by RH Tucker
“No, it’s the choir room!” I hear Natalie yell at him.
“No, it’s the band room,” he argues back before they are out of earshot.
We head towards the gym, and as we get there Matt pulls the door open for me, still holding my hand.
“Aw, you two look like a real couple,” I hear a voice call out and turn around to see Carter standing under a basketball hoop.
Matt glances down at me, a shy smile crossing his lips before he lets go of my hand. I have to fight off a frown, my palm feeling empty without his.
“How’d they hook you into this?” Matt asks as we walk over to him.
“They tried to get Coach to hold the riddles, but I said I’d do it.”
Matt laughs. “You do know Sarah will be coming by, right?”
“Yeah.” Carter shoots Matt an annoyed smirk. “That’s if she can figure out the riddles.”
“Bret’s pretty smart.”
“I guess.” Carter looks through envelopes, and I see different names on them. He pulls the envelope out that has ‘Matt & Isabel’ written on it and my heart flutters. I haven’t written out a crush’s name in a notebook since freshman year but seeing our names together like that makes me all giddy. “Here you go.”
He pulls out a small coin that looks like a basketball, which must be our clue to show we solved the riddle. Then he hands the envelope over to Matt, who hands it to me. “I read the first one, so you do the honors.”
“Aw.” Carter sighs, but has a huge grin on his face. “What a sweetheart.” He clasps his hands to his chest, mocking Matt.
“Shut up,” Matt shoots back, but still smiling.
I tear it open to read our next riddle. “Okay … Slow and steady win the race, as long as you keep the proper pace. But rhythms can be fast or slow, so watch the notes as the melody floats.”
“Band room?” Matt asks me.
“What if it’s the choir room?”
“Well, they’re right next to each other.”
“It’s the band room,” Carter gives us a loud whisper, smirking.
“Dude, you’re not supposed to help us.” Matt laughs.
“You’re my best friend,” Carter says, before looking over at me. “And who knows, maybe someday, a best friend-in-law?”
My cheeks blush, as I look down.
“You’re really not funny, Carter.”
“I beg to differ.” He laughs.
“All right, let’s go.” Matt grabs my hand, and we head for the doors.
“Good luck!” Carter yells out, and I can hear the laughter in his voice. “I’m rooting for you two.”
“Sorry,” Matt mutters as we jog over to the band room.
“It’s fine.” I’m still blushing, but it helps that Matt feels a little embarrassed too.
We reach the band room and look around, searching for anything that might hold our next clue.
“I don’t see anything, do you?” Matt walks up a few stairs, looking around at the instruments.
“No.” I turn around and then look back at the riddle. “Wait,” I say, re-reading part of it. “So watch the notes as the melody floats.” I turn around and look at the front of the classroom where a podium is set up. It’s at an angle, so we can’t see if there’s anything on the front.
Matt races down, reaching it first. “It’s here.”
He grabs an envelope and tears it open, pulling out a small music note keychain and another riddle. “Okay, From way up high, stars shine bright. But the brightest stars shine when given the spotlight. Just be sure to dress the part.”
“Drama room,” we say in unison and take off.
Running down the hallways, we pass Jen and Franco, who seem to be having fun with the scavenger hunt. Then we pass Natalie and Sam, and I can still hear the arguing.
“That’s insane. It says net!” Sam yells.
“I know!” Natalie replies. “As in soccer net.”
“That’s not what it means!”
“Yes, it is!” she screams back, and Matt and I look at each other, both holding in a laugh.
We make it to the drama room and Mrs. Douglass, the drama teacher, is sitting behind her desk. We both run over to her, but she just flashes as a coy smile and doesn’t say anything.
“Where is it?” I ask, looking around.
“I don’t know.” Matt scans over her desk, as she takes a bite of a salad she’s eating. “Um, Mrs. Douglass?”
“Sorry, I’m not allowed to help.” She grins.
“Read it again?” I say, and Matt pulls out the paper.
He starts reading under his breath until he gets to the bottom. “…given the spotlight. Just be sure to dress the part.”
“Wardrobe closet!” I yell. Cindy took drama freshman year, so I know there’s a huge closet somewhere in the drama building but have no idea where.
Flashing a worried look at the teacher, she smiles again. “That’s the key,” she says, pulling out a key and handing it to me. “Keep the key. Closet is on the second floor, all the way at the end.”
We both spin around and head to a small flight of stairs and run into a huge walk-in closet. Looking around, I skim through racks of clothing, looking for anything that looks like an envelope. It’s darker in the closet, with only one fluorescent tube lighting the area. Matt walks towards the end and scans another rack of clothes.
“I don’t see anything, do you?”
“No,” I answer, walking around a long line of different costumes.
At the end of the rack, there’s a mannequin set up with different colored boas wrapped around it and a hat on top. But attached to the chest with tape are two envelopes.
“Oh, here!” I call out, and Matt rushes around to it. “Only ours and Sam and Natalie's are left. You think we’re far behind?”
“Maybe, but we can still catch up.”
He reaches for our envelope and hands it to me again.
