Chapter Seven
T he next morning felt like fall, though two weeks of summer were still clearly visible on the calendar. I groaned, remembering why my alarm was set so early, and rolled out of bed to get dressed for a morning practice.
Unconstitutional.
I threw on sweats and a t-shirt while attempting to pack a reasonably cute outfit without completely opening my eyes.
It would be nice to live on campus so I could just run back to my dorm and change instead of having to haul all my shit with me.
I could have asked Kimmy to go to her dorm and change or leave some things, but truth be told, I didn’t want to need anyone else. It was bad enough I relied on Liv for most of my rides.
Whatever. Suck it up.
There was a half-eaten granola bar held between my teeth as I carried my bags outside at the sound of Liv’s horn.
“I literally want to poison Steph’s lunch with cilantro today, so we can stop with this double practice shit,” she stated emphatically when I heaved my ass into the Jeep.
“Cilantro isn’t poisonous. I think you mean cyanide. Either way, I’ll provide you an alibi,” I promised.
“So, entertain me with stories of your uber-hot boyfriend,” Liv demanded once we were on the road, and I had nowhere to run. She shot me a victorious grin.
“Don’t call him that.”
“Well, give me details so I know what to call him, then.”
“Ay, fine. There’s really not that much to tell. We went to the café, we ate, we chatted a bit, we drove to the river, he took me home.”
I bit my lip, wondering if I should divulge the argument, but I didn’t think I could handle Liv’s particular brand of advice-giving right then. I had only just decided how I wanted to proceed less than six hours ago.
“Back up. You went to the river?”
“Yes, that was my geographical location.”
“And theeeeeeennnnnnn?” she pressed.
“And then we made out, and he took me home.”
“I knew it!” Liv shouted, pushing me more forcefully than was necessary while at the stoplight. “Oh my god those fucking lips of his. Are they as heavenly as I imagine?” She licked her own lips dramatically.
“They might be,” I answered. My blood pumped a bit faster while thinking about the whole encounter at the river, and I felt anxiety creep in on my already-made-up mind about giving him another shot. I hoped the awkwardness would dissipate.
“I can’t decide if I hate you or want to be you right now,” Liv said, clearly annoyed with my lack of detail.
My head might have grown two sizes before I hopped out, kicking that anxiety right back out. My energy was ten times higher than when I’d left the house.
“You ready to show your spirit?” I questioned.
“Only if murder is out of the question,” Liv reiterated, and we trudged toward the gym.
* * *
Practice went better than expected, though Steph still wasn’t satisfied, and she confirmed our schedule for the rest of the week.
I showered and braided my hair in a fishtail, not in the mood to try and blow-dry it successfully in a room full of cranky cheerleaders.
The black hooded sweater and jeans I brought were not my usual vibe, but my brain couldn’t mix and match that early in the morning.
Yawning, I shuffled to class, not bothering to wait to walk with Liv.
I passed the door to my class and didn’t realize it until I was halfway down the hall.
I stopped short and sighed before turning around.
Sleep. Want. Now.
“Did you get lost?” Zack appeared in front of me, an amused expression on his face.
“Only mentally,” I responded, taking in the clean scent of whatever cologne he was wearing. He looked as good as he smelled in light-wash denim and a gray and white hooded shirt.
“You do look kind of tired.”
Gee, thanks.
“So, I guess it’s a good thing I brought you coffee.”
He unveiled a very large latte from behind his back, and the smell of it instantly brought a smile to my face. I reached for it, but he held the liquid goodness inches from my fingertips. Instantly, my eyes narrowed at him.
“Kiss first.” He smiled down at me.
On my tip toes, I leaned in towards his cheek, but he caught my lips with his instead and pulled me in closer.
I was surprised, but glad he seemed to be back to his charming self.
Smiling against his lips, I enjoyed the way his free arm was strong around my waist. Sliding my hands down his chest, I stepped back when I realized we were in the middle of the hall in the science building.
“Good morning to you too,” I stated, reclaiming my own personal space along with the coffee.
“I’ll bring you a muffin next time too and see how that works out for me,” he replied, his eyes roaming over my body.
“Or maybe you just bring me a muffin because you’re nice. Chocolate chip, please,” I retorted. He laughed briefly and took my backpack.
“Want me to walk you to class?”
“Sure. It’s a whole twenty-five feet away, but you can ensure my arrival.”
