a wink.
“It definitely is,” I murmur, glancing back at my reflection with a small smile.
*******
With earphones plugged in, I walk out of Hair Flip and make my way home. Mom is still getting her hair done so she let me leave without any protests. Plus our house isn't too far from the salon, just a few blocks away, I can use the exercise.
Thunderstruck by AC/DC fills my ears as I reach our driveway, but my steps slow to a stop when I catch sight of the boy sitting on the front steps.
Oh, crap. Maybe it’s not too late to turn back? He still hasn’t seen me, anyway.
But as if hearing my thoughts, he lifts his head, his eyes connecting with mine.
Confusion flashes through his gaze before being replaced by...awe? But then it's quickly gone, which makes me think I just imagined it.
Duane rises from the steps and meets me halfway. “You got your hair done.”
“Yeah,” I chuckle awkwardly, smoothing my hair. “I thought it was due for a change.”
“I loved your long hair.” My stomach almost sinks at that, but then he quickly adds, “But this one looks better on you.”<
br />
“That’s what Mom said, too,” I say, his words making my cheeks burn and my heart flutter. Catching myself, I clear my throat to cover up my reaction. “So, um, what are you doing here?” Please don't say you want to ask why I've been avoiding you. “Did you want to talk to Gray? I think he’s with Indie right now. But maybe if you call him—”
“Actually, I came to see you.”
“Oh.”
Yep. He wants to talk to me. He wants to know why I’ve been evading him and rejecting his calls. There’s no escaping now.
“Why are you avoiding me?” Is it just me or is there a little hurt in his voice?
“Avoiding you?” I squeak out. “Um, that’s not true. You just walked me to my last period class yesterday, remember?”
“Yeah. But you've been acting off. When I tried to meet you when school ended, you disappeared. Beanie, what’s going on? Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”
Yes. You fell for the wrong girl!
I avert my eyes. “Nothing’s wrong. You’re just probably imagining things.”
"I'm not dumb, Allie. Don't treat me like one."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Ugh." I walk over to the front steps and plop down. “It’s just...things have been crazy. I wasn’t going to tell you about this, but Heather confronted me in the girls’ bathroom at school. Well, her and Sydney.”
“I know. I heard about it.” Duane rubs the back of his neck. “That’s why I’ve been calling, but you wouldn’t answer.”
“What can I say? I was traumatized,” I say dryly.
“I’m sorry, Beanie. Maybe Gray was right. I shouldn’t have dragged you into my mess. Shit, I didn’t even consider the possibility that Heather could go after you. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking.”
I stare at my hands on my lap. “You didn’t drag me into anything, Duane. I agreed to help you.”
“Because I was being persistent. I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
That has my eyes snapping back up. “That’s not true. You would’ve backed off if I’d truly refused. I know you would.” Which is why I find myself adding, “Maybe Heather going after me is good. It means the fake girlfriend thing is working. So, what’s the next plan?”
His eyes widen in shock. “You still want to help me?”
“What? Did you expect me to chicken out because Heather is being a bitch to me? Come on, give me a little credit.”
I made a promise, didn't I? Besides, pissing Heather Nielsen off gives me a kind of satisfaction I didn't think I could get. She got the guy I always wanted. Getting into her nerves is somewhat of a payback for that. A small payback, but a payback nonetheless.
He shakes his head. “I don’t want her to give you any more trouble.”
“You can tell her to stop when the two of you are finally back in each other’s arms,” I joke, ignoring the sharpness in my chest. "I'm sure she'll listen to you then."
“Beanie—”
“Just promise you’re going to make her sweat. That you won’t take her back right away. It’s the least she can do after dumping you heartlessly.”
He just stares at me, conflicting emotions crossing his features. I can tell he wants to end our charade—he truly doesn't want me in the middle of his mess—but his feelings for Heather are more powerful than his concern over me.
It hurts. But what can I really do?
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I rise from the steps. "I actually have a quiz to study for so, um, see you on Monday?"
Still speechless, Duane just nods.
I can still feel his eyes on me as I walk inside my house.
CHAPTER 6
"He was basically giving you an out. You should have taken it." Indie smiles at the middle-aged woman she's ringing up behind the counter and hands her a paper bag filled with a few books. "Here you go, ma'am. Have a nice day."
"You too, dear." Giving both of us a warm smile, the customer walks out of Indie Reads, Andrew Jackson's—Indie's dad—bookstore.
Andrew's out on an errand so it's just me and Indie. I went over to the store when she called an hour ago and asked me to accompany her. Since I had nothing else to do, I obliged.
Indie steps out of the counter and we sit at the nearest coffee table where we can easily see customers coming in. "It's fine. I can handle Heather."
She purses her lips into a tight line. "You know, there's a word that people use for girls like you."
"A saint?"
"A martyr."
