by Emma Dalton
I smile. “We do. And we make one heck of a fake relationship.”
He chuckles. “Yep.”
My eyes widen. “Oh my gosh! I totally forgot. I have something for you.”
His eyes light up in curiosity as I reach into my pocket and retrieve the small piece of paper.
“Close your eyes, boyfriend,” I say.
He looks at me suspiciously.
“Come on!” I urge.
He shuts his eyes and I can’t help but stare at how beautiful he is. Everything about his face is perfect, his chiseled jaw and smooth skin, his long lashes and beautiful mouth. But there’s more to this wonderful guy than a pretty face. He’s kind and deep, cares about his family and his friends. He’s so desperate to make his parents and dead brother proud of him. My article doesn’t do him justice. If I was able to, I’d write a whole book on this amazing person.
“Uh, Kara?” he asks. “What’s going on?”
Dang it! I forgot he’s still standing there with his eyes closed. “Sorry, just one more second.”
He waits patiently as I take him in one more time. “Hold out your palm.”
He twists his lips like he doesn’t trust me.
“I won’t hurt you or anything,” I assure him.
“I know you won’t. Okay.” He holds out his palm.
I try to hide the excited giggle bubbling up inside me before I carefully place the piece of paper on his palm. “Okay, you can look now.”
His eyes pop open and he glances at his palm. With wide eyes, he scans the word. “A ticket to the Falcons game this Sunday?” His eyes grow even wider and his jaw is about to sweep the floor. I’ve never seen anyone so shocked and excited before in my life. And it makes me feel so warm and good and excited for him.
His eyebrows furrow as he looks at me. “Just one ticket?”
“My dad has the other one. I was supposed to go with him, but I think you should go instead. You’re still trying to win him over, right?”
“Yeah, thanks so much. But are you sure he’s okay with my taking your place? I don’t want to impose. And you’re okay with it, too?”
I nod. “I’ve been to many games with him. And my dad is really looking forward to going with you. But he’ll be tough. You are my boyfriend after all and he’s very overprotective of me.” I roll my eyes. “But don’t let any of that discourage you. Show him the amazing and talented person that you are.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” His face changes. “Hey, I was wondering if you want to go to a party with me this Saturday at DeAngelo’s house?”
He’s inviting me to go to a…right, of course. As his girlfriend, we should go places together. “Okay, it sounds like fun.”
“Cool. Great. Ready to head to class?”
I’m about to tell him for the millionth time that he doesn’t have to walk me, when the football team comes out of nowhere and sweeps Brayden along with them, talking about my article. Brayden’s eyes catch mine as he’s whisked away and he smiles. I wave.
Then I glance around. Wow, the kids are actually reading the newspaper. I’m not sure how many will be returning customers, but at least we have this win. Martina and the rest of the team are probably so excited. The hard part? Figuring out what to write for our next issue.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a voice demands from behind me. Whirling around, I find Teagyn standing before me, flanked by most of the cheerleading squad.
Her arms are crossed over her chest and she flares her nostrils. She steps closer to me, her heels clacking on the floor. “Who do you think you are? Trying to worm your way into the popular group? You can date Brayden and you can try out for cheerleading, but you’ll never be like us. Never.”
I ignore her and turn around to head to my locker, but she grabs my arm, spinning me around to face her. “I’m not done yet. I don’t know how you did it, how you manipulated him into thinking he’s into you, but someone like you has no business dating someone like him. You’re trash and he’s gold. Trash goes with trash and gold goes with gold. Know your place, loser.”
I know this—of course I know this—but hearing her say that stings. Brayden’s a good person, a good friend, but that’s all. Sometimes I get so swept up in him that I forget we’re just that. Friends who will go our separate ways once my dad recruits him.
Teagyn steps even closer to me, forcing me to back into the wall. “He’ll come to his senses and break up with you. Maybe you should save yourself the heartache and tears and end things with him first. I mean, we wouldn’t want you to cry in front of everyone again.”
She’s referring to cheerleading tryouts, but I shove that memory away. “No,” I tell her. “I’m not going to break up with him. And it’s none of your business.” The bell rings. “I need to get to class.”
I make a move to leave, but she steps in my way. She glares at me, her lips pressed in a tight line. She can get as mad as she wants, but she can’t do anything about it. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that Brayden loves me and will never leave me, but of course I don’t say that. First, that’s not true. Second, I’m not that brave.
But I do manage to slip past her death glare and head to my classroom. Luckily, I don’t share any classes with her or I don’t know how I would get through the lessons. I get very uncomfortable when someone hates me.
It’s ridiculous that she’s getting so worked up over my fake relationship with Brayden. Does she even know him? Like him? Does she want him only because he’s the quarterback?
Okay, I’ll admit that I didn’t know anything about him and initially had a massive crush on him due to his looks. But now I know him. He’s more than just good looks and talent. He has a huge heart, a never-ending amount of kindness and care. He’s what I always imagined my perfect guy would be.
But what does it matter? At the end of the day, he and I are just two strangers who have an agreement. Once that’s over, Teagyn is free to sink her claws into him.
