Resisting the Rebel

by Lisa Brown Roberts

“You want a lift to work tomorrow night?” Cammie asked as she and Mandy sat down at Caleb’s lunch table.

  Before Mandy could answer, J.T. joined them, plunking down next to Caleb. Mandy didn’t know how Caleb felt about her maintaining the fake GF thing today, but she figured she might as well eat lunch with him. Especially because she couldn’t stop thinking of the notebook in his pocket, and all it signified.

  Caleb glanced up, shook his head like he couldn’t believe they were swarming him again, then took another bite of his pizza.

  “Sure,” Mandy said.

  Cammie nodded, tearing into her bag of veggie chips. “We have a birthday party. It’s gonna be crazy.”

  Mandy sighed as she opened her yogurt container. Build-a-Buddy birthday parties could get out of control, depending on how many kids showed up and how involved, or not, the parents were. Sometimes they were fun, though. She glanced at Caleb, wondering if he’d had any birthday parties after his mom left. Had his dad planned them? Or maybe Helen? The thought of a young Caleb with no mom at his birthday parties made her want to hug him, which she knew was a bad idea, especially in front of everyone.

  “You should have a birthday party there, Red Ranger,” J.T. joked.

  Caleb rolled his eyes and took a drink from his water bottle. “I don’t do birthday parties.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Mandy said, forgetting her vow not to embarrass him. “Birthdays are important and should always be celebrated.”

  “Yeah,” Cammie said. “Which is why you shouldn’t have bailed on your birthday, going to that stupid party with Gus instead of going dancing with J.T. and me.”

  She felt her cheeks heat, remembering that night Caleb had given her a ride home. He was remembering it, too, judging by his smirking face.

  “Wish I’d known it was your birthday that night, Disco. I’d have made it…special for you.” He arched an eyebrow, keeping his gaze pinned on hers.

  Cammie choked on her drink, and J.T. sat up straight, glancing at Mandy with an expression she couldn’t decipher. It was almost like he thought Caleb was funny. Which he most definitely was not.

  “In your dreams,” Mandy snapped, hoping to hide how much his words had impacted her, making her whole body flush and tingle.

  His responding grin was maddening. Infuriating. Stupidly sexy. “Oh, you’re definitely in my dreams. Starring role, in fact.”

  Cammie was choking so hard Mandy had to whack her on the back, which was at least a distraction from whatever game Caleb was playing. Because it was a game. It had to be.

  That real guy she’d hung out with yesterday? He was gone. Fake jackass boyfriend was back.

  Jiro and Liam approached their table holding trays of mystery meat.

  “Yo,” Jiro said, sliding next to Cammie. “You gonna live, Cam? I don’t want my girl choking to death.” Cammie held up a hand, gasping for breath, then managed to stop coughing long enough to give Jiro a quick kiss.

  Liam squeezed in next to J.T., who leaned over and whispered in his ear, making Liam blush. They shared a secret smile that made Mandy insanely jealous, then ridiculously happy for them, all in the space of five seconds.

  She glared at Caleb. This jealousy bad karma stuff was all his fault. She leaned across the table, grateful her friends were distracted by their boyfriends. “Well, you better enjoy those dreams, Your Broodiness,” she angry-whispered, “because that’s as close as you’re getting to kissing me.”

  He leaned across the table so their faces were within inches of each other. “Your Broodiness? That’s what you came up with?” He shook his head in mock disappointment. “And who said anything about kissing dreams, Disco?”

  Mandy sat back, blushing. “I-I didn’t mean—I…”

  He took a long drink of water, keeping his eyes on hers, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “My dreams are a lot more…involved…than just kissing.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, to scream, something, anything, but her vocal cords seized because now he was playing footsie with her under the table and sending her look-over-there messages with his eyebrows.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see Elle at a table, watching them with that freaky look made Mandy wonder if she was an escapee from Orange is the New Black.

  Mandy turned back to Caleb. “I could ruin this for you right now. Throw my drink in your face and storm out of here. Elle would be all over you.”

  “But you won’t do that. Right?” For once, he looked uncertain.