"A martyr?" I choke out a laugh. "Isn't that a little harsh?"
"Yeah. But it's also the truth." She raises a brow, as if challenging me to argue.
"It's not like I'm being purposely pathetic. It's just that…" I bite my lip, unable to find the right words to say.
"You're still holding out hope that Duane will finally see you," she finishes for me.
I give her a wry smile. "Too obvious, huh?"
"Well, you had your hair done. That alone clued me in. Which looks gorgeous, by the way. But when was the last time you did something like that?"
"Never," I admit with a sigh. "But honestly, I mostly did it for myself. I felt like I needed a change so I went ahead and got one. But I'd be lying if I say I didn't think about what his reaction would be."
Her brows quirk up. "And what was his reaction?"
I clear my throat, biting back a grin. "He said he loved my long hair, but this short one looks better on me."
Indie breaks out in a huge grin which has me doing the same. For a moment, we just grin at each other, like typical teenage girls gushing over their crushes.
Then she turns serious once again. "Not to be a downer, but don't get your hopes up too high, okay? I mean, you have Heather as your competition. She's friends with Merritt Wayne, so it's very likely that she knows how to play dirty."
Merritt Wayne is another one of the Four Blondes. In fact, she's known as their leader. She also happens to have a thing for Grayson, and she played dirty tricks in the past to get his attention—threatening to out Indie and Gray's fake relationship, being the worst of them. Thankfully, nothing came out of that.
"Oh, I'm very aware of that. Trust me. I'm not at all confident that I'll be able to best her." I swallow hard and give my best friend a faint smile. "It's just...don't I owe myself this? A chance to see if I can get the boy I want? Maybe I'll get my heart broken in the end, or maybe I won't. But at least I can say that I tried."
That was the original plan anyway, before Duane asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend. No matter how many times I convince myself that I'm only doing him a favor as a friend, deep down I know I'm doing it for myself. Maybe it’s nothing but a pipe dream, but like I told Indie, I owe myself to give it a shot.
After a long moment, she nods. "I get it. I'm not a hundred percent into it, but I understand. So, what's your plan now?"
I open my mouth to answer her when the double door of the store swings open, which tells us a new customer just walked in.
A boy I’ve never seen before.
The first thing I notice is his bright red hair as he glances around the place.
Indie exchanges a raised-eyebrow look with me before moving from her seat and approaching him.
I find myself trailing after her.
“Hi, welcome to Indie Reads!” my best friend greets in a cheerful voice.
“Hello.” He grins at Indie then at me, and I’m suddenly assaulted by his dark gray eyes.
I push my glasses up my nose and give him an awkward wave, regretting it the moment I did.
Indie shoots me an amused glance before asking the boy what he’s looking for.
“I was wondering if you have a copy of the latest book in the Forbidden Kingdom series by J.B. Farroway?”
“I think we have that in stock,” she says, leading him toward the bookshelves.
I just stare after them, wondering why I’ve never seen the boy before. He seems to be our age, but he doesn’t go to our school. I’d know if he were.
“I haven’t read this book yet, but I’ve read great reviews about it so I think you’ll love it,” Indie tells him as she rings him up at the counter.
He gives her a sheepish smile. “It’s actually for my little sister. She’s a book nerd and a fan of the author.”
“Your sister is my kindred spirit then,” she chuckles.
“You don’t go to Maple Grove High, do you?” I can’t help but ask. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around school.”
“That’s right.” He smiles at me. “I go to Maple Grove Prep.”
“Oh.” I figured as much. Maple Grove Prep is all the way across town and known as an exclusive school. “One of the rich kids then, huh?”
His cheeks redden. “I wouldn’t call myself rich, but my classmates sure are. Do you know the souvenir store across the street? It’s my mom’s. It’s relatively new though, only around a few months.”
With wide eyes, Indie snaps her fingers. “That’s why you look familiar. I’ve seen you a few times before. Ugh, where are my manners? I’m Indie and this is my best friend, Allie.”
“Well, nice to meet you Indie and Allie. I’m Justin Samuels.” He’s smiling, but his eyes are on me even as he talks to the two of us. We just smile at each other until he visibly startles and fishes his phone out of his pocket. Frowning at the screen, he says,” I have to go. Mom is already calling for me. Guess I’ll see you both around?”
“Sure,” Indie and I say in unison, watching him walk out the door and cross the street.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” She nudges me.
Yeah, he is.
CHAPTER 7
"I think you should join us for dinner tonight," I tell Duane as I grab some books from my locker.
He's waiting so he can walk me to my next class. I'm getting used to being escorted by him that I'm practically dreading the day it stops. All I have to do to prevent that from happening is to make sure that he won't go back to Heather. Should be easy, right?
His eyes bore into the side of my head. "Why do you think that?"
Risking It (Fake Boyfriend Duet Book 2) Page 3
