Page 56 of Kiss Collector

“Surprise,” Monica says in a deadpan voice. I hold back a guffaw.

Bauer gives Arik a small shove and says, “Idiot.”

“What?” Arik laughs and drinks his beer. “I thought Peakton was all ghetto—”

“Stop.” Monica holds a hand up, and Iwishshe’d go Latina on his ass.

“Seriously, dude.” Ranger laughs. “Shut up.”

“Sorry! I’m not trying to be an asshole.” Arik crushes his can and throws it far into the trees. This Peakton girl does not approve of littering. Then he looks at Kenzie. “You’re cute.”

“Um, thanks.” She glances toward the line where Vin is almost at the front.

The guy, Arik, keeps looking at her, and says, “So, like, what are you?”

I cringe hard enough to tweak a nerve in my back.

“What the fuck?” Monica says, putting a hand on her hip.

“What?” the guy asks, grinning stupidly. His friends smackthemselves in the heads, groaning, and Kenzie smiles tightly at Arik. He’s asking for her heritage. It’s not the first time I’ve heard someone ask her like this, and it pisses me off worse every time. I’m about to tell him where he can shove his question, when Kenzie raises her pixie-like chin.

“Female cisgender,” she says. “All American. What areyou?”

I hold back a cackle of pride as the other two guys laugh outright, and Arik crosses his arms.

“No, I mean, like—”

“I know what you meant.” She loses the fake smile, done. I know she’s not ashamed of being biracial, but she also isn’t in the mood to explain anything to a dumbass. I want to hug her for how fierce she looks right now.

“O-kay,” he says, clearly peeved that she’s not going to answer.

“Go get another beer.” Bauer nudges Arik, and he complies, seeming glad for an excuse to leave us, shaking his head. Ranger and Bauer sidle up closer.

“Sorry about that,” Ranger says. “He’s missing some sort of connection up here.” He points to his head. Kenzie shrugs, but discomfort pollutes the air.

“You okay?” I whisper.

She glances behind us and nods tightly. “Here comes Vin. I’m gonna take a walk.”

Monica and I watch her go, taking her beer from Vincent, then twining her hand with his as they disappear into the woods.

Monica sips her drink and eyes me sideways with meaning,as if making sure I’m okay. If I wanted to leave now, she’d be cool with it. I give her a small shrug, then a roll of my eyes and a nod. She nods back, silently saying it’s up to me.

I look at the two boys. “Yeah, I don’t really want to hang around him. No offense to you guys.”

“Yeah, he’s a buzzkill,” Ranger says. “I’ll text him and tell him not to come back.” He pulls out his phone and taps away, grinning when it’s done.

“Hope you won’t hold it againstus, though.” Bauer gives me a little nudge and an innocent-enough smile as a lock of brown hair falls over his forehead. The worst of the tension sheds away, leaving behind remnants of discomfort.

Monica clears her throat and asks, “Do you guys play sports?”

“Soccer and football,” Bauer says, pointing back and forth between himself and Ranger. “Both of us.”

“We cheer,” I tell them.

“Ah, nice.” Bauer smiles. “We’ll have to look for you at the games next season and say hey.”

Conversation comes easier now that Arik is gone, and thankfully he doesn’t make his way back to us. Ranger gravitates to Monica, while Bauer takes an interest in me. He’s not the kind of guy I could hang out with often—he’s almost guarded, hard to read, like he’s trying to say all the right things and come across too perfect. Still, he’s kissable, and that’s what matters.