  She grinned, happy to have the upper hand again. “Give me one reason not to.”

  His eyes narrowed and he jutted out his chin. “Because of that guy,” he muttered. Mandy looked over her other shoulder to see Gus sitting with the lacrosse guys. Not with Kay. That was interesting. Gus caught her eye and smiled, and her heart skipped a beat. But then she turned back to Caleb, and her stomach tumbled over in a completely different way.

  No, she told herself. She glanced at Gus again. Gus was always sweet. Unlike His Broodiness.

  Caleb’s foot jostled hers under the table, and she turned to give him her most withering stare, but his sexy smirk heated her insides like a slow burn, making her forget all about wanting a sweet guy.

  Mandy was heading to the parking lot at the end of the day, having successfully avoided Caleb, when Gus caught up to her.

  “Hi gorgeous,” he said, blinding her with his smile.

  She stumbled on her mom’s platform clogs, but managed to smile back. “Hi, uh, lacrosse star.”

  His grin broadened and he placed a hand on her elbow, steering her away from the cars and toward the soccer field.

  “Can I talk to you, Mandy? It’s important.”

  She nodded mutely and let him lead her to a shaded enclave of trees bordering the field. Don’t get any ideas, she told herself.

  “So, here’s the deal,” he said, releasing her arm and running a hand through his messy curls. “I know I can trust you, right? Because you’ve always been there for me.”

  She nodded vigorously. Of course he could trust her. And of course she’d always be there for him.

  He dropped his gaze and shuffled his Converse shoes. “It’s…sort of embarrassing, but I need to talk to someone who will believe my side of the story.”

  “What is it?” she asked, finally finding her voice. “Are you okay, Gus?”

  He raised his eyes, shrugging. “I don’t know what to do, Mandy. People…some people…are talking crap about me. Saying stuff that’s not true.”

  Her pulse sped up as she thought of Cammie’s warning at the ice cream shop. “What stuff?”

  He glanced at her, then looked away, and she could tell he was embarrassed. Of course he was! This was terrible. She knew those rumors weren’t true. No way was he a groper.

  “Is it…” she took a breath, because she was embarrassed, too, but she had to let him know she understood, and that she was on his side. “Is it stuff about…girls and you, um, maybe pushing things further than—”

  “Yeah,” he interrupted, his expression panicked. “God, this sucks, Mandy. I can’t believe you heard it, too.” He dropped his gaze again. “You know me. You know I wouldn’t…” His voice trailed away, and he glanced at her from under his eyelashes, his curls shadowing his forehead.

  Poor Gus. Who would spread rumors like that? She pictured the sweet little kindergartner she’s grown up with. They had been by each other’s sides since day one, and the thought of someone hurting him hurt her, too.

  “Kay?” She felt a spark of anger as he nodded, still not meeting her eyes. Of course it was Kay.

  “We, uh, broke up and she’s…not handling it very well.”

  They’d split? She knew she should express sympathy, but a tiny part of her was secretly giddy, which she knew was totally bad karma.

  Be there for your friend, she told herself, don’t try to move in on him like a skank. He’s probably heartbroken. She took a step toward him, reaching out to touch his shoulder reassuringl
y. “You’re a great guy, Gus. I know that. I won’t believe anything Kay says about you. Whatever I can do to help…”

  He straightened, smiling in a way that reminded her it was him she wanted. Not Caleb. But that was wrong to be thinking, when he and Kay had just split.

  “I knew I could count on you, Mandy. You’ve always been there for me.” He ran a hand through his curls. “I know I haven’t hung out with you guys much since school started. But I needed to hang with the lacrosse guys. They’ve been playing together forever, and I just started on the team, so I needed to—”

  “I totally understand,” she said, her heart full of sympathy for him. Cammie had been totally unfair, saying he was ignoring them on purpose. Everyone needed friends, true friends, and Gus definitely needed them now. “You know we’re always glad to hang out with you.”

  He frowned. “I don’t know, Mandy. Lately J.T.’s been…” He shrugged again, kicking at the grass. “And Cammie, too.”

