Page 6 of The Publicity Stunt

Sighing audibly, the waitress walks back inside, most likely to spit in our drinks, and I turn back to April. “Are you actually pregnant?” She was throwing up, after all.

“No, just very hungry.” April leans back against the red leather seat. “And I’m sorry for ruining your night.”

“Ruining” is a bit extreme, but I decide to play along. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not normally like this.”

“Like what?”

She fidgets with the sleeves of her blue sweatshirt. “You know, going to parties, puking in bathrooms.”

“Oh? Where do you normally puke, then?”

She gasps with a slight smile. “Nowhere! I just don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me. That’s all.”

“If it makes you feel any better, it was a pretty trash party to begin with. You gave me an excuse to leave.”

“Trash?” Confusion clouds her eyes. “Why were you there, then?”

“My mom forced me to go.”

Our waitress brings us our drinks and April’s face lights up. She grabs her cup of coffee and takes a huge sip. “Did she really force you to come to the party?”

“Took away my book too. She’s a good influence, my mom.”

“You were going to bring a book?”

Heat rises up my neck. “Yeah.”

“What kind of sixteen-year-old brings a book to a party?”

“The same kind that’s going to pay for all the food you just ordered.”

April snickers. “You would’ve gotten beaten up.”

“By who? You?”

Slowly, she places the white coffee mug down and looks up, examining me with those green eyes. “Why not?”

I probably shouldn’t laugh at someone who just hinted they want to beat me up, but I do. And in the process, I spray a bit of vanilla milkshake out my mouth.

“You don’t think a girl can beat a guy up?” She sounds so offended, it only makes me laugh more.

She pauses for a brief second, then says, “I can beat you up, Hayden Parker.”

“Oh, I believe you. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

“Hmm,” she says dryly. “Diplomatic answer. Who was the girl? The one who beat you up.”

My first thought is,what?

My second thought is,am I that transparent?

Shaking my head, I let out a soft chuckle. “Summer camp, Gail Swanson. She punched me in the nose because I made fun of her pigtails.”

This time April bursts out laughing, harder than before. “You got beat up by someone named Gail?”

“Hey, girls like it when you’re mean to them.”