A Piece of Heaven (Allendale Four 1)

“Know what?” I asked, confused and checking over his work.

He scrunched his nose like it hurt to say it. “You don’t look like every other girl in the world.”

I sighed. “I know, Thompson. I look stupid like this and boring like that, but this isn’t really any of your business.”

His eyes widened; his beautiful, green eyes. “No, that’s not...” the bell rang and cut him off.

I stood and gathered my books. “Not what?”

But he only shook his head and tightened his jaw before he replied, “Never mind,” and stalked out of the room.

*

“How’d it go?”

I slid my new laptop on the desk and then flopped on my bed, my tiny skirt flipping up and revealing everything. I flicked it back down. “Super.”

“Really?” His eyes were glued to my legs.

“No, Oliver, Not really.”

“Tell me exactly what happened.” I hadn’t seen him that day, other than from a distance in the hall. He’d left early for a doctor’s appointment.

So I told him everything. About how all the boys in school were drooling over my new clothing choices. They loved the new me. They had visions of me in their bed. Or the backseat of their car. Or wherever they could think. Who knew the school needed fresh meat? I shuddered at the thought.

He was sitting in my desk chair, eyes glued to my legs, growing more and more tense with my description. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was angry. But why? This was his idea in the first place.

I tugged down the skirt but there was only so far it would go. “Jackson did a good job playing the part. So good I think he and Anderson got in a fight.”

Oliver’s eyebrows shot to his forehead. “Seriously?”

“Apparently, I repulse Anderson no matter how I dress. Nerdy. Hot. Whatever, I suppose my only value is as a lab partner. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“You don’t repulse him…he’s just…”

“Just what? A hater?”

“No.” Oliver ran his hand through his hair anxiously. He moved from the chair next to me on the bed. Having him so close excited me. And he was on my bed. Oliver Baldwin on my bed.

I tried futilely to control my breathing.

“Don’t stress over Anderson. He’s uptight and has a hard time knowing how to get what he wants, you know?”

“And you? Do you know what you want?”

Because I’d never been so confused in my life.

He nudged his shoulder into mine. “There’s a reason I haven’t filled Anderson in on our little plan, but in the end, I think we’ll all get what we want.”

Again, I wasn’t sure what that was but I’m glad Oliver has a vision. “You think Anderson will come around?”

“I think we’re going to have to drag him kicking and screaming. It’s going to be fun to break him.”

The heat from his arm warmed me and my brain tried to process the fact that Oliver was on my bed. We’re sitting, just sitting, but it gives me an idea. I

take out my phone and hold it over us and snap a photo. I run it through a filter, making sure everyone can see just where it was taken, and send it into the universe.

“Nice,” Oliver says, once it appears on his phone. “That’s going to drive everyone crazy.”