Page 3

"W ell?" Denton stares at me across the booth, his strawberry milkshake untouched while I take my time drinking mine.

After he caught me in Math class, I agreed to tell him everything. But I didn't want to risk anyone else overhearing us. Iris doesn't even know about this new development. But I know, when we met in the cafeteria earlier today, she suspected that something was up. I don't want to keep it a secret. I just don't want to tell her until I can figure out what to do.

So I convinced Denton to miss swim practice and meet me at Joe's Café after school. Now here we are, sitting in a corner booth inside the café-slash-diner that Iris and I love to frequent. Well, along with the rest of the McKinley High student body.

Which means I'm also taking a risk here.

Great. Now, I'm doubting my decision to meet here.

Maybe I should've just asked Denton to come by my house instead. Under the guise of doing homework, of course. I couldn't have my parents thinking that we were dating. They'd surely demand to know everything about him—nosy folks that they are. And that would be the last thing I'd want.

So I guess I did choose a "better" option.

I sigh. "Why do you even want to know? Are you bored with your life or something?"

"Just curious." He shrugs before leaning forward, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Is it a list of guys you've hooked up with? Funny, because I don't remember Con and Jase telling me about you."

By Jase, he means Jason Moss—who's also on the list and happens to be his friend.

I shoot him a glare. "I didn't hook up with them. Or the rest of the boys on the list." Though there's a part of me that wishes that I did. I sure wouldn't be in this position. "It's just a list of, uh, guys I find cute. Yeah, that's it."

Narrowing his eyes on me, he takes out the yellow paper from his jean pocket and places it on the table—close to him so I won't be able to snatch it.

Maybe I can still make a break for it.

But he dashes my hope when he rests his hand on top of it.

Ugh. One way or the other, I'm getting that list back. I can't have anyone else find it. And this time, I'm keeping it at home. I can't risk bringing it to school again.

His eyes bounce between me and the list, narrowing even more. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you don't want to believe the truth?" I grab my milkshake to finish it off.

"Nah. Because you're clearly lying."

I scowl at him in irritation. Of course, I'm lying. But why can't he just accept my flimsy excuse? "Then what do you think is the truth?"

He is so annoying. Why does he care so much about this? Doesn't he have anything better to do? Like going to swim practice?

You convinced him to miss it, you dodo.

Right. Ugh.

I'm just glad I didn't put his name on the list. Or I'd feel even more humiliated right now. But the thing is, I did plan to include him. I even thought of putting him right after Conrad.

Because Denton Chase is even more good-looking than his friend. Although he's less popular than the latter—maybe just a little bit—he has no problem getting girls either.

Like I said, he's tall. He has golden blond hair that is slightly tousled. Light brown eyes that always spark with mischief. And those dark eyebrows that frame said eyes perfectly. Add in that cocky smirk that he always seems to wear—he's definitely winning in the looks department.

But for some reason, I never got around to adding him to the list.

"You said you didn't hook up with these guys. So my next guess is you're planning to kiss all of them. That's why you called it 'the kiss list,' right?"

Oh, right. This is the reason.

I scrunch up my nose. "Eww, no. I'm just looking to kiss one of them." I realize my mistake as soon as I say the last word. "N-No," I sputter. "That's not what I meant. I mean—"

"Oh, I think that's exactly what you meant." Denton is now grinning like a Cheshire cat. He leans back against the seat, folding his arms across his chest. "So are you looking to hook up with one of them? I assume Con is your top candidate since he's first on the list."

"No." I glare. "One kiss. That's all I need."

"Oh-kay," he chuckles. "Why?"

"Do I really need to explain everything to you?"

"I missed swim practice for this, Perry," Denton says in a dry voice.

And that's my problem? If he had just minded his own business, we wouldn't be here right now. I didn't even want this. Really, it was his fault.

"Fine." I puff out a breath. "The truth is, I've never been um…" I can't believe I'm telling him this.

"Never been what?" he prods.

"Never been kissed, okay? I've never been kissed. And I'd like to change that before my seventeenth birthday, which is only a month away. So I made a stupid kiss list to make it happen. Happy now?" I snap, glaring at him hard, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

God, I hope this stays between the two of us. I can't have him spilling the information to his friends. People finding out would be bad enough. But the actual boys on the list knowing about it? That would be humiliation with a capital H.

And then what? I'd beg my parents to transfer me to another school? No, the humiliation would likely follow me there. Homeschool would be the right choice.

Denton just stares at me while I silently freak out once again. "Wow."

I cross my arms over my chest defensively. "Go on. Laugh. I know you want to."

And run and tell your friends. Not that I'm voicing that out loud. I'm not that dumb to give him ideas.

He just continues to stare at me. Until a smile slowly creeps up his face. "Oh, I'm not laughing. On the contrary, I'd like to help you out with your problem."