  Well, she would take care of that. “Don’t worry about them. They were just hurt that you stopped hanging out with us. I’m sure they’ll be happy if you do again.”

  He nodded, then shot her sideways glance. “What about your…boyfriend? Caleb? I don’t think he likes me much.”

  Time slowed and her pulse raced as she tried to figure out what to say. Was it time to give up the facade? Tell him that Caleb wasn’t really her boyfriend? But she needed to talk to Caleb first. Come up with a breakup plan, and fast.

  Because that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Her stomach twisted. Her feelings about Caleb were so…intense. Confused. Anyway, he’d never like someone like her, not for real. As soon as Elle left him alone, he’d probably never look at Mandy again, which made her surprisingly sad. She’d miss harassing him at lunch, and he really did need friends.

  Just like Gus did.

  She blinked, refocusing on the guy in front of her, who looked so worried, so alone. “Caleb will be fine with you hanging out with us. Don’t worry about him.”

  “You sure? He kind of, well… He’s not the type of guy I ever pictured you with.” His gaze locked onto hers, his blue eyes full of…something. Was that concern? Maybe, possibly, something else? She pushed the thought away, refusing to get her hopes up.

  Her heart stuttered, and she ran a shaky hand through her tangled curls. This was so unexpected. So confusing.

  “He’s, well, he’s…” She didn’t know what to say about Caleb, but the snow globe day they’d shared was enough to ensure she wouldn’t talk crap about him. “He’s…cool,” she finally said, which was pathetic and vague, but at least it wasn’t insulting. She wasn’t going to be like Kay and say undeserved bad stuff.

  Gus nodded, his intense blue gaze still fixed on hers. “If you say so. But just remember, I’m here for you, too, Mandy. I always have been.” He took a step toward her, reaching out and lightly brushing her cheek with his knuckles. “I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

  Mandy suddenly regretted wearing platform shoes because her knees wobbled, and she was pretty sure she was about to lose her balance. But at the last second she pulled it together, plastering a confident grin on her face. “That won’t happen. I know you’ve got my back, Gus, just like I’ve got yours.”

  She wouldn’t get hurt, now that the nice guy was back in her life. Maybe this was a sign from the universe, telling her that it was time to break up with Caleb. Get back to normal.

  Even if Gus never asked her to the dance, that was okay, right? He needed friends and she knew how to be a great friend, and so did Cammie and J.T. Plus, she was tired of all this hot-and-cold stuff with Caleb. Not to mention all the bad karma she was racking up by living a lie.

  She took a deep breath. Okay. She just had to fake break up with her fake boyfriend, and everything would be fine.

  …

  Caleb debated before sending the text, but then decided to just do it. He’d been kind of a dick today because of the swirl of feelings Mandy was stirring up. He was pretty good at stuffing feelings, but it wasn’t so easy with her. Maybe she’d figure out this was his version of an apology.

  ADHD superheroes: Michael Phelps. Will Smith.

  He waited for her reply, which didn’t come as fast as he wanted.

  Cool. Thx.

  He frowned at his phone, then typed, Justin Timberlake. Jim Carrey.

  Her reply came slower this time.

  So sounds like my career choices are Olympian, actor, or singer. No pressure or anything.

  He smiled and sent her a grinning devil face. Maybe all three.

  She sent back a smiley face, but nothing else, clearly ending their conversation.

  He sighed and set his phone aside. He’d do better tomorrow—tone down the asshole routine and act like…well, like a decent boyfriend.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

  Tuesday, September 27

  Caleb was surprised to find Mandy waiting at his locker in the morning holding to-go coffee cups. Surprised, but happy.

  “Gotta love a girl who brings her boyfriend coffee.” He reached for the cup she extended, brushing her fingers with his. She didn’t say anything, instead staring at the floor. “Uh-oh,” he said. “What’s up, Disco?”

  She raised her head, and he saw apprehension in her eyes. “I, um, need to talk to you. About something important.”

  Caleb grabbed his textbooks and slammed his locker shut. “Problem with your essay?” He felt confident he could help with that, based on how things had gone before. And he felt a little zing shoot through him at the idea of hanging out in the library at their corner table and joking together.

