Nope #2
“Lacey’s right. You are, and maybe he can help you with econ and you can get to know each other better.” She gives me a hopeful look. “You’re not living with your parents anymore, so you can have a little fun, right? Meet someone new? Maybe date and stuff?”
“I dated last year.” I even lost my precious virginity.
He was nice, and I liked him, but it wasn’t an earth-shattering experience.
Still, it felt good to be wanted and to finally have some experience that had nothing to do with a freaking silicone pleasure device gifted to me by my grandmother.
“Besides, I may not be at home, but I still live with my brothers.”
“Well, they don’t have to know, do they? And it’s just tutoring. So what if the guy who wants to tutor you also thinks you’re pretty and funny?”
I dig another marshmallow out. “Okay. You can give him my number or whatever. If nothing else, I need the help, and it’s flattering to have someone say I’m pretty.”
“Yay!” She claps again, causing the cherry tomato on her fork to pop off.
It flies toward me, and I put my hand up, surprising all of us when I deflect it before it beans me in the head.
Unfortunately, my flailing arm smacks into someone walking by, and a tray goes clattering to the floor. Something warm splashes my leg.
Lovey and Lacey cringe, and I shudder at the high-pitched shriek behind me.
“Oh my God!”
I don’t want to turn around, because then I’ll be able to see how many people are staring at me.
As it is, the entire table in front of me has turned around to see what the commotion is about.
I can’t do nothing, though, because it’s my fault my leg is covered in someone else’s lunch.
Judging by the temperature and texture, it’s likely soup.
I turn slowly, feeling wet warmth trickling down my calf, ready to issue an apology and offer to pay for the lunch that’s now on the floor.
But my voice gets caught when I realize the girl is familiar.
She’s the one who was talking to her friend on the phone about Kodiak after she’d been with him that first day.
Even worse, one of the other girls is in my art class.
“Aren’t you going to apologize?” Her lip curls, and her eyes narrow. “Do I know you?”
“I’m sorry. That was totally my fault,” Lovey says.
The girl’s eyes shift from me to her, and then to Lacey. “It’s your fault this klutz spilled my lunch all over the floor?”
As if some kind of karmic god has heard my prayer, BJ drops down at the table between Lacey and Lovey. He slings an arm over both of their shoulders. “It’s my favorite set of twins.”
“Hey, BJ.” The girl from the first day tosses her hair over her shoulder and gives him a simpering smile. Apparently the dropped soup and my missing apology are totally forgotten.
BJ glances at me, concern coloring his features for a moment before he turns his megawatt smile on the girls behind me. “’Sup, Bethany.”
“Are you guys having a party this weekend?” she asks.
BJ shrugs. “Dunno.”
“Well, if you are, me and my girls are up for some fun.”
“I’m sure you are.” BJ nods, but I can tell he’s fighting not to laugh, or say something incredibly malicious.
“Okay, well, hopefully see you around.” She and her friends strut down the aisle, leaving the broken bowl and a puddle of soup at my feet.
It’s actually spread all the way to my backpack.
I pick it up off the floor and set it on the seat beside me.
I nab a napkin and wipe the soup off my leg.
It must have been some cream variety because it looks like a cross between puke and jizz.
It’s also all over my favorite pale purple Chucks, which means I’ll need to wash them when I get home.
BJ blows out a breath. “That girl is off her tits.”
“What’s her deal?” Lacey asks, lips pursed as she watches her walk away.
BJ shrugs, reaches around Lovey’s shoulder, and steals a cucumber slice from her salad. “Dunno, but based on what I’ve seen, she’s been bouncing around the hockey team circuit like a ping-pong ball.”
She rolls her eyes and elbows him in the side. “Why is it okay for guys to sleep with whoever they want and girls get labeled as sluts if they do?”
“I’m not calling her a slut. I just don’t think it’s smart to try to hook up with guys in the same friend group. It creates unnecessary drama.” He raps on the table. “Anyway, I got to get to class. Just wanted to stop by and say hi. I’ll see you later, Lav?”
“Probably?” The only place I tend to go other than home is the library or Lovey and Lacey’s, so there’s a pretty solid chance I’ll see BJ later.
I use a handful of napkins to mop up the puddle of soup before we take our trays over to the garbage and head out. Lacey and Lovey both have class. While we’re walking, Lovey sends Dylan a message asking if he’s interested in tutoring a friend in economics.
He responds right away, asking which friend.
Lovey throws me a saucy smile as she types my name. Less than fifteen seconds pass before a new message appears:
Dylan
When and where? I have time this afternoon.
Which is how I end up at the library less than an hour later in one of the study rooms with Dylan. He suggested a café, but that would feel too much like a date, and I’m less likely to run into any of my family members in the library.
The first few minutes are a little awkward, because I’m nervous and can’t remember everything I said to him when we were talking at that party. But he’s really nice and seems totally happy to help me out. He’s tall and lean with blond hair, gray eyes, and a nice smile. I pull out the test I failed.
“Oh wow, did you take this hungover?”
I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be a joke, but not really.
I smooth out the paper, feeling heat creeping into my cheeks.
“Unfortunately no. I just really suck at all the calculations, which is kind of ironic because my mom’s an accountant.
” I’m afraid I’m about to start rambling.
“Anyway, we only have this room booked for an hour, and clearly I need a lot of help, so . . .” I trail off.
The way he smiles at me makes me nervous. “I don’t mind. Let’s figure out where you went wrong, so we can get you back on track.”
An hour later, I sort of understand where I messed up, but I don’t think Dylan has ever tutored anyone, and he tends to skip a lot of steps by saying magic happens.
As far as I can tell, there isn’t any magic, just a lot of stuff that makes my brain hurt.
I’ll consider myself lucky if I pass this course.
It’s overcast when we leave the library, so Dylan offers to drive me home.
It’s not far, but on the off chance the threat of rain becomes real, I agree.
My palms start to sweat as soon as I get in the car.
I know him just well enough to make the ride possible at all, and now that I’m alone with him, my mouth goes dry.
A few minutes later, he pulls onto my street, and that tight feeling in my throat starts to ease up, which is good.
He’s been so helpful, and I don’t want to ruin it by acting weird.
I surreptitiously breathe in and out to the count of four, willing myself to stay calm and not say or do anything embarrassing or stupid.
“Whoa, these houses are huge,” Dylan says.
“Yeah,” I agree.
Compared to the house I grew up in, they’re not, but I’m aware they’re bigger than average. We pass BJ and Kodiak’s place, and I point to the house up the street. “I’m right here, number forty-four.” Three cars are parked in the driveway, meaning my brothers must be home.
“Holy shit.” Dylan whistles. “You live here?”
“Um, yeah.”
He turns down the radio, which means we can hear the music coming from the backyard. Judging by the bass, it’s Maverick’s playlist.
“Sounds like there’s a party.”
I wonder if this is his way of asking me to invite him in. “My brothers probably have friends over.”
“Right, you said you live with them.” He runs his hands over his thighs.
“Yeah.” Awesome, I’m down to one-word answers.
“Are they, like, cool with you having friends over?”
He’s definitely looking for an invitation. “Uh, I guess?”
Back in high school, some of my drama friends would come over in small groups, but the guys were usually in the friend zone, because, well . . .
“They’re a little protective.”
“Like, protective meaning they’ll grill me and do a background check to make sure I don’t have any speeding tickets?”
I think he’s trying to make a joke. “Um, that would probably be on the tamer side of things. My twin can be a lot to deal with.”
He glances at the house. “Right. Okay. Well, maybe next time we could study at my place?”