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

by Lacy Andersen

  “You’re right.” Her smile faded into a far-off gaze of remembrance. “But I’m sure going to miss you when you leave me.”

  Her words hit me right in the gut. I paused at the door, taking in the image of my mother sadly staring off into space and Lexi obliviously eating her fried rice on the other side of the table. While my newly appointed position on the cheerleading squad seemed to have cheered Mom up a bit, I still caught her in moments like these. Moments where she’d be lost thinking of happier times. It killed me to see her like that. It was like her face was crumpling in on itself.

  “I won’t be late,” I said softly, grabbing my purse to strap it over my shoulder. “Love you.”

  She snapped out of her trance and smiled at me. “Be careful, sweetie. Love you, too.”

  I held onto her words as I left the apartment building, my concerns about Collin and the plans he had for me a distant worry at the moment. At least, that was until I heard the roar of a motorcycle and witnessed a figure speeding onto my street dressed in a leather jacket and helmet. Right on time.

  Collin slowed to a stop by the curb, put down his kick stand, and pulled off his helmet. “Ready to go?” he shouted, grinning at me.

  I gulped, all sorts of strange feelings bubbling back up in my stomach. For some reason, I was as nervous as if this had been a first date. In fact, it’d taken me nearly an hour to pick out my wardrobe for this mysterious event. My jeans and soft cotton tunic top with the lacy hem had felt right at the time, but now I was second guessing myself. Should’ve gone with the leather leggings. Leather leggings went with anything — even a bad boy on a motorcycle.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, inching toward him. My family’s apartment building was close enough to a few shopping centers, a couple restaurants, and the library. I’d been wondering all day where he would take us.

  Reaching behind himself, he pulled out an extra helmet and turned back to me. On his lips he wore a grin that held a bit of a challenge in it. His brown eyes flicked over my body and then came back to rest on my face. The intensity in his gaze made warmth spread over my face. “Get on. You’ll see soon enough.”

  My stomach dropped into my feet. There was no way. No way that I’d get on the back of his motorcycle. Was he crazy?

  I hugged my purse closer to my chest. “We can’t just walk there?”

  He laughed. “Not if you want to get there and back before midnight. Come on, we don’t want to miss our time slot. We’re on a very strict schedule.”

  Chewing on my lower lip, I glanced up and down the street. Lexi would’ve snatched up this opportunity as the perfect reason why Mom should get us a car. If I’d had a vehicle of my own, I wouldn’t have been forced to get on the back of a boy’s motorcycle. Still, the reckless part of me wondered what it would be like. I’d seen plenty of girls ride on the back of Collin’s motorcycle. They all seemed to be alive today. Maybe it was safe enough.

  “Fine.” I tugged the helmet out of his hands and shoved it on my head, tucking in the stray strands of hair that pressed against my neck. “But follow the speed limit and no wheelies. Got it? This better be worth it.”

  He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “Deal. Now get on before you change your mind and chicken out.”

  Obviously, he could read enough of my mind to know what I’d been thinking. Hopefully, not enough to know exactly how much my body thrilled at the prospect of being so close to him. Swinging my leg carefully behind his torso, I straddled the bike and gripped the seat.

  It was my first time on such a motor vehicle. Usually, I preferred the concept of four walls surrounding me as I hurled down an asphalt strip at neck-breaking speeds. The idea of riding this death contraption was beginning to make me sweat.

  “You have to put your arms around my waist,” Collin said over his shoulder, pulling his helmet on. “Don’t want you falling off the back.”

  I gulped, feeling a surge of nerves. Maybe from the threat of falling off the bike or possibly from his suggestion to touch him, I couldn’t tell. But my arms wrapped gently around his torso and I kept them loose. As if he could read my mind again, he grabbed both of my arms and tugged me firmly toward him until my chest was pressed up against his back and my arms tightly encircled around his waist.

  “Don’t let go,” he yelled, before kicking the starter.

  I was pretty sure I couldn’t have let go even if I wanted to. The moment that engine roared to life, my heart jumped into my throat. My arms tightened involuntarily even more around Collin and I buried my face in his jacket.

