Why? Because he was a little man. Fine, he was a tall man, but he wasn’t popular and hot, he didn’t have girls falling all over him. If he knew that a cute little hottie like Alice was jonesing for him he’d eat it up. The dweeb had a chip on his shoulder that I could see from a mile away. It was totally obvious, I had no idea how Alice didn’t see it. Or maybe she saw it and didn’t care?
Whatever, the point was, I couldn’t let her out herself like that. She deserved better. At her denial, Julian’s look of confusion grew and his gaze darted between us. I upped the ante on my big, goofy grin and tightened my grip on Alice. “What she means is, we were supposed to see the movie but I had to get out of there.” I was scrambling to come up with a good reason for why I would make us leave a movie on this pretend date when Julian’s confusion turned to condescending mockery.
“Don’t do subtitles, huh?” He looked from me to Alice, giving her a little smirk. Oh ha ha, I get it, because I’m too dumb to read. So funny. This guy was a comedian.
I opened my mouth to shut him down but to my surprise—and Julian’s, I might add—Alice piped up, her voice quiet but steady. “He forgot his reading glasses.”
I held my breath to stop the laugh that wanted to come out. I also refrained from pumping my fist in the air in triumph.
But seriously, you should have seen Julian’s face. His shock was priceless. The best part was the flush of shame because Alice’s voice may have been quiet and she had that sweet, high-pitched thing that made even her snarky comments sound adorable, but there was no missing the judgement in her tone.
She had basically bitch-slapped Julian with that little comment. Her subtext clearly chided him for being rude.
He looked to me instead. Oh yeah, I knew that trick. I’d been on the receiving end of Alice’s judginess often enough to recognize the move. Focus on anyone other than the pious saint who was making your insides wither from guilt and shame and all the other gross emotions.
“You wear glasses?” he said.
I tapped my temple. “Nearsighted.” Or wait, was it farsighted for reading glasses?
Didn’t matter. Julian was already moving on. “So, wait…” He looked between the two of us. “Are you two, like…dating?”
I planned to say something noncommittal, but then I heard Alex’s voice behind me. “Whoa, whoa. Seriously?”
Oh hell. Mr. Drama himself joined our little group and he looked like he’d just gotten the scoop of the century. His eyes were lit up with amusement as he joined us, his finger pointing to me and then Alice, disbelief written all over his face.
I was supremely conscious of my arm which was still around her shoulders. I felt her try to pull away but I didn’t let go. Number one rule of playing it cool? You had to play it cool. I sure as hell wasn’t about to suddenly start acting like I’d been caught doing something wrong.
At Alex’s questioning look, I gave him the kind of guy smirk that spoke volumes. It said “Aw yeah. You wish you were me right now, because I scored a date with a hottie.”
Disregard the fact that the hottie in question was Alice Kern—a girl whose name Alex probably didn’t even know off the top of his head, or that she was so not my type. Yes, she was pretty in her own way, but she dressed like a hobo and she didn’t wear makeup or do her hair. Not that I really cared about that stuff, but the girls we hung out with did. Basically, she just wasn’t my type. But I was Brian freakin’ Kirkland. If I said pink shirts were cool, then they were cool.
I tucked Alice firmly against my side. And if I said Alice was the hottest of the hot, then she absolutely would be. I don’t follow, I lead, dammit. And Alice was hot. Any guy should be proud to date her…even if I was just pretending to date her.
It was only then that my mind fully caught up with what I’d done. I’d come over here to help Alice save her pride, but now…? Alex was practically salivating he was so eager to spread the news that I’d moved on.
How perfect was that? With one impulsive move I’d solved one of my image problems. No one would believe I was pathetically pining over Hayley if they thought I’d gone out on a date with another girl that very same night she’d dumped me.
Sure the other girl in question was Alice Kern, and not one of the sought after chicks in our class, but she was a girl and she was cute. I could work with this. I mean, she and I would be hanging out together anyway and now I wouldn’t have to explain that I was spending time with Alice getting one-on-one acting lessons because I sucked so bad at acting.
No, I’d just let the guys think that I was spending time with her because we were dating. It was a brilliant idea, really. I’d make her seem mysterious and cool. Every guy on the team would be jealous of my very own diamond in the rough.
The diamond in question was tugging away from me, clearly trying to ease out from under my grip.
No way, lady. I watched the way Alex was looking at us, sizing her up, the way Julian was eyeing me curiously and looking at Alice like he was seeing her for the first time.
That’s the way it was done, ladies and gentlemen. I singlehandedly made Alice Kern the most talked about girl in the school.
Or she would be once Alex opened his mouth.
She’d go from loner loser to being envied by the cheerleading squad. Alice should thank me.
She wouldn’t, but she should.
Everyone was watching us and I knew she’d ruin this moment given half a chance. She wouldn’t care that Julian was jealous—and I knew he was because I knew guys. She wouldn’t care that she would be envied.
She’d be all worried about the truth. I knew I’d be hearing from her about this later, but for now, the safest bet was to get out of there before she ruined everything and made us both look like lying idiots.
