Page 20

As I added the date next to my name, Todd kept talking, changing gears. “So, how do you like it here at Southeast so far?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer. More than anything, I just wanted to return to Hillsburg. Especially now that I knew Ryder Yates wasn’t what I’d hoped he’d be.

“No one’s been mean to me,” I said tactfully, moving my pen down to the first problem on the page. My vision blurred and I couldn’t concentrate on one word, let alone an entire question. “But I haven’t really gotten to know anyone yet.”

“Well, I could help you with that.” Todd’s grin was mischievous when I glanced curiously at him. “Best way to get to know people around here is by going to our basketball games. We’re having one tonight, actually. A home game. Usually a group of us gets together afterward. Want to join us?”

Just as my face heated from his question, Ryder snorted behind him. Both Todd and I swiveled around. He seared me with a bitter smirk before he lifted his eyebrows Todd’s way. “Don’t you know? She’s not interested.”

My jaw dropped. What had crawled into his Wheaties and died? He was the one who had a girlfriend, who’d flirted with me while his perky cheerleader had been across the gymnasium doing back flips and playing around with their stupid Barney mascot. I was the one who was supposed to be bitter here.

Todd didn’t seem to appreciate his smart-mouthed comment either. He scowled at Ryder as if he wanted to choke him.

I politely cleared my throat and sent my own small glare to Ryder before turning back to Todd and lifting my chin. “What time?” I said before I could stop myself.

And there came my mistake number two. One being the fact that I turned down Ryder Yates the first time he asked for my name. Two being that I did not turn down his friend.

But honestly, how could I say no? Ryder Yates had just issued me the ultimate challenge. This seemed like my way to get back at him. He had to have a girlfriend, so I felt forced to go hang out with his friend. Plus, if I wanted to be totally honest with myself, a part of me wanted to be around him just a little longer. I had to know what I was missing by initially telling him I wasn’t interested: a total jerk or my dream come true? And if a bunch of them were going to hang out, then I had to guess Ryder would be included in that number, so I should be able to aptly appease my curiosity.

At my response, Todd’s eyes briefly flared in surprise. Then he smiled—or maybe preened would be a better word to describe the expression that crossed his face. Glancing mockingly at Ryder, he said, “Game starts at seven. It’ll probably go on ’til nine or nine-thirty. So ten o’clock? We meet out behind the gymnasium at the benches and then usually go somewhere and stay out until midnight or so.”

I bit my lip. “My mom usually doesn’t like me out any later than eleven.” Actually, my curfew was eleven on weekends only, ten on a weekday night. But I couldn’t mention that and look like a complete dud.

Todd shrugged. “I could take you home whenever.”

“Okay.” I shrugged too like it was no big deal, when all the while, my pulse kept pumping faster and my palms kept growing sweatier. My skin went all pale and cold as I hoped and prayed my mother didn’t say no, yet hoped and prayed that’s kind of exactly what she’d say.

Did I really want to go to a Southeast basketball game and hang out with a bunch of people I didn’t know? Heck, no. But could I risk turning them down and being an outsider for another year and half before I graduated? Heck, no.

Rock and hard place. Guess where I stood?

The bell rang and I nearly shouted in relief. Thank goodness I could finally get out of this class so I wouldn’t let someone talk me into donating a kidney or something.

I leapt to my feet and hurled myself toward the exit. Todd, curse him, kept pace, entering the flooded hallway right beh

ind me with Ryder piling in behind us.

“Let me introduce you around,” Todd offered, setting his hand on my shoulder and redirecting me with a nudge. His familiarity with me was shocking, but I didn’t shrug off his uncomfortable arm. Didn’t want to be rude.

“That’s Cory,” he started, pointing toward a dark-haired boy walking hand-in-hand with a longhaired girl. Cory paused to slap a high-five with Ryder.

“And that’s Melinda,” Todd continued, motioning toward the pretty girl with Cory.

She smiled at me and held out a hand. “Call me Mindy.”

We shook, and I felt comforted by her presence. Had I perchance just made another friend? I hoped so.

“Those two are Wendi and Vance. And—”

“Ryder!” A shrill squeal blocked out anything else Todd was about to say.

I looked up and spotted the cheerleader with number forty-two stenciled on her cheek sprinting toward him. When she was a foot away, she leapt, forcing him to scramble in order to catch her.

My jaw dropped as I watched the face-painted cheerleader splash her lips all over Ryder’s jaw before she cupped his face in both hands and gave him a big wet one right on the mouth.

“And that’s Kiera,” Todd finished as the couple continued to suck face. “Yates’s woman.” He caught my eye and wrinkled his brows as if sharing an inside joke to let me know he thought Yates’s woman was a bit over the top.

I managed a feeble grin, glad at least Todd wasn’t so impressed by the pretty cheerleader.