  Despite my initial freak out, the steady movement of his abdomen against my arms as he breathed steadied my nerves. I tried not to marvel at the feel of his hard muscles beneath my hands, the scent of his cologne heavy in the air, or the utter lack of space between us. It was all making me feel very light-headed and I refused to swoon off the back of his bike.

  We shot forward and I suppressed a squeal. Weaving effortlessly through traffic, Collin directed us toward the outside of town where farm land and urban sprawl blended together. On the very edge was a shabby old wooden building with a blinking pink neon sign that read Dwight’s. Collin pulled into the busy parking lot and rolled us to a stop, once again putting out the kick stand. As soon as I could, I released my death grip on him and whipped off the helmet.

  “How was that, raccoon girl?” he asked, as he took off his helmet to reveal effortlessly cool tussled hair. “Admit it, you liked it.”

  “Maybe.”

  Smoothing my hands over my hopelessly wild curls, I tried to avoid his intense gaze. There were several things I hadn’t minded about the trip — especially the close quarters. But I’d never spill.

  “What is this place?” I looked up at the corrugated steel roof and the dark stained wood siding. Not exactly the kind of place I was used to visiting on a school night. Or ever.

  He smiled up at the dilapidated eaves. “It’s only the hottest spot in town on a Thursday night. It’s kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but the barbecue wings are delicious and the girls who run it know their stuff.”

  My jaw dropped as I absorbed his words. Was this place was I thought it was? “Ewww, don’t tell me this is a strip club!”

  I stepped backwards, already feeling the germs creeping toward me. Collin had said he’d signed us up for a slot. Did he expect me to partake in something like this? Not on his life.

  He stared down at me in horror. “What? Audrey, no! It’s a restaurant. They do karaoke at night.” He scratched the back of his head. “I brought you here to sing for an audience. Did you really think I’d take you to a strip club?”

  “Oh, I knew that.” I wanted to melt into the ground. Of course he wouldn’t take me to a strip club. That had been a stupid idea. “I was just kidding.”

  His unblinking gaze and deep frown said he knew otherwise, but he didn’t further my humiliation. “Come on, Ally’s got you on the list for 8:30. We need to pick your song.”

  He headed toward the door with purposeful strides as I jogged to keep up with him.

  “Wait, we have to pick a song? For me?” That faint feeling was returning. “I can’t do that.”

  “You want to sing an original song for the entire town of Rock Valley but you won’t do karaoke for a roomful of people?” He held the door open for me and arched an eyebrow. “See anything wrong with that?”

  I gulped and held my tongue. He was right, of course. If I couldn’t sing a silly karaoke song in front a handful of strangers, then I couldn’t perform at the centennial event. I had to find the strength to do this.

  Except it was more than a handful of strangers. The entire restaurant was packed, from the dozen or so tiny round tables to the long bar canvassing the length of the room. There had to be a hundred or so people in attendance. Their attention was all focused on the tiny stage decorated with purple foil streamers on the opposite end of the dingy bar. Two spotlights lit up the curvy blonde currently standing up there and crooning a Whitney H
ouston song into the mic. When she reached the high note, completely and horrifically botching it, everyone cheered madly.

  A jolt of fear bolted through me. I grabbed onto Collin’s arm, stopping him from walking past the doorman who nodded like they both knew each other. “I can’t do that.”

  “Yes, you can.” He extracted my deathlike grip on his arm and held onto my hand. Even in my panic, I couldn’t help but notice the way his hand in mine sent fire crawling up my skin. “Trust me. When you feel exactly what it’s like to perform for a crowd, your song writing is going to change. This will help you lighten up.”

  Yeah, right into an early grave. I wanted no part of that stage. If he hadn’t been holding onto my hand, I think I would sprinted back out that door.

  “Collin!” A woman called his name and suddenly a head of long blonde hair pushed past me and pounced on him.

  Collin grunted and dropped my hand, wrapping his arms around the attacker. “Ally, how’s it going?”