Alex and I were both heading to chem lab and he was hovering beside us, probably trying to drink in every moment of this absurd tableau—I mean, Brian Kirkland and Alice Kern? This was not exactly expected. I gave him a nod. “We should get to class.”
“Uh huh.” But he was still staring at Alice with a dazed expression, his eyes wide in disbelief. Julian was staring at her with the same expression, though he wasn’t even trying to hide his disgust.
That annoyed the hell out of me for some reason. What was wrong with Alice that it was so unbelievable that we might be dating.
Believe it, sucker. I turned her forcibly so she was facing me, pressed up against my side. Her eyes were just as wide and just as shocked.
At least she didn’t share their obvious disgust. Not outwardly, at least.
“I’ll see you after practice, yeah?” I didn’t wait for her to answer. I would see her tonight, I knew I would. We’d texted about where and when we’d meet to rehearse earlier in the day.
She opened her mouth—most likely to set the record straight—but I didn’t let her get a word out.
I stopped her with a kiss.
And then…time stopped. I don’t know how else to explain it. One second we were there, putting on a show for Julian and Alex, and then—they didn’t exist. Nothing existed outside of this moment.
I couldn’t hear anything except her startled gasp when my lips moved over hers, and then her soft whimper when the kiss turned epic.
Yes, epic. I said it. That’s the only way I could describe it. She was warmth and sweetness in my arms, her lips soft and perfect. It didn’t last for long. Probably just a heartbeat of our lips pressed together, our breath mingling, our bodies touching. And then Alex cleared his throat and I was jolted back to reality.
I pulled back, feeling like I’d just been run over by a truck. She looked stunned as well, her lips still slightly parted and her eyes dazed.
Holy hell, she looked hot. Not cute in a weird student librarian kind of way. Just…beautiful.
The bell rang and Alex smacked my arm. “Come on, man, we’re going to be late.”
“I’ll see you later,” I said to Alice, softly and just for her benefit. To be honest I felt kind of bad leaving
her there like that. Now she was alone and left to lie to her friend without my help.
Trust me, she was a terrible liar. She would need some help.
But it wasn’t just that. I felt bad leaving her there. Period. I didn’t want to walk away like that. Not when she was looking all addled and confused and lonely and sad.
I wanted to stay with her and tell the other two to scram. That’s right, scram. I had a crazy urge to kiss her again, and for real this time. Without an audience and without a time limit.
I glanced back over my shoulder as I followed Alex down the hall and saw Alice turning away, moving to grab something from her locker. She was going on about her day as if that kiss hadn’t happened. But I knew she’d felt it. I knew she was just as affected as I was.
It was a brief kiss, but it was powerful.
All I knew was, that kiss definitely didn’t last long enough.
Chapter Seven
Alice
I needed to get away from Julian so I could think. I needed space but he wouldn’t leave me alone. I grabbed my books from my bag and headed down the hallway. My head was buzzing, my heart pounding. All in all, my body seemed to have gone into overdrive. I wouldn’t have been surprised if little sparks started coming out of my ears. That kiss had shocked the hell out of me.
And I’d liked it.
I shook my head. Nope. I didn’t like it. I’d just been surprised, that was all.
And I’d liked it.
Shut it, brain.
But my brain wouldn’t stop and my lips were still tingling like they were refusing to let me forget just how much I’d liked that kiss.
I tried to outrun Julian but he wouldn’t leave my side. “I have to get to class,” I said.
He wasn’t listening to me. “I don’t get it. You’re dating Brian. Brian Kirkland. When did this happen?”
Good question.
“And how? Why?” He was shaking his head so hard it looked like he might hurt himself.
How? Why? All excellent questions. I waited for the most obvious question. Are you really or were you guys lying back there?
But that question never came and he didn’t seem to expect any answers to his myriad of nonsensical questions. I mean, they may have been valid questions if I was, in fact, dating Brian Kirkland.
But I was not.
And the fact that Julian didn’t know that—that he actually believed Brian’s lie? How could he not see through that stupid lie? How could he not see that Brian was being an ass.
Guilt made me shift my books as I ducked my head and avoided his questioning looks.
I didn’t feel nearly as guilty about lying to Julian as I should. What I did feel guilty about was being unfair to Brian, even if it was just in my head. Much as I’d like to believe he was just being an idiot, I had a suspicion that he’d actually been attempting to be nice.
Damn.
Just like the other night in my basement, I was forced to face the fact that maybe, just maybe, Brian wasn’t the selfish jerk I’d thought he was.
I mean, he was still self-absorbed and way too concerned with what people thought. But kissing me and pretending that we’d been on a date together just to save my pride?
It was actually kind of a little bit…sweet.
I clutched my books to my chest as I hurried along beside Julian. His legs were twice the size of mine so I was forever speed walking to keep up with him.
It was easier to focus on Julian, especially since he was still talking. I might not know what was going on in Brian’s head when he’d pulled that stunt but it was becoming abhorrently clear that Julian had bought it, hook line and sinker.
How was that possible? Did he even know me at all?
Well, I guess maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I mean, I hadn’t known he was dating the sexy barista. Maybe we didn’t know each other as well as we thought we did.