“Okay.” I open it and start to read it when both of our phones buzz. Worried eyes shoot to Matt, as he pulls out his phone, before giving me a slight frown.
“Someone finished?”
“Yeah.” He nods. “Sarah and Bret.”
“Sorry.” I fold up the envelope, slipping it into my pocket.
“Don’t be.” He reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry we didn’t get you those extra votes.”
“Yeah, right.” I snort, making him smile wider. “I definitely don’t need to be prom queen.”
“You should be,” he says, letting go of my hand and running it over some of the costumes. “See anything in here that would go with your dress?”
“Actually, I do,” I answer, keeping my eyes on him.
“Oh yeah, what?” He rummages through a few pieces. When I don’t answer, he looks back at me, and it registers what I mean. “Oh really?” He gives me a flirty smile.
“Maybe.”
“You know, I can see those smoldering eyes anytime I want now?”
I turn my head to the side. “How’s that?”
He pulls his cell phone out and unlocks it, flashing me the screen.
“You didn’t.”
“I did.” His grin encompasses his face.
I reach for the phone, but he jerks his hand away, raising it in the air. “Matt, you can’t do that.”
“Why not? You sent it to me.”
“Yeah, but …” I reach again, knowing I won’t be able to reach it but still clawing at his arm. “That’s private.”
“And it’ll stay private.” He laughs, wrapping an arm around me, keeping his other arm high in the air. “It’s for my eyes only. That’s why I locked my phone.”
I stop struggling for the phone but stay close to him. “Fine.” I pout my lips.
“You should feel honored.”
“Oh really? And why is that?”
“Because I replaced my Selena Gomez wallpaper with you.”
I scoff, trying my best to act like I’m insulted when I actually fee
l a little flattered. Not so much that he replaced his previous wallpaper, but that he even put my picture on his phone at all. Knowing he wants it there, to look at me whenever he wants, sends a shiver through my body. I look up at him, meeting his eyes, before finding his lips. Bringing my hand up to his chest, I feel his hold around me tighten. Somehow, the large, dim closet feels smaller. And darker. He slips his phone into his back pocket, before reaching up, his thumb brushing across my cheek then tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
Reaching my hands up, my fingers slide across his jaw, feeling the stubble that he hasn’t shaven away in a couple days, before clasping my fingers behind his neck. Slowly, he lowers his head down, resting his forehead against mine.
“Iz,” he breathes out my name. “I … you …” His Adam’s apple bobs, as he closes his lips.
“What is it?”
“I …” he tries again, but his words falter.
I’m not sure what he’s going to say or why he’s hesitating. Maybe he thinks the same thing I do, and just doesn’t want to get into an argument again. Or maybe he’s going to ask me out again. No matter what it is, I’m fully intent on answering with a resolute yes to any and everything. But there aren’t any more words.
His lips find mine, and I let out an involuntarily moan, finally being able to savor his lips again. As soon as they touch mine, my body is on fire, and I never want the flame to go out. I wrap my arms tighter around his neck, wanting whatever space there is between us to disappear forever. His tongue slides across my bottom lip, and I welcome it with mine. His hands run up my waist and then down, clamping around my butt, sending even more excitement through my body.
His lips break away from mine for a moment, but only to travel down my chin, then along my jaw and down my neck. After one last kiss along my neck, his mouth finds mine again, and I take a small nibble out of his bottom lip. Our tongues find one another, as his hands roam up my back, my fingers running through his hair.
I could stay in this closet with Matt for hours, days even. But we’re interrupted as someone comes in through the door.
“I’m an overachiever, what can I say.” I hear Natalie’s voice coming towards us. “I know they won, but still—oh!” She stops in her tracks, looking between Matt and me.
“What is it?” I hear Sam say behind her, before finally coming into view.
“Sorry,” Natalie squeaks, before turning around and ushering Sam out.
Matt looks at me with a lopsided grin. “Always getting interrupted.”
I feel my face on fire, but know it isn’t from being caught with him. “We should probably get going.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he answers, keeping his gaze on me.
I walk around the rack of clothes, towards the door. As I get to the doorway, I turn around and see Matt still standing in the same place, resting an arm on the rack, biting his lip nervously.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “You go ahead. I, uh … I need a couple minutes,” he says as he shifts.
“Oh.” I pinch my lips together, feeling a new wave of heat flash over my face. “Okay.” I smile back at him as he keeps a playful smile on me.
Chapter 30
Matt
I think I’m falling for you.
Those are the words that I couldn’t get out. As soon as my lips parted, I got scared. And nervous. As much as I’m normally calm and collect around girls, Izzy does something completely different to me. Ever since telling Carter and Lucas about myself and her, I’ve been feeling like I should just do it. Just accept her prom ultimatum. Even if the rest of the school saw me and laughed their asses off, I’d still have my closest friends. And I’d still have Izzy.
I tried a second time to spit out the words, but we were past words by then. Only a couple seconds went by, but everything shifted, and I couldn’t stop. We couldn’t stop. Her hands were on me, my arms were wrapped around her, and I could smell that scent that always got me. Her lips tasted as good as I remembered. No, even better. And I didn’t notice exactly how worked up I got until Natalie barged in on us. Thankfully, she and Sam left quickly, and then I had to let my um … excitement, die down.
