Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High Book 1)

by Lacy Andersen

  Panic hit me like a shotgun blast and I felt the blood drain from my face. “Please tell me you didn’t tell anyone that.”

  He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I didn’t say a thing. It was purely hypothetical.”

  Likely story. There was no reason for a guy like him not to blab. A humiliating secret like that would entertain an entire locker room full of guys and then leak into the hallways of the high school faster than the scent of the stink bomb someone set off in biology last year.

  I shot him a suspicious look, but he just grinned at me, his eyebrow arching.

  “You know, you don’t exactly help your case,” he said. “You should see your face. It’s the color of the cafeteria lady’s sloppy joe. My favorite.”

  I blushed even harder, wishing that I’d inherited my father’s skin tone. Lexi was the blessed one. She tanned in an instant. I was desperately pale.

  “This is all Savannah’s fault,” I muttered, turning back to my locker. Maybe if I ignored Collin’s presence, he would fade away like a bad dream. “She probably sent that photo in herself.”

  “What is it with that chick?” Collin asked, leaning his head back on the locker. “She really hates you. Maybe even more than she hates me.”

  I pressed my lips into a thin line. It was interesting to know that Savannah hated more than one human being in this world. At least I wasn’t alone. If my cousin hated him, maybe Collin wasn’t so bad after all. There might have been a shred of decency left in him.

  While Savannah and I had never exactly been best friends, there had been a time when we’d gotten along. Played Barbies together. Even had Hannah Montana parties. But that all changed after the summer we spent with Grandma Ivy. Grandma died a month after eighth grade started and Savannah started acting like she was too good for me.

  “No one really knows the inner workings of her twisted mind,” I said coolly, panning my gaze toward him. His eyes were glued to my face, causing butterflies to instantly start fluttering around my stomach. “So, I’m not even going to try and guess.”

  There was no point in discussing this any further and I needed to put as much space between Collin and me as possible. Maybe, by the end of the day, all of this trauma would finally be over. That was, if I could count on Collin to keep his mouth shut.

  Turning toward my class, I tried to walk away, but he quickly cut me off. He towered just high enough above me that I had to raise my chin to catch the teasing glint in his eyes.

  “I hear you like to sing. Is that true?”

  My frustration melted away into confusion. Had he been asking around about me?

  “Maybe...why?”

  He ran his tongue over his lips and shrugged. “No reason.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. What was happening? In what universe was All-State quarterback Collin Preston interrogating me on if I liked to sing? I felt like I’d woken up in an episode of Glee.

  He leaned toward me, that irritating lopsided grin plastered on his face. In a moment of pure panic, I thought he was going to try and kiss me right there in the hall. A redo of my complete humiliation at the beach party. But instead, he came just close enough to whisper in my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck and making me shiver.

  “You’d better get to class, Audrey. Wouldn’t want to be late on the first day.”

  He moved past me in the opposite direction. The tangy scent of his cologne followed behind him, a deceptively attractive smell. My breath left my lungs in a whoosh and I had to press a hand to my racing heart.

  “And don’t worry,” he called, “your precious secret is safe with me.”

  His deep laughter echoed down the hall toward me, making me bristle with anger. All my previous thoughts about his decency spiraled down the drain like a glitter bath bomb. There was no doubt Collin Preston knew how to mess with me. It was only a matter of time until he used my secret to his advantage.

  And I would have to deal with the mess.

  Chapter Four

  Luckily, whatever Collin had said to the football team made them lay off me for the rest of the day. But that didn’t keep me safe from the rest of the student body. By the end of my first day of school, I’d had enough with the crude jokes and judging stares. If anyone was going to stare at me, I wanted it to be because of my music.

  If my senior year had any chance of turning around, it was all up to one person — Mrs. Banks.

  Mrs. Banks was an ex-star of the opera stage, legit prima donna, and also taught all of the choir and music theory classes at Rock Valley High. A plump woman in her early forties, she wore her dark purple hair piled up on top of her head and pinned with a pair of chopsticks. She had an enviable golden brown complexion and untouchable skills with an eyeliner pen.

