Crushing On The Geek (Crushing on You 4)

“Said he needs to concentrate on his game and she was too clingy.”

“She's threatening to quit the club.”

“But if she does that we won't be able to compete!”

“I know, but I don't think she will. She's just being all girly.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“She wants revenge.”

“Not all girls are like that.”

“I know.”

“So why did you call it acting girly?”

“Okay, my vocabulary left something to be desired in that sentence,” Hayden laughed.

“That it did,” Tamara grinned.

“Do you want to get together after school and practice or something?”

“I would, but I can't. My dad is making us all go to his law firm's dinner party.”

“Oh, I forgot about that. My dad asked me if I wanted to go and I told him no, but if you're going to be there, I might just make an appearence.”

Chapter Eight

Tamara decided it was w

orth the risk to sneak into her mom's bathroom and borrow her eyeliner. She shut the door and looked at her naked face in the mirror, trying to ignore the shouts that were traveling up the stairs. Fortunately, Tina and Tally's babysitter had already picked them up for the evening. Her mom had waited until the last minute to announce that she was going to a sale at the mall instead of to the dinner party. Tamara had managed to sneak away, just before the yelling started.

Under normal circumstances, Tamara would have agreed with her Dad. They all knew that her mom shopped way too much and was always breaking plans and promises to get her jollies off on some sale. Tonight, Tamara was glad her mom wasn't going. She didn't want Hayden to meet her and think “Oh, that's what Tamara's going to be like in thirty years or so.” She couldn't imagine trying to bear of an evening of her mom and Hayden in the same room without dying of embarrassment. Add pissed-off faeries into the equation and the evening would surely bomb out.

Her parents were still yelling when she finished doing her makeup and hair, making it easy for Tamara to creep back into her own room. She turned the handle on the door slowly as she took a deep breath. Since eating the apple Tamara was never sure what might be waiting for her on the other side. She eased the door open and looked around before stepping inside. Everything seemed to be in its place, but Tamara stepped carefully, as if she were quiet enough the faeries would ignore her like her parents did.

She slipped into the black dress she had bought for the Halloween dance. At least, I'm getting the chance to wear it, she thought as she smoothed it's knee length skirt and made sure her boobs were going to stay securely inside. Tamara wasn't going to risk a wardrobe malfunction at such an important dinner. It didn't matter if her dad didn't know exactly why it was important to her.

“Tamara,” Mr. Page said from the other side of the door, “Are you ready, baby?”

“I just need to get my tights and shoes on,” she called back.

“I'm going to warm the car up.”

“I'll be down soon.”

Tamara hurriedly slipped into her things and sprinted to the bathroom to check her reflection one more time. She couldn't wait until this was over and she could put her mirror back up. Nothing had happened since she left the lip gloss, but Tamara wasn't willing to risk it just yet. Fortunately, her mom had already left to go shopping, so Tamara didn't have to answer the usual questions she did when her mom felt she was dressed up 'too much.' Tonight, would definitely count as too much. Tamara ran her fingers through her weave and bit her lip.

“If you guys are listening,” she said, addressing the faeries, “Please, leave me alone tonight. I'm sorry I took the apple, but I've paid you back. Please, just let me get through tonight. I promise you'll have lots of chances to laugh at me without creating them.”

Tamara thought she heard giggling in the distance. Grabbing her bag and shawl she headed out, locking the door behind her. Tamara pulled her shawl close to her body, trying to block out the chill of the wind. Tree branches shook from its force and she had to walk with one hand on the skirt of her dress to keep it down. She sighed with relief when she sank into the passenger seat of her dad's car.

“You look nice tonight,” he grinned at her. Tamara thanked him, but was hit by a pang of guilt. She shouldn't be happy that her mom bailed. He was still upset, making her feel more selfish than she had in awhile.

“Sorry about Mom,” she said as the car pulled out of the drive.

“Don't be,” he shook his head, “It's not your fault.”