Page 13 of Billionaires Don’t Date Cheerleaders (Texting the Boyband #2)
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Jude
How are you feeling?
Sloane
Much better!!
Please tell me I didn’t get you sick
Jude
…
Only a smidge
BUT on the bright side my voice sounds nice and raspy which is super attractive
Sloane
I’ll take your word for it ;)
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I am sick. Please give me all your best remedies
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
Hmmm. Seems suspicious that you’re sick right after @its_sloane
Sloane @its_sloane
Why is that suspicious??
Why Are You Following Me @meganwhite0202
Just is
Sloane @its_sloane
I just got a package delivered to my house that I 100% did not order
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Open it
Sloane @its_sloane
Are you kidding?? It could be a bomb or anthrax or something
Call Me Jude @judeturner
I highly doubt it is
Sloane @its_sloane
Ok but can you guarantee it
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Yes
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Well I didn’t pack it myself but I know it is from a reputable source
Sloane @its_sloane
Proof @judeturner is a softie: he just bought me a new pair of sandals because he noticed mine were getting too worn in
Take Five Fangirls @iloveyouhudson
Ok who is @its_sloane and why is Jude Turner constantly tweeting her
#1 Jude Fan @abbydoodle
Yeah @its_sloane how do you get the T5 boys to tweet you??
T5 for Life @ilovetakefive
I saw her tweeting with @meganwhite0202 who is suspected to be Hudson’s girlfriend. If she just friends with her to get closer to the boys??
#1 Jude Fan @abbydoodle
If she is, then it’s working…
Take Five Fangirls @iloveyouhudson
I wish my friend was dating a celebrity
Call Me Jude @judeturner
Just to clear up any misconceptions... Sloane is my guide at school and has become a close friend
Call Me Jude @judeturner
And no she's not just friends with Megan because of Hudson. Megan and Sloane have been friends for longer than we’ve even been a band
“We’re going to be late if you keep fixing your hair,” Megan said.
“I just need another minute.” I tied on my first French braid and started on the second. “We should really get extra time after gym class to get ready again. Only giving us five minutes to get changed and get up to the third floor is ridiculous.”
“She did let us out early,” Megan said. “You just spent the first five minutes on your phone.”
“This coming from the girl who faked a sprained ankle so you could text Hudson for the whole class?”
“Hey, I would have faked the sprained ankle, anyway!” Megan said. Under her breath, she added, “Getting to text him was just an added bonus.”
I snorted and looked at her. She was nervously drumming her fingers against her leg and checking her phone every five seconds.
“Look, if you’re that worried, you can just go ahead with me,” I said. “I’ll meet you in class.”
Relief washed over her face. “Really?”
“Yeah, go for it,” I said. “Just make up some excuse for why I’m late, okay? Say I had to stay back to help take down the volleyball nets or something.”
“You’ve got it,” Megan said. She grabbed her bag and practically sprinted out of the changing room. I laughed and shook my head. I always found it funny how much of a rule follower Megan was when I was the opposite—at least when I could get away with it.
It only took me another minute to finish tying off my hair and grab my bag. I was satisfied to note that the bell hadn't even rung by the time I walked out of the changing room. Whether I could get to my math class on the third floor before it rang was a different story, but I was happy to celebrate any wins I could.
I was almost to the stairwell when somebody grabbed me and pulled me to the side. I turned around with a gasp, ready to yell at whoever had dared manhandle me, but then I saw who it was.
"Jude!" I snapped. "You scared me."
"Sorry," he said, but the mischievous grin on his face dampened the apology quite a bit. "You know, I've been waiting here forever. Didn't your class get out ages ago?"
"I have to get changed after gym class, you know." The reminder of where I was coming from made me cringe--Jude and I weren't at the point yet where I wanted him to see me all gross and sweaty after gym class. Sure, he'd come to my cheer practices a couple of times, but that felt different for some reason. Maybe because the impressiveness of our tricks was a good distraction from how gross I looked.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” I asked. “You don’t have a last-period class.”
Jude gasped. “You mean I shouldn’t have been going to that science class every day?”
I rolled my eyes. “Have you ever answered a question normally in your life?”
“Nope.” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling my body flush to his.
“Somebody will see us!” I hissed. While we weren’t exactly keeping our relationship a secret, I also wasn’t trying to flaunt it around school, either.
“There’s no one around,” he said. “And to answer your question, I’m here because I wanted to see you before I left for the day.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
Jude shook his head and dipped his head down, pressing his lips to mine.
“I assume that’s enough of an answer.”
“Mmm, I’m still not sure I got it,” I said. “Might need to try again.”
He chuckled and tightened his embrace. His lips met mine once more, this time with a longer, deeper kiss that sent sparks through my body. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and let myself lean in, getting lost in the moment. Despite the fact that we were in the middle of the school hallway—where it was not only possible but likely that someone could come along any minute—I felt as if there was no one else in the world but us. I wished we could stay there forever—never worrying about homework or tests or anything else but being there with the boy I loved, wrapped up in each other’s arms.
Jude pulled away slightly, resting his forehead against mine and allowing our breaths to mingle together before he finally spoke.
“There," he said softly. "Now do you understand?”
“Oh yeah,” I murmured. “I understand.”
The bell rang loudly, reminding me of where we were.
“I should go,” Jude sighed. “The boys are waiting for me.”
“Stay,” I whispered, squeezing his wrist.
“And you have to get to class,” he added.
“I can skip.”
“You’ll get detention.”
“Not if I say I was helping you.”
“Ah, you’re finally learning.”
Both our phones buzzed at the same time, meaning it was probably a text in the group chat. I sighed and pulled my phone out to check the notifications.
Group name: I promise this isn’t a group chat, Dad
Members: Ni-Ni, Bay, Sharky, Tis Moi Luca, Eggo, Not Zesty, I cheer you cheer
Bay
Jude if you’re not back in 5 minutes, we’re leaving without you
Jude kissed me again gently. “Go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Are you coming to the game tomorrow night?” I asked. “It’s the biggest one of the year, since we’re up against our rival school.”
“Do you want me to come?”
One look at his deep, sincere eyes told me it wasn’t him saying he would only come because I wanted him to. It was him saying that he wouldn’t go if I didn’t want him there, that he wanted my permission.
“Of course I do,” I said. “You came to all the practices—you might as well see me actually cheer.”
“Then I’ll be there,” he promised. I was pretty sure he’d been to the games before, but I’d never been able to find him in the crowd. Tomorrow, I would make sure I did.