  Her eyes didn’t even move from the papers in front of her when I entered her office after our music theory class. Arching a single darkly penciled eyebrow, she clicked her tongue.

  “I was wondering when you were going to corner me today, Miss Black.”

  I smiled unabashedly. It wasn’t a secret that I was one of Mrs. Banks’ favorite students. She loved me. “Have you made a decision on the town centennial event yet?”

  This was Rock Valley’s one hundred year anniversary. Events spanned the entire year, celebrating the moment when Isabella Twain and Benjamin Fitz first met and agreed to settle on this very land. It was a romantic story, full of dangerous escapades and forbidden love. Perfect fodder for a love song.

  The school was putting on a big celebration event at the last home football game of the season. Mrs. Banks had held auditions over the summer for a musical act to add to the festivities. That’s where I would finally showcase my talent for the world.

  Mrs. Banks spared me a sideways glance. “That’s the third time you’ve asked me this week. You really want this, don’t you?”

  She had no idea.

  “Yes, I do. I wrote a few more songs over this summer, if you’d like to take a look at them,” I said quickly, dropping my backpack to the floor to rifle through it. “There’s one in particular that I think might be perfect.”

  Her lips curled into an amused smile as I pulled out my song notebook. Some girls had diaries. Some had private vlogs. I spilled all of my heart and soul into this Lisa Frank spiral bound notebook with a multi-colored kitten on the front. Every song I’d ever written was contained within these pages. It was worth more than its weight in gold to me.

  “Audrey, I appreciate your enthusiasm,” Mrs. Banks said, kindness showing in the crinkle of her smile. “And you are one of the most talented students I’ve ever had the privilege of teaching. However, I’ve had interest in this performance from more than one student and I need to carefully consider all of my options.”

  My heart sank just a bit at her words. I’d really hoped I’d nailed my audition — hook, line, and sinker.

  “What do I have to do to change your mind?” I asked, rushing toward her desk. My mother had taught me to pursue a business deal head-on until it was sealed and the contract signed. “Tell me.”

  “There’s nothing to do.” She tilted her head to the right and smiled sympathetically. “I’ve seen you play. I’ve heard your songs. I will let you know what my decision is very soon.”

  I let my lungs deflate in a slow stream of air and tried to hide the disappointment on my face. I could’ve used a bit of good news on my first day of school. Especially before I learned my fate about the cheerleading squad. But now, there was no avoiding it.

  Shouldering my backpack, I thanked Mrs. Banks before joining the hordes of students in the hallways celebrating the end of the school day. The list was supposed to be posted on the bulletin board near the locker rooms. If I made it, I’d keep my head down. Follow the rules. Be a good girl. Avoid rocking the boat. Then, just maybe, Savannah and I would get along for once.

  But if I didn’t make it...

  I didn’t even want to think about that possibility. As if Mom needed any more bad news. The very thou
ght made me regret telling her about tryouts. But like Dad used to say, you can’t put toothpaste back into the tube, and the news was already out. All I could do was hope I made it because there was no plan B.

  As I trudged toward my destiny, nerves bouncing around my stomach, I could hear girlish screams of delight up ahead. The list had definitely been posted. Already, two freshman girls were jumping up and down in celebration. A third one was bawling. I clenched my fists at my side and marched up to the list.

  Amy Little

  Randy Knopp

  Emma Anderson

  Lindsey Styles

  Brienna Champ

  Audrey Black

  I stifled my sudden desire to break out in song. All of that work this summer — jogging a million miles with Mandy at ungodly hours of the morning, yoga stretching sessions with Trina, and watching cheerleading videos on Youtube — had paid off. I was on the Rock Valley Bandits’ cheerleading team.

  Mom was going to be so proud.

  “Congrats, girlie,” a familiar voice behind me said. “I just saw your name on the list.”

  I turned to see Mandy strolling toward me as if in slow motion, her mini leather backpack swinging from her side. She brushed her long blonde hair out of her face and shot me a beaming smile.