I came to a stop so suddenly Julian didn’t seem to notice and he barreled on ahead of me in the sea of students racing toward their classrooms, probably continuing to ask stupid questions that would remain unanswered.
Meanwhile I stood there, causing a traffic jam in the hallway because with one quick kiss that hadn’t lasted for more than a couple seconds, my life had turned upside down.
How the hell had that happened?
Maybe it wasn’t totally the kiss’s fault. Maybe it was Brian. What was he doing going around being all nice and noble while the guy I liked—the guy who was supposed to be all nice and noble—believed a blatant lie about me?
What did that say about Julian? What did it say about Brian?
And what did it say about me that in that moment I had no clue who my friend was or who I liked?
I shook my head. Don’t be stupid. You like Julian.
My tingling lips weren’t so sure.
But one kiss was not a relationship. It didn’t erase years’ worth of anger and pain. Someone bumped into me and I slowly resumed walking, not in any hurry to catch up to Julian with his incessant questions. I had questions of my own, thank you very much, and at the moment they seemed far more pressing.
Like, why had he done it? Why would Brian pretend to be dating me? And why on earth would he kiss me?
I couldn’t get any answers until this day ended.
I managed to avoid Julian for the rest of the afternoon. Luckily we had no classes together so it was just a matter of avoiding him in the hallways. I wasn’t proud of the fact that I was scurrying like a thief between classes, but it worked.
Still, by the end of the day, no amount of keeping my head down and dodging from classroom to classroom could stop the fact that people were paying attention to me.
Staring, really.
No one ever noticed me. Like, ever. I’d made being invisible a sort of art form. But today I might as well have been wearing neon orange for all the stares I got.
Or maybe a scarlet letter A would have been more apt.
Was it my imagination or was that group of girls whispering about me as I passed? Nope. Not my imagination. I caught whispers in class and in the hallways as word spread about me and Brian.
The fact that anyone believed it was laughable.
Except that I wasn’t laughing. Not even a little chuckle. I didn’t want to be the center of attention. I hated the spotlight. Whether I’d done something wrong or not didn’t matter, not to me and not to all the people gossiping about me.
This was why I’d never had an interest in popularity. It came with a sordid side that I detested. It came with rumors and bullies and whispers and gossip.
All the things that one never had to deal with as a loner.
I tried to ignore it. Brian would set the record straight at some point. He’d tell everyone that it had been a joke or something. He had to, right?
I mean, he wouldn’t want everyone thinking—
I stopped as I set foot in the theater after school. All talking around me stopped as well. It was like we’d all come to a monumental realization at the same exact time.
Oh my God. That was it. He did want everyone thinking that we were together. But not to save me from the humiliating experience of admitting to Julian that I’d taken one look at him with his date and bolted. Oh no. He’d done it to cover his own pathetic butt.
I’d heard the rumors this morning. Even with no friends, it was impossible not to hear about how the great Brian Kirkland had been felled by the lovely Hayley Hayes. A cluster of girls in homeroom had been making bets on who he’d hook up with next.
Spoiler alert, no one bet on me.
Of course they didn’t, because no one in their right mind would honestly think that Brian wanted to date me.
Only a complete imbecile would read something in a kiss that just wasn’t there.
Oh holy crap. For a girl who rarely cried, I was about to set a record this week.
Mr. Brenner didn’t seem to notice my hormonal crisis. He hurried over to me, his furrowed features a sure sign that I was about
to be thrust into an actual crisis. Mr. Brenner didn’t handle high pressure situations very well so when he looked at me like that—like he might be the one who was going to cry—I knew I’d be putting out a fire. Usually a hypothetical fire but once it was an actual fire.
Sparklers and taffeta are no joke, people. Consider yourself warned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as soon as he drew near.
“Hayley called out sick,” he said.
No. No, no, no. She wasn’t sick. There was no way. I’d seen her this morning. I’d passed her in the halls and took note of how incredibly perky she seemed for someone who’d just dumped her boyfriend.
She’d looked perfectly healthy. If anything she had a triumphant glow that I’d meanly attributed to her recent ratings spike in popularity thanks to the fact that she’d been the one to end things with the sought-after quarterback.
It seemed that the only thing better for one’s popularity than dating the king jock was being the one to call it off. She was now the one that got away. She was the one who was too good for the best that Briarwood had to offer.
She was evil.
At least, that’s what I’d thought at the time. And now? Well now I still thought she was the worst but for different reasons. It wasn’t difficult to see what had happened. Brian, the manipulative popularity genius that he was, had stolen her breakup glory when he’d lied about dating me.
How humiliating for her that the guy she’d said was heartbroken over her rejection had gone out with another girl that very same night.
Not only that, but the new girl in question was a weirdo loner. She’d been replaced by a loser.
A little part of me almost felt sorry for her. Almost. I mean, she’d gone to such lengths to date that arrogant bastard and had earned herself approximately half a day of glorious gloating before he’d flipped the narrative on her.
Poor girl didn’t know who she’d been messing with. I could have told her that nothing was more important to Brian Kirkland than his precious image.
A Whole New League (Briarwood High Book 2) Page 7
