Page 75 of I Don't Need Your Romance

“Oh my God, that’s genius. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you’re not as awesome as me,” I joke.

“No one can ever be as awesome as you.”

Aw, that’s so sweet. I can’t help but blush.

“So what kind of snacks do they have at these kinds of parties?” he asks, his eyes settling on the refreshment tables.

“Well, at these kinds of parties, you don’t just get your usual snacks like potato chips, pretzels, and candies. You get gourmet snacks.”

I take hold of his arm and head to the refreshment tables. So the thing I’ve noticed at Julio’s party and this one is that most of the kids don’t seem to care for the food that is on the table. Like they’re not impressed or amazed like my friends and I were. I guess they’re used to it.

Axel’s eyes are wide as he takes in the gorgeous-looking pastries and high-end snacks. “I’ve only seen this sort of thing in the movies. And is that a chocolate fountain?”

“Don’t be afraid to load up.” I pass him a plate. “All this food will go to waste, anyway, unless they give it to charity.”

“Do they?” he asks as he slices a piece of ice cream cake and places it on this plate. Next, he gathers a 3D dish made out of pretzels.

“I hope so. I mean, that’s what I would do if I were rich.”

His hand freezes over a chocolate rum ball, and then he glances at me. “What do you mean if you were rich?”

I take a bite of my macaron and nearly sigh in pleasure because it’s so darn good. “If I were rich, I would give a lot of money to charity. I know people would claim it’s easy to say that now and I might not actually do it if I were rich, but IknowI would.”

“Oh, I thought you were rich,” he says as he takes a bite from his cake. His eyes nearly fly off his face. “Holy…this is delicious.”

“Right? I’m stealing a bite.” I grab a fork and cut off a small piece. This time, I do sigh in pleasure because he’s right—it’s far beyond delicious.

“So how do you go to the academy if you’re not rich? I thought they only accept the elite.”

“Scholarship.”

He nods. “That makes sense. Do a lot of kids go there on scholarship or is it really hard to get one?”

“All my friends are on scholarship except for one. She found out a few months ago that she was the granddaughter of a rich man. But we’re a very small minority here. I’m sure you can get one,” I tell him with a smile. “You’re a great student.”

He thinks about it for a second. “I doubt my parents would want to send me away.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t have to dorm,” I suggest. “You only live half an hour away.”

My brain is now running rampant with the possibility of him attending my school. How awesome would it be to see him every day?

“The work is much harder, though, right?” he asks.

“Oh yeah. Super hard.”

“Hmm. Hard pass. I do enjoy school overall, but I don’t want it to be the center of my life.”

I gasp dramatically and press my hand to my chest. “School is not the center of your life?” I pretend to stab myself through my heart.

He chuckles. “Right. I’m talking to the best student at HBA. The one who breathes, eats, and drinks school.”

I give him a look. “Are you teasing me?”

“Only if you like being teased?”

“Hmm, I don’t know, actually,” I admit.