  Mandy was the third and final portion of our BFF trio. While Trina was classically beautiful and quiet, Mandy was sexy and confident. No one would’ve guessed that she was only five foot two. She carried herself like Cara Delevingne down the catwalk, her hips swaying in skintight leggings. Boys would constantly hit her up, but she shot them down like flies. She was too busy to fall in love. As an all-state long distance track star, she had more important things to worry about.

  I let a little squeal slip out and jumped into her arms. “Thank you. I can’t believe it.”

  “Well, I do.” Her dark eyebrows knit together and she gave me what Trina and I lovingly called her take no crap expression. “You worked hard, put in the time, and you did what you had to do to accomplish your goal. They couldn’t have asked for more.”

  I’m pretty sure Savannah would disagree with that assessment, but I wasn’t going to argue with Mandy.

  “How was cross country practice this morning?” I asked, draping my arm over her shoulder. “Our infinitely sexy carpool just wasn’t the same without you.”

  She laughed and grabbed my hand resting on her arm. We walked toward the gym, our strides in sync. “Practice was great. Coach says I’ll blow them all out of the water at nationals this year.”

  I smiled, loving the confidence in her tone. Mandy had never been one to waiver. If she wanted something, she went after it. That included her running career. Colleges were going crazy after her and she’d already been offered several generous scholarship opportunities.

  “That’s my girl,” I said, giving her a last squeeze.

  Savannah and the rest of the squad were gathered just inside the gym, the football team on the other side in their practice pads. I could feel my cousin’s scorching glare as I said goodbye to Mandy and jogged toward my new team. They were celebrating the recent additions, hugging and squealing in delight. I gave a few hugs of my own, thanking my fellow seniors for voting me in. Thank goodness it was a team decision to allow new members on the squad, because I was pretty sure if it were up to the captain, this would’ve been a different outcome. The closest I would’ve come to the spirit squad was selling hotdogs at the concession stand.

  “Welcome back, Lady Bandits!” Savannah started, clapping her hands for silence.

  The whole team took a seat on the gym floor at her feet. I sat in the midst of the group, feeling relieved for the first time today. Maybe I didn’t have that solo spot yet, but I was going to get it. I could feel it in my bones.

  “Welcome to our baby bandit recruits,” Savannah continued. “Your sisters are thrilled to have you.”

  I clapped with the rest of the group and smiled at the girls sitting next to me.

  “As your team captain, I want to take a moment to remind you of what you ladies now stand for.” Savannah arched her back and placed her hands on her slender hips, posing like a model from a fashion magazine. Her black Spanx shorts and thin cami could hardly count as clothing, but she still looked amazing. “We are the life and blood of the Rock Valley High Bandits. We’re the fans’ connection to our amazing athletes. Games are won and lost on the strength of their cheerleaders. When we walk out on that field, it’s war. Anyone who thinks cheerleading isn’t a sport is sadly mistaken. We are athletes of the highest caliber and we will take our teams to the championship.”

  I tried my best not to move a single facial muscle as Savannah went on to preach about the importance of the cheerleading squad. From here on out, I wasn’t going to do a single thing that could draw unwanted attention toward myself. If she wanted an Amazonian warrior tribe for a team, then I would be just that. I’d dress myself in leather and war paint if that was what it took. Anything to keep my spot on the team.

  Behind her, the football team was welcoming their own freshman recruits with a speech from the head coach. I could see Collin and the other seniors standing just behind their coach, their heads nodding along with whatever he was saying. Collin had exchanged his leather jacket for shoulder pads, a practice jersey, and pants. As much as I hated to admit it, he looked good in the get up. It was hard to look away. The short sleeves of the purple jersey revealed his muscular forearms and the pants were just tight enough to reveal the massive amount of strength in his legs.

  “Audrey? Did you hear what I said?” Savannah’s shrill voice snapped my attention back to her face. She was staring at me with her red lips curled in a sickly sweet smile.

  “Yes?” My breath caught in my lungs. What had I missed?

  “Your sisters are counting on you,” she continued, her eyebrow arching. “Don’t let us down.”

