Page 28 of Find Me

“No,” Colt said at the same time Keelan and Creed said, “Yes.”

Keelan looked to Knox. “I have the sudden urge to binge watch all the Superman movies.”

I blushed big time.

Creed shoved Keelan’s shoulder in an attempt to defend me, but I could see him trying not to laugh.

Knox sighed at his brother, then looked at me. “You were walking funny.”

“Uh, yeah. My legs hurt from my run this morning.”

He gave me a single nod before looking to Keelan. “We need to get going.”

I stiffly turned and winced with each step as Creed, Colt, and I walked over to Colt’s blue Charger. “I’ll sit in the back,” I said, and I opened the door to the backseat. “Cheese and rice. Cheese and rice,” I hissed repeatedly as I slid in.

The twins were both turned around in the front seat by the time I got in and were staring at me with matching perplexed expressions.

I sighed. “My mom always said a lady never swears. Because I’d been the good child who was too afraid to disappoint her, I learned how to be creative. The habit stuck,” I explained.

Creed snorted before turning around.

“Do you want us to stop and get you something for the pain?” Colt asked, giving me a sympathetic look.

“I have ibuprofen in my bag. I’ll take it after I buy a water bottle at school.”

Creed leaned forward and I heard him unzipping his bag. He produced a water bottle and offered it to me.

I took it with a grateful smile. “Thank you.” I had a feeling I’d proven myself worthy to Creed because he had been showing me his sweet side more and more lately.

* * *

“Admit it, you like her,” I said as Ethan and I walked out of biology. I’d repeatedly caught Ethan staring at this girl, named Isabelle, who sat in the front row of our class.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he grumbled.

“Huh,” I said as I studied him. What had happened to the boisterous and flirty Football God I’d come to know?

He gave me the side-eye. “What?”

“Youreallylike her.”

He sighed, obviously feeling embarrassed or exasperated with me. I was going with the former.

“Why haven’t you asked her out?” I asked.

“I have. She turned me down,” he admitted.

“Huh.”

This time he looked at me fully. “Why do you keep doing that?”

“I’m surprised. When you asked her out, did you—”

A shoulder collided with mine. With my legs still being sore, I couldn’t stop myself from falling into Ethan. Thankfully he caught me before I could hit the floor. The same couldn’t be said for my textbook and folder.

The sound of girls giggling had me looking for the source. Amber and Sam were a few feet away, wearing matching evil smirks.

“Watch it, Troll,” Amber said as she flicked back her platinum blonde hair before continuing on down the hall, arm in arm with Sam.