  “Great, as always.” Ally finally released Collin from her death grip and I got my first good look at her. My stomach immediately sank. She was as gorgeous as a model, with high cheek bones, Bambi eyes, and a skinny frame underneath a black dress and matching apron. I wouldn’t put her above the age of nineteen. And her eyes were all over my singing partner. “What brings you here tonight?”

  “I’m on a secret mission,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he returned her gorgeous smile. “Don’t tell Gina or Tripp. They’d rip me a new one if they found out I was here bothering you during your shift.”

  Wrapping my arms around my abdomen, I felt a sudden blip of grumpiness overcome me. Collin was obviously using our practice as an excuse to see his girlfriend and I doubted very much that he would even remember I existed, standing next to this goddess. The thought made my insides crumble, which was an altogether confusing reaction.

  Surely, I didn’t care what Collin thought about me. Or that he had a stunningly beautiful and older girlfriend. The idea was absurd. As previously established, he wasn’t the type of guy who went for a girl like me. His type was a little more wild and tended to not spend their Friday nights at home alone in their bedrooms, strumming on a guitar and talking to a lifeless poster.

  “Secret mission?” Ally’s blue eyes lit up and she bounced on her toes, catching the lusty stares of a few guys drinking nearby. “Oh, can I help?”

  “Definitely,” Collin said, turning to look at me with a warm smile, catching me completely off guard. I guess he hadn’t forgotten me. “Ally, meet Audrey. She’s our victim tonight.”

  Ally’s eyes narrowed as she took in my appearance, from the top of my head to my ankle boots. With an approving nod, she grabbed my hand and yanked me to her side.

  “We’re going to have fun tonight, you and I.” She winked at Collin and started pulling me toward the back of the bar. “Just you wait.”

  I was pretty sure I should’ve cut and run when I had the chance, because Ally was surprisingly strong for her skinny frame. There was no getting out of this now.

  What had I agreed to?

  Chapter Twelve

  The bright red blinking EXIT sign was tempting. Too tempting. As Ally flipped through the karaoke song book just off stage, I inched toward the door. Her sudden squeal of excitement and toss of her blonde hair made me freeze.

  “Are you a Madonna fan?” Her blue eyes flicked up to my face. “Like a Virgin is always a crowd pleaser.”

  All the blood rushed to my face. No way in hades was I singing that song. They’d have to do a personality transplant on me first and even then, it was questionable.

  Ally grimaced as she watched my reaction. “Okay...so...not Madonna. No worries, there are like, a thousand choices in this book. We’ll find you something.” She flipped the page and leaned over to read the song titles in the limited light.

  I couldn’t help but study her. She was exactly the kind of girl I’d imagine Collin with. Gorgeous, sexy, and confident. The kind who drew stares from across the room. Savannah would hate a girl like her. Too much competition.

  “How do you know Collin?” The question was out of my mouth before I could stop myself. What did I care how they’d gotten together? It was none of my business.

  Ally looked up at me and smiled, her eyes lighting up. “What? He didn’t tell you?”

  I shook my head.

  “He’s my little bro.”

  I drew my head back, feeling at once confused and utterly relieved. “I didn’t know Collin had a sister.”

  “Well, not really.” She chuckled and placed her hand on her hip. “He’s my foster brother. Gina and Tripp Kingsley are our foster parents. I’ve been with them for four years, just before Collin showed up. I’ve got two other baby foster siblings. If you take away the awkward court dates, the social workers, and the deranged bio-parents, we’re pretty much a normal family.”

  My forehead wrinkled as I tried to make sense of what Ally had just said. I hadn’t realized Collin had an entire foster family. And I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Ally and Collin’s relationship. They weren’t really related, but she did call him her little brother. That didn’t sound anywhere close to romantic.

  “Oh, okay,” I said nonchalantly, leaning against the bar behind me. “I’d assumed you two were dating when I first saw you.”

  Ally made a comical gasp of horror at my suggestion and wrinkled up her nose. “Ew, no. He’s my annoying little brother. That would be so gross.”

  Relief swept over me and I chuckled nervously. “Ha, yeah, I suppose.”