  I chewed on my inner cheek, wondering what exactly that meant. My attention had drifted for only a few seconds.

  Savannah snapped her fingers and immediately one of the other seniors on the squad approached her with a large oval object encircled in her arms. It was dark gray and covered with what resembled matted fur. Two grotesque cartoonish eyes stared up at the ceiling while a red tongue sat inside an ajar mouth. It had a large hole at the bottom, big enough for someone to place their head inside.

  “Here’s your costume,” Savannah announced proudly. “The rest of it’s in the locker room, but I wanted to make sure you were properly introduced.”

  My jaw dropped to my chin and I slowly pushed myself up on trembling legs to get a better look at the monstrosity. Surely, she was joking. She couldn’t make me wear that thing. By all accounts, forcing me to eat mud pies as children didn’t even rank on this spectrum of cruelty.

  “It’s a raccoon,” I said, my voice croaking.

  “It’s Rascal the Bandit,” she answered innocently. “Principal Newton has been wanting to revive our team mascot’s image. I told him we had the perfect candidate. This is why you were selected for the squad.”

  It was as if someone had punctured both of my lungs and snatched my vocal chords from my throat. I couldn’t wear that thing. It was at least a hundred years old and probably filled with dust mites the size of prehistoric dinosaurs.

  Savannah took the decaying raccoon head and held it up for me to see. “Better try it on for size. You’re going to be practically living in this thing. First game is this Friday.”

  Before I could protest, she lifted it up and shoved it on my head. I involuntarily gasped, inhaling the scent of dried sweat, moth balls, and wet fur. My gag reflux kicked in, causing me to double over in an effort not to drown myself in my own vomit. I could barely see the rest of the squad through the two black nets that had been placed over the eyes.

  “Everyone, check out Rascal the Bandit,” Savannah announced in an absurdly loud voice.

  This was bad. Really bad. Apparently, I’d underestimated my cousin once again. Why did she hav
e to be such a horrible human being?

  I ripped off the mascot head to the sound of laughter filling the gym. It seemed the football team had caught onto the joke and were enjoying it at my expense. My horrified gaze scanned over the gym, landing on Collin standing in the back. He was watching me with a barely concealed grin on his lips. The moment we locked eyes, my embarrassment punched me in the gut, making it hard to breathe.

  “I’m not wearing this,” I hissed, glancing over at Savannah. She had a delighted expression on her face, as if she’d just been invited to model at Calvin Klein. “You can’t make me.”

  She took a step closer, her voice lowering so that only I could hear. “You can and you will. It’s either that, or quit. You decide, cousin.”

  I wished in that moment that I could’ve drop-kicked that creepy mascot head, declared my resignation, and marched out of the gym. But I’d joined the squad for a reason. And if I wanted my Mom to see me as a Bandit cheerleader — even as the ridiculous mascot — I was going to have to suck it up and roll with the punches. So I wouldn’t be wearing the cute pleated skirt or waving around pom poms. I’d made the team. That’s what my mom cared about. And there were worse things than wearing a rotting mascot costume.

  The least I could do was own it.

  So with as much conviction as I could muster, I stared down the football players who were still laughing and pointing in my direction. My gaze zeroed in on Collin’s and his eyes shone with barely concealed amusement as he raked a hand through his hair. If he wanted a show, he’d get a show. I smirked at him, before turning back to Savannah.

  “I’m not quitting. So I guess that means that I’m just going to have to be the very best mascot this school has ever seen,” I said, lifting up the raccoon head as high as I could before lowering it into my head like a crown and marching away.

  They could all eat my raccoon dust.

  Chapter Five

  When I’d begrudgingly embraced my role as the official Rock Valley mascot, I’d never considered the fact that I might be signing my death certificate. With the nasty sensation of sweat dripping down my back, I kicked and waved my way off the field with the rest of the cheerleading team after our pregame warm-up of the crowd. Apparently, raccoon head + full body suit of matted fur = death by heat stroke. At least, that was the way it felt at the first home football game of the season.