“Know what?”
“Aiden’s one of the best goalies in the state. He’s been our starter since he was a freshman, and we’ve won state the last two years. The dude already has scholarship offers about anywhere he wants to go, but rumor has it, he’d rather go to an Ivy League school. I also heard him talking about you, girly. I think he’s in love.”
I want to talk more about this subject. Like, are we talking love or lust? And just how many other girls is he in love with? I’m dying to know what he said. I want to scream, Tell me more!
But Riley quickly changes the subject. “So where’s the party tonight?”
Bryce shifts his eyes, making sure no one is around. “Keatyn, if there’s one thing your new friend can do, it’s party. He can drink Dawes under the table, and that’s saying something.” He turns to Riley and whispers, “Heritage 26B and 38B is the backup. Just you two, kay?”
Riley nods his head.
The boys take their trays and head over to their usual table.
Riley grins at me. “Told ya. I’ve got this place wired.”
“Yeah, you did,” I grin back. “And thanks for what you said. I mean, that was really cool of you.”
“And that surprised you?”
“Yeah actually, it did. I sorta thought you would be the kind of guy who would be bragging about it.”
“Well, normally, I am the kind of guy who will brag, but trust me, I don’t ever have to lie about it. I’m also feeling this strange need to protect you.”
I grasp the locket around my neck and pray to God he never needs to.
I bat my eyes at him. “I like that.”
“Ready to go to this lame ass mixer thing?”
Died and gone to hottie heaven.
7pm
We walk next door to where the mixer is being held, but when we get to the room, we see a note on the door that reads, Another Mixer?? How Lame!!!! Surprise, NEW STUDENTS!! Come to the carnival at the lacrosse fields.
“Did you know about this?” I ask Mr. Know It All.
“Actually, yeah, I did. But it’s like a surprise every year, and I wanted you to be surprised. Come on, let’s go have some fun.”
He grabs my hand and drags me as fast as my wedges will allow down to the far end of campus, which has been turned into a full-out carnival. There’s all sorts of food booths and games, a Ferris wheel, and even a dunking tank where you get to dunk the teachers.
Can I say I love it here?
I mean, sort of. Like, so far, for a high school, it seems like a pretty cool place. If I have to be sequestered somewhere, at least maybe it won’t be that bad.
Because a Ferris wheel?
“Hey, there’s Dallas.”
Dallas has a huge blob of pink cotton candy on a stick.
“Cotton candy is my favorite!” I shrill, sounding unexpectedly girly.
Dallas pulls some cotton candy off the stick and holds it up to my mouth. I open up, and he shoves the fluff all in at once.
I’m laughing with pink fluff hanging out of my mouth. No way it’d all fit. I bite off a piece and put the other half in my hand. Riley grabs my hand and puts it up to his mouth.
“Hey, that’s mine. I’m not sharing.”
Riley grins at me, puts my fingers into his mouth, and starts sucking the candy off them.
“Your sexy stud act won’t work on me,” I tell him.
He laughs and says, “Oh, it will. It’s also why I’ve never actually had a girl friend.”
“You mean a girl that’s just a friend?”
“Yeah, it’s not my fault they end up sleeping with me. Can’t resist my charm.”
“Riley, I will try my hardest not to sleep with you so that we can be friends.”
He laughs again. “Hardest is probably not the best choice of words, baby.”
I roll my eyes at him. He’s still sucking the melted candy off my fingers, and I completely understand why he doesn’t have any girl friends. The way he’s sucking my fingers feels so overtly sexual that it makes me blush.
I actually have to turn and look away.
And who chooses this exact moment to be in my line of vision? Who’s standing there watching Riley suck cotton candy off each one of my fingers?
The God of all Hotties himself.
I give him a Save me look.
And I’m not sure why. I don't really want to be saved from Riley. He’s kinda turning me on. But I think even though I’m not at all interested in the god, for some reason, I don’t want him to think I’m here with Riley, or that I like what Riley is doing to me. Even though I do.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I really freaking do.
Aiden says, “Hey, Boots, come here. My sister was just looking for you.”
Dallas says, “Boots?”
“He calls me Boots because of the boots the other day.”
“Oh, gotcha.”
Aiden is not very patient when he says, “Hurry up.”
I look at Riley with an I guess I have to go with him look and take off with Aiden.
“What does your sister want?”