Even with that embarrassing tidbit, I’m ecstatic the rest of the day. And I’m not nervous about what I’m feeling anymore. I’m embracing it. I’ve known I liked her, but I know after the costume closet, it’s more than that. There’s something beyond words going on between us. So, screw my facade. I have to tell Izzy that I’ll go to prom dressed as Spike, or a Ninja Turtle, or however she wants me to go, as long as I go with her. As long as she knows how I really feel about her.
I head straight to the parking lot after school to find her before she leaves, grinning at just the thought of being able to spend time with her when we go to prom. The grin disappears as I see Oscar talking to her, leaning against her car. My feet freeze by the gate as I watch her eyes on him. First suspiciously, then she raises her eyebrows, almost in shock. A small smile creeps across her face, and he says something that makes her laugh. He leans closer to her, almost like he’s going to kiss her, but she pulls back, and he straightens up.
What. The. Hell.
His car’s parked two spaces over, and he walks over to it, getting in. Before he leaves, he rolls his window down and waves at her, saying something else.
I take a deep breath and finally get my feet to work again, heading over to her. She sees me and smiles, looking as if everything is fine. It’s been less than two hours since the costume closet, but I feel like everything has changed.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she answers, smiling.
“Were you just talking to Oscar?”
She looks to where he was parked then back at me. “Oh, yeah.”
“About what?”
“Nothing, really. It was weird, actually. He asked about prom.”
“About prom?” My brows shoot up. “Like, asking about it, or asking you?”
“I don’t know.” She chews on the inside of her lip, staring at me. “I think me.”
“He asked you to prom?”
“Yeah.” Her tone shifts, giving me an uneasy look.
“What’d you say?”
“I said I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” My voice gets louder.
Crossing her arms, I can tell she’s getting upset, but I’m already there. “Yes. I don’t know. It’s not like I have a date to prom, right?”
“Well, no, but …” I lose my words, shaking my head.
“But what, Matt?”
“What about us?”
Her arms stay folded as her eyes scan my face in confusion. “Us?”
The anger’s dying down, replaced by annoyance. “Yes. Us.”
“What about us? You turned me down, remember?”
“Isabel, I didn’t turn you down. If anything, you turned me down.”
“Really?” She tilts her head to the side. “Because as I remember it, I told you I would go with you. All you had to do was dress in a certain suit.”
“Fine.” I run a hand through my hair, taking another deep breath. “Then what about the other stuff?”
“What other stuff?”
My jaw drops. “Oh, I see. We’re just hooking up when no one’s around, making out in costume closets, but it’s no big deal.”
She looks as insulted as I feel. “You know that’s not true.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Really? I can’t even …” She looks at the ground, shaking her head.
“Oh, but you can with Oscar?”
A sudden jolt gets sent through me, and not the good kind, as her hand swings quickly across my cheek. “At least he’s real.”
“Yeah, a real dickhead.”
“Better an authentic dickhead than someone too afraid to be who they are.”
Aaaand, we were back to this again. Shit. How did this happen, when just a couple hours ago I was ready to confess my love to this gir
l?
But I don’t have any more words. She doesn’t either. She scowls at me as she gets in her car and drives away. Walking over to my car, I swing open the backseat door and throw in my backpack, then slam it shut. Letting out another sigh, I kick the tire, cursing under my breath.
I’m still fuming as I get home and it doesn’t help that today of all days, my dad decides to be home in the afternoon for once.
“Matt?” he calls out from his office.
“Yeah,” I answer, heading to the hallway, happy to just try and ignore him.
“Come in here for a minute.”
Dropping my bag on the couch, I head to his office. Pushing the door open, he sits behind his desk, a mountain of paperwork there as his pen glides over a smaller stack.
“What’s up?” I say curtly.
“You tell me,” he answers, not taking his eyes off the stack of papers.
“Uh, I just got home. I don’t know.”
“Okay,” he says as he sets the pen down and folds his fingers over the papers.
He’s a thin and fit man, late forties. My mom always said I look just like him, except he’s had this bushy mustache for as long as I can remember. I asked him when I was younger why he never shaved. He said it gives him a more authoritative look when he’s in the courtroom.
“I haven’t heard any more about the applications.”
Damn it. I was really hoping he wouldn’t notice that since no one knows. Well, Izzy knows, but I don’t really want to think about her right now. Actually, I do, and I don’t.
“Matt?”
“Oh, yeah. I think they’re still processing or something.”
“Really?” He eyes me, suspiciously.
My father isn’t a simpleton. One of the best defense lawyers in the area, he also knows when people are lying. I’m almost positive he knows something is up, but I’m hoping he just lets it go. Unfortunately, he doesn’t.
“Yeah,” I lie. “You know, admissions offices can take a while and—”
“Don’t bullshit me.” His tone is direct, and my mouth snaps shut. “Did you forget, I have a friend in UC Irvine’s admissions office. He said they never received an application from you.”