The thought of that makes me feel like someone is stabbing my stomach over and over again.
“Kara?” the teacher asks.
I blink up at her. “Yes?”
“I asked the class if anyone worked on the chemistry homework. Seems like no one bothered. Why don’t you enlighten your classmates? Oh, and I read your article in the Edenbury High Times. Very fascinating and well written. I enjoyed it immensely.”
I smile, my cheeks heating up. She’s never complimented me before, probably never even read it. It’s a great feeling to know people are enjoying my hard work.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Would it be lame to admit that I’ve never been to a high school party? Maybe, but the fact that Dani, Charlie, and Ally haven’t been to one either makes me feel better. Charlie was adamant about not going at first, but she wants to be my moral support. Dani has always wanted to go to one but was never invited or had no one to go with, and Ally is a little freaked out by it. She doesn’t do crowds. But she is very curious. And isn’t it every teenager’s rite of passage to at least attend one high school party in their lifetime?
Since none of us have our licenses yet, Ally convinces—bribes?—her sister, Amanda, to drive us to the party. Brayden said he’d meet me there.
“This is exciting, isn’t it?” Dani gushes on our way to DeAngelo’s house. “Our first high school party.”
“Meh,” Charlie mutters as she works on a kid’s history report on her phone.
“I’m excited, but super nervous,” Ally admits. “I hope I don’t get lost in the crowd.”
“You can hang onto me,” Dani offers.
“Or me,” I tell her.
She shakes her head with a smile. “You’ll spend the whole night with Brayden.”
I’ll admit, the prospect of being at his side the whole night makes my heart float to the sky.
After twenty minutes, I hear music in the distance. Is that the party? Sheesh, you can hear it from so far away. Will one of the neighbors call the police
? Will I get arrested? No, I’m being ridiculous. But I hope nothing happens because I promised Dad I would be okay. Too bad the party is this weekend and not next, when he’ll be out of town. But I’m almost seventeen—he can’t treat me like a little kid forever. I know it’s hard raising me on his own, but I wish he wouldn’t be so overprotective.
“Is this it?” Dani asks when Amanda slows down in front of a large house. Wow, DeAngelo’s parents must be super rich. This might be the largest house in all of Edenbury.
“Will you pick us up?” Ally asks her sister once we’re on the pavement.
She scowls at her from the driver’s window. “The deal was to get you here.”
Ally groans. “I’ll do your chores for another week.”
“Sold.” She speeds away.
“I wish she’d move out already,” Ally grumbles.
“But then who would be our ride?” Dani asks.
“How old is she?” I ask Ally.
“She’ll turn eighteen next month. She was supposed to go to college this fall, but decided to take a gap year to…” She makes air quotes. “‘Figure things out.’ I swear, my parents love her more than they love me. Maybe if I wasn’t so shy…” She shakes her head. “Never mind.”
I put my arm around her. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
She smiles. “Thanks.”
“Ready to party like there’s no tomorrow?” Dani asks as she shakes her body awkwardly.
“Please don’t do that,” Charlie mutters with a laugh.
“Was it really that bad? Darn, I’ll never be a good dancer. I can kiss Broadway goodbye.”
“You still have time to practice,” I assure her. “I think you have rhythm, you’re just, um…”
“Too clumsy?” she offers. “But can any of you do this?” She steps back and does an amazing pirouette.
Charlie whistles. “Impressive, Wood.”
“I know.” She does an exaggerated bow. “Thank you ever so kindly. Took me years to master that.”
We all laugh as we make our way toward the entrance of the house. Many kids are drinking and talking outside. We squeeze through them, Dani and me grabbing hold of Ally’s hands so she won’t accidentally get lost. And when we get inside? Absolute madness. Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating a little, but there are so many people here and the music is so loud. The house isn’t too messy, but it’s obvious things have been pushed and kicked around.
“I feel so out of place,” Charlie says as she gapes at everything.
“I feel naked,” Dani says.
“Same,” Ally agrees.
“Anyone see Brayden?”
“Is that him with the football players?” Charlie asks.
I’m about to head over to him, when Dani closes her hand around my arm. “Wait. Let him come to you.”
“What?”
She playfully knocks her shoulder into my mine. “I know you guys are just pretending, but play a little hard to get. Let the man chase after you.”
My eyes grow large. “But what if he doesn’t come to me all night?”
She gives me a face. “And I thought I was the clueless one in the romance department.”
“She’s right, you know,” Ally says. “Boys love the chase. Let him play his part.”
“Okay,” I say unsurely. What if he forgets he has a girlfriend because—news flash—he doesn’t? Does that mean I won’t hang out with him the whole night?
And then I realize how ridiculous I am. He would only hang out with me for the pretense. While I could have a great time with my friends.
“Do you guys want to dance?” I ask them.
“What?” Ally looks like I asked her to sell her soul to the devil.
I nod toward the kids dancing in the large room next door.
“I can’t dance!” Ally gasps.
“I don’t do dancing,” Charlie tells me.
“I’m in!” Dani takes my hands and tugs me to the dance floor. “I’m going all out now. Don’t make fun of me.”