  Her sharp gaze landed on my face and she smiled deviously. “Don’t worry, if you’re interested, he’s totally single and ready to mingle. I happen to know that for a fact.”

  I gaped at her, feeling my blood pulse rapidly through my ears. “What? No! It’s not like that at all.”

  “Sure, sure.” Her grin grew wider and she glanced over my shoulder. “But I know when my little brother has it bad, and he’s totally into you. Just look at the way he’s staring at you.”

  She couldn’t be right. That was absurd. But my curiosity got the better of me. Turning suddenly, I caught Collin watching us from a small table near the middle of the room. He was sipping on a soda and when our eyes met, he froze.

  There was something different in his gaze. A heated expression I hadn’t seen before. But just as soon as I saw it, it was gone, and Collin went back to watching the stage. My gut twisted in response and I tore my attention back to his foster sister.

  “He’s just standing guard to make sure I don’t make a run for it,” I said with a nervous laugh. No way in a billion years did Collin think of me like that. And I wouldn’t have dated him if he was the last man on Earth. “He knows this isn’t my kind of thing.”

  “Right...” She arched an eyebrow and shook her head. “We’ll save that topic for another time, then. So, what is your kind of thing? What kind of music do you like?”

  I shrugged. This was a safer conversation. “I like country music. Some rock and pop.”

  She looked back down at the book of songs and began to shuffle through it. “I’ve got an idea. Just let me make sure we have it...” Stopping near the end, she clapped her hands together and grinned. “Yes! How do you feel about a little Swift? You Belong With Me?”

  My chest inflated suddenly. I couldn’t think of a better song to perform my first time in front of an audience. Ally was brilliant.

  “That’s perfect! I’ll do it.”

  “Yes, it really is perfect, isn’t it?” Her eyes twinkled with an ornery glow. “It’s got a great message, don’t you think? By the way, you’re on next.”

  She walked away before I could respond, leaving me to stand on my own and mull over her words. You Belong with Me had been one of my favorite songs for a long time. I could totally feel the frustration of being the girl in the stands and watching the sexy cheerleaders down below get all of the attention from guys.

  Of course, now I was off the stands,
but stuffed into a hideous mascot costume. If there was such a thing as a man repellant, that was it. Collin wasn’t into me. He couldn’t be. Girls like Savannah were much more his speed.

  The man singing a very tipsy version of Sweet Caroline ended his song with a mic drop and sauntered off the stage. Amid the applause, Ally hopped up to grab the mic to put it back into its stand and waited for the noise to die down. After a couple of wolf whistles from a few guys in the back, she broke into a beaming smile and leaned into the mic. “All right, Rock Valley, we’ve got a special treat coming up for you! Performing for the very first time is Audrey. Please, give her some love and encouragement.”

  A crazy roar broke out over the room and I hesitated, feeling as if my feet had been glued to the floor. Ally waved at me, urging me to follow her on stage. This was it. If I couldn’t do this, then I couldn’t do the big centennial performance. My entire senior year would be shot. Not to mention, a lifetime of Grammy award speeches I’d scripted in my head. With a deep breath, I began to walk toward her, doing my best to ignore the obscene amount of eyes on me at that moment.

  Immediately, a sweat broke out on the back of my neck and trickled down my spine. The spotlight on the stage was blinding and hot. Ally shoved the mic into my hand with a grin and ran off to start the music. I turned to face the audience, holding a hand up to shade my eyes.

  Maybe, if I concentrated hard enough, I could make them all disappear. If there was a time to develop super powers, now was it. Before I passed out and humiliated myself in front of a million strangers — and Collin.

  “You’ve got this, baby!” A woman shouted to my right.

  I waved half-heartedly at her, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. The moment I did, any courage I had left would disappear. Poof. Into thin air.

  Suddenly, the familiar melody of the song began to spill from the speakers. To my left was the karaoke screen, lighting up with the lyrics. I swallowed hard and focused all of my attention on it and getting my voice to work. The first few words of the song came out like a whisper, barely audible in the crowded restaurant. However, I knew this song like the back of my hand and the more I sang, the more confident I became, until eventually my voice soared over the crowd.