  She shook her head, glancing around at the growing crowd of students in the hallway. “No, it’s…personal. About our, um, deal.”

  Uh-oh. This didn’t sound good.

  “Okay,” he said, putting his free hand on her back and steering into a small, dark alcove that housed a dusty trophy case. “What’s up?” He sipped from his coffee, pretending he wasn’t worried about whatever she was about to say.

  She dropped her gaze again, biting her lip. “The thing is…I…we…I think we should break up. Fake break up, I mean.”

  He’d steeled himself before she said the words, hoping like hell his intuition was wrong, but it still felt like she’d punched him.

  “No deal, Disco. I still have a stalker.” Maybe that would be enough to convince her to wait, at least until he could talk to J.T. about his recon mission.

  He had to play this just right. Had to talk her the hell out of it.

  She glanced up, looking guilty and wary. “Um, but I…the thing is, Gus and Kay split. And he, um, well I think he might…”

  “Like you?” Caleb said, only it came out more like a growl than a question.

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure…but, well, he at least needs friends right now. Like me.” She swallowed.

  “You don’t have to break up with me to be his friend, Disco. I’m not possessive.” It was true; he wasn’t that kind of guy. But Gus was a special case, and if she was going to go all BFF on the Octo-Gus, he’d be around to…supervise.

  She sighed and shot him a frustrated look. “Caleb. This whole thing…it’s just kind of ridiculous. I hate living a lie. It’s totally bad karma.”

  “So let me get this straight,” he said, unable to stop the anger coloring his voice. “You’re ready to dump me for a guy who just dumped his girlfriend, like, two minutes ago?”

  Her eyes flashed, and he knew she was about to match his anger with her own. “Caleb, that’s ridiculous! You and I aren’t…real. This isn’t a real breakup.”

  Then why does it feel so real? His nostrils flared, and he told himself not to flip out. He couldn’t drive her away, not now. Not until he could prove that Gus was the wrong guy for her. Stalling, he drank more coffee, trying to figure out his next move.

  “Okay, so let’s say you’re right and Gus is…interested in you. Maybe even wants to take you to hom
ecoming.” Over his dead body would that happen. “Like I said, I still have a stalker. So we can’t break up. Not yet.”

  “Argh!” Mandy stomped her foot in frustration, sloshing coffee out of her cup. “This is ridiculous! How do we get rid of Elle?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “We already covered that. PDA, babe. That should take care of it.”

  “What?!” She screeched so loudly that people turned to stare. Including Elle, now hovering in the hall, eyes locked on them.

  Perfect.

  He smirked, moving in close, deciding to use the one advantage he had—the sparks that flared between them.

  “We have a deal, babe.” He took her coffee cup, and set both cups on the windowsill behind Mandy. Then he caged her in, trapping her against the wall.

  “Showtime, Disco,” he whispered.

  She glanced over his shoulder at Elle, then glared at him. “Right now, cutie?” she said loudly.

  He heard a few snickers at the “cutie” nickname.

  “Funny,” he whispered, then he raised his voice to be heard over the swelling crowd in the hallway. “You know that turns me on, babe. Call me cutie again.” He heard more laughter from other students as he lowered his face to hers.

  “We also had a deal about no shenanigans,” Mandy said softly as his lips brushed hers.

  He felt her chest rise and fall against his. “That was while we worked on your essay.” He heard her sharp intake of breath as his hands cupped her waist. “I’ll break up with you,” he murmured against her lips, “if you can look me in the eye after this kiss and tell me it’s fake.”

  He kissed her softly at first, waiting to see how she responded; he wasn’t going to be an ass like Gus and force himself on her, but he knew she wanted this as much as he did. Every time they argued the sparks crackled between them, and the times they were actually getting along…that was a whole other level of sparking.

  She made a sound in the back of her throat that made him crazy, then she melted into him. He deepened the kiss, molding his body to hers. She didn’t even try to resist, responding to his touch so willingly he had to remind himself they were in school. Still, he was going to push this as far as he could, because it might be his only chance to prove that this…connection…they had definitely wasn’t fake.