Broken Hill Halo (Broken Hill High 2)

“Good guess,” he grunts. “I saw it under your bed at my place, figured you’d hide it in the same place.” I swallow as I look at the law book in his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to study law.”

“Shit,” Jesse scoffs with a horrified expression. “That’s like five years of study.”

“More like seven,” I tell him, making his eyes widen even further.

“Fuck that,” he grunts to himself.

I turn back to Nate and shrug my shoulders. “I haven’t really made up my mind,” I tell him. “And I don’t know. I doubt I could actually get in.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he says. “You have great grades.”

I shrug again and look away, letting him know I don’t really want to talk about it. So, I watch as he gets up and pointedly places the textbook down on my bedside table, front and center. I can’t help the little grin that comes across my face and neither can he, though, I don’t know if it’s there from being smug about figuring me out, or because he’s generally just happy that we’ve talked about it.

He sits back on my bed before laying back and pulling his phone out. “What are you doing?” I question.

“Looking up what you need to apply,” he grumbles as he studies his phone.

“Jesus,” I shriek as I steal his phone from his hands. “I already know what I need.”

“Then why aren’t you doing it?” he demands. “It’s already December.”

“Because I already have,” I tell him.

“Oh,” he says, looking slightly offended I didn’t say anything. “And?”

I reach out and take his hand, knowing he’ll get over it in a second. “And, nothing. It’s too early to hear anything yet,” I explain. “How did this go from your dad’s secret to drilling me on college?”

Nate shrugs as Jesse gets up off the floor. “Where are you going?” he asks.

Jesse looks back as he reaches for the door handle. “Downstairs,” he says. “Brooke was making a chocolate sundae and I feel kind of awkward being in your sex dungeon.”

I roll my eyes as I look to Nate. “I could go for a chocolate sundae.”

He rolls his eyes right back at me and pulls me up off the bed. “Then you better go fast before Jess eats it all.”

“Shit,” I gasp, realizing the error of my ways. We head down the stairs together and turn into the kitchen. My eyes widen in shock at how Jesse already has a bowl filled to the brim of chocolate sundae, topped with strawberries and cream. “How’d you make that so quick?” I shriek.

Brooke groans and narrows her eyes on Jesse. “Because he stole the one I already made for you.”

I narrow my eyes on Jesse before stalking forward. “Give it to me.”

Jesse lifts the spoon to his mouth and takes a massive bite of my ice cream as a wicked grin lifts the corners of his mouth. “Make me.”

“Oh, shit,” Nate groans under his breath.

I dive for him.

Jesse runs, laughing like a hyena as I race after him. He holds the bowl above his head and hurries into the den. He runs around the couch and I scoop a cushion up off it as I pass. I whack him in the back over and over again and chase him through the house, only stopping when I realize I can’t possibly beat him.

I return to the kitchen and drop down onto the stool beside Brooke before reaching out and stealing her soda. “Shit,” I grumble as I try to slow my breathing. “I really need to workout more.”

“Yeah, you do,” Jesse laughs as he walks back in. “That was pathetic. I was hardly even running.” He finishes his taunt by taking another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

I let out a huff as my breathing returns to normal. I hop off the stool and start digging through the refrigerator for all the ingredients to make a kick-ass chocolate sundae. I reach for the whipped cream and grin to myself as I eye Jesse leaning against the sink.

I pop the lid and straighten myself out. “Hey, Jess,” I grin.

He looks up from his bowl just as I let loose on the cream. It spurts from the top, covering him from head to toe in a matter of seconds. I burst out laughing as Nate grabs me and runs for our lives.

Jesse’s shriek echoes around the house and Brooke’s laughter instantly drowns it out. “No,” I hear Brooke yell behind us.

“Bring her back or Brooke gets it,” Jesse calls out.

Nate stops and we look over to find Jesse holding onto a squirming Brooke with the can of whipped cream aimed at her face. “Run,” she laughs. “Forget about me. It’s not worth it.”

Jesse grins and a second later, Brooke is covered. Nate puts me down and runs forward, determined to save my best friend from Jesse’s evil clutches. within seconds, we’re all covered in cream as we slip around on the tiles, grabbing onto one another to try and stay on our feet.