Do I really like Billy? He is no Garrett Mathews. I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. He’s okay. I just really want to hang out and meet some new friends. The last thing I want to do is get involved with a boy. I just want to focus on my last year of high school and get ready for college.”
My mother smiled. “I like your thinking. Schoolwork first. You will have plenty of time to date.”
I nodded my head and noticed the uneasy feeling moving through my body. I pushed it aside as I continued helping my mother with dinner.
The moment I got out of Margie’s car, I started scanning the whole area. We had stopped and picked up Margie’s friend Peggy on the way. Now, Peggy and Anna were whispering about some boy who had walked by. Anna was already making plans to sneak off with him.
“Of course, if I happen to get lucky with Garrett again, I won’t need that cowboy.”
I spun around and looked at her. “Get lucky with Garrett?” I asked.
Anna gave me a wicked grin. “Yeah, you know, have sex, do the deed, swap spit…and other bodily fluids.”
“Knock it off, Anna. That’s gross, and we don’t want to hear about how you have a problem with keeping your legs together,” Margie said as she hooked her arm with mine and started walking.
“Eat your heart out, Marg. Your cherry won’t ever get popped at the rate you’re going,” Anna called out.
Peggy started laughing.
I turned to face both of them and then looked back at Margie. “Are you really going to let her talk to you like that? What a bitch.”
Margie started laughing. “Hearing you swear is weird, Emma Rose,” she said as we walked up to the concession stand. “Don’t worry about Anna. She has been after Garrett for some time, but he doesn’t want anything to do with her.”
I glanced over my shoulder and then straight ahead. The moment I saw Garrett, I sucked in a breath of air and stopped walking.
“What’s wrong?” Margie asked.
I tried to look away, but his eyes had caught mine. Then, he smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back. When I remembered what Anna had said, my smile vanished. Garrett looked confused at my sudden change of moods. I noticed Billy was also standing there, talking to another guy.
“Did Garrett really have sex with Anna?” I asked as I looked at Margie.