I couldn’t quite name the look on his face as he began the short walk down the shiny vinyl floors. Annoyance? Apprehension? I sighed, wishing we were past this I-don’t-really-know-you-yet phase. It was tiresome.
“So, what color corsage should I order for you?”
My heart skipped. Was he asking me to homecoming? Or assuming his way into taking me to homecoming? I glanced up at him.
“Are we going somewhere that requires a corsage?” I asked, feigning confusion and playing with the end of my braid.
He ran his fingers through his dark hair. “You’re gonna make things difficult, huh?” He smiled that delicious grin. “Would you like to go to homecoming with me, Miss Vanessa Roberts?”
I shot back a matching smile at my victory.
“I think I would. And I will have to get back to you about the corsage color after I pick out my dress. There’s a process, you see, you can’t just skip the dress-buying,” I explained playfully, brushing his arms with my fingertips.
“Can I make one request about the dress?”
“You can. I’m sort of picky about my clothing though, so I can’t promise to honor it,” I let out truthfully. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, making heat creep out onto my cheeks. My heartbeat made itself known in my chest, and I looked at him with narrowed eyes.
Someone is certainly sure of himself.
I answered with only a raised brow and a long sip of my latte, not sure I had a remark ready that was suitable for the situation.
“I’ll call you later; enjoy the coffee.” He kissed me on the cheek and handed over my backpack before making his way to class. I willed my body to calm down before walking into biology.
Cells, mitochondria, nucleus, I repeated while I made my way to my seat. I supposed it was no longer a question if he liked me. My friends were going to lose it.
Luke was grinning in a less annoying manner than usual when I took my spot next to him.
“What?” I asked, though I knew he would tell me anyway .
“Grades were posted last night. We aced our assignment. Because we’re awesome,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Do you want to, like, shake on it?”
He is so odd.
“No, god, you are so uncool,” he said, laughing, and he manipulated my hand into a complicated series of movements like a secret handshake. “There.”
“Now I’m cool?” I questioned incredulously.
“Well, you’re friends with me, so you were always cool by association, I guess.”
I swatted his shoulder and got out my notes. It may have only been a small introductory assignment, but getting an A was a good start.
* * *
I was almost knocked over on my way out of class by the force of nature that was Liv practically sprinting over to me.
“Oh my god, is it true? Please tell me it’s true. Is it? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Um, what? And I can’t say anything when you’re shouting at me. And cutting off the circulation to my arm,” I complained, extricating myself from my friend’s vice-like grip. “And can we get out of the doorway?”
“I’m sorry, but you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Her eyes rolled hard, but she at least moved down the hall while the rest of my class attempted to get out of the room.
“Fine. Yes, it’s true. But how did you even know that? It happened like an hour ago?”
“Well, from what I understand, your PDA beforehand was eye-catching. Britney from cheer saw you and told me. Anyway. Holy crap, V. Okay, so first, get one of his friends to ask me. Then, we shop.”
Liv’s well thought out plan was interrupted by Luke sauntering by.
“Did I miss something?” he asked, a smile on his face that didn’t quite ring true.
“Oh, Zack asked me to homecoming this morning. It appears Livy is more excited than anyone.”
Luke frowned slightly at my news.
“V. Listen, I don’t know if—”
“I’m sorry, am I invisible?” Liv asked, clearly annoyed.
Luke dropped my gaze and shook his head. “Of course not, Olivia. You’re far too delightful to be ignored.” He winked at her, and I huffed out a laugh.
“That is true,” Liv agreed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. It was impossible to know if either of them was being ironic. Or both of them? They were too snarky for their own good. “But whatever. I have class. You owe me far more details later,” she warned me before flitting down the hallway.
“She’s a lot,” Luke said, watching her go.
I ignored his comment. “What’s up? I’ve been up since the ass crack of dawn, and I’m starving.”
He glanced around the hall and tugged me by my elbow to an alcove next to a window overlooking one of the courtyards.
“Okay, what’s with the drama? You’re kind of freaking me out. You’re not, like, on drugs or anything, are you?”
I didn’t even know why I said it, but I genuinely couldn’t think of a reason he was being so weird. He immediately rolled his sea-green eyes and almost snorted at me.
“Yes, V, I dragged you over here so I could tell you I’m on drugs and convince you to, what? Get me into rehab? Get high with me? Do you even think before words come out of your mouth?”
“I think we’re done here,” I shot back, turning to leave, not loving that he was making me feel stupid.