“I would never.”
“I don’t get to freestyle often,” she says as she starts moving her body. “Can’t fit it into my dance schedule.”
“What classes do you take?”
“Ballet, hip-hop, tap, and musical dance. I get free lessons in exchange for work, since my parents can’t afford them.”
“That’s cool. What kind of work? You give lessons to little kids?”
“I wish,” she says. “No, I clean the place.”
“Oh.”
“It’s not so bad,” she assures me. “Well, if you don’t count cleaning the toilets.” She wrinkles her nose and laughs. “But I’m thankful they let me take the classes in exchange for work. But it does push me back behind the others. My instructors see potential in me, but I don’t know if I can be as dedicated as the other dancers. And because I have no coordination, I have to work ten times as hard as them.”
“I’m proud of you, you know that?” I ask as the DJ switches to a faster beat and Dani and up our moves. “You know what you want and you’re going after it. I still have no idea what I want to do with my life.”
“You still have time,” she assures me. “But right now, all that matters is Brayden Barrington.” She winks.
I laugh. Then my face grows serious. “Has he even noticed me?”
She cranes her neck right and left. “I don’t think he’s even in here.”
I sigh dramatically. “I’m even invisible to my fake boyfriend.”
She giggles as she takes my hands and spins around. “Forget him. Have fun with me.”
I am having fun with her, of course, but it still stings that Brayden’s not even looking for me. I mean, I know he invited me here only because we’re supposed to be seen together in public, but does he like my company at all?
I catch Charlie making her way over to us with Ally hanging onto her arm. “We decided to give this dancing thing a shot,” she tells us.
“You decided,” Ally mutters. “You forced me to come.”
“You don’t want to be left alone, so you had no choice but to come with me.”
“I’m so happy you guys are here!” Dani takes both their hands and dances with them. “We’ll have so much fun!”
And fun we have. I never thought I would ever attend a high school party, let alone have a good time. Everything changes when you have friends to go with. I feel like I’m finally acting like a regular teenager.
“Kara?” a deep voice says from behind me.
I spin around and come face to face with Brayden. Oh gosh, he looks so yummy in his tight green T-shirt and dark jeans. And his smile is so warm it sends tingles down my back.
Dani gives me a nudge.
“Oh! Hi, boyfriend,” I say.
“Were you here long? I was waiting for you.”
“You were? Sorry. I was just having fun with my friends.”
He grins. “It looks like it. I don’t want to interrupt. I’ll be in the next room if you want to catch up.”
He walks away.
“Ugh, isn’t he the sweetest or what?” I groan.
“I’ll admit, that was pretty cool of him,” Charlie says. “He could have gotten annoyed at you for hanging out with us instead of him.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Ally says with a laugh. “She’s already hopelessly in love with him.”
That would be an understatement.
“What are you waiting for?” Dani hisses as she gently pushes me. “Go to your man!”
“He isn’t really my man…”
“Whatever, just get out of here.”
“Okay,” I say with a laugh. “See you guys later.”
I enter the next room and find him laughing with the football team. And the cheerleaders. Including Teagyn. Ugh, I can’t forget what she said to me on Thursday in the hallway. Even though she basically confirmed what I always believed—that someone like me couldn’t possibly be with someone like Brayden—she was still a jerk for saying
it. I’m glad I’m not on the cheerleading team and decided not to sit at the popular table anymore. Even though I do miss eating with Brayden.
She’s the first one to notice me approach and bristles like I’m a Dementor and turned the room cold. I ignore her and place my hand on Brayden’s arm. Wow, talk about being bold. It takes all I have to keep my hand there and not remove it with a startled gasp.
Brayden turns to me and smiles. “Kara, hey.”
“Hi.”
Jerry, DeAngelo, and some of the other football players greet me, some slapping me on the back a little too strongly. Sheesh, what’s with that? I try not to cough.
“Your home is so cool,” I tell DeAngelo.
His eyebrows furrow. “Thanks, I guess? This your first time here, Gander? I throw parties like every weekend.”
Teagyn scoffs. “This is her first party. Ever.”
They all gape at me. “You’ve never been to a party before?” one of the guys asks.
“Of c-course I’ve been to parties before,” I lie. “I go all the time. I’m like the party queen.”
“Cool.” Jerry fist bumps me. “Kara’s surfing the crowd once this party really gets started!”
“Surfing what?” I ask.
“Ignore him.” Brayden takes my arm and pulls me to the side, a place devoid of people and where the music isn’t too loud. “Sorry, is this too much for you?”
“What are you talking about? This is totally cool,” I lie again.
He studies me for a bit before saying, “Is this your first party, Kara?”
I sigh. “Yes, it is.”
He runs his hand through his hair. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it wasn’t your scene. You should have told me. They can get a bit too wild sometimes.”
“No, it’s totally okay!” I assure him. “I brought my friends with me. We’re having fun.”
“You were having fun,” he mutters to himself. “And I pulled you away.”
“What?” I ask.
“This arrangement,” he says. “It’s more to my benefit than yours. You’re missing out on hanging out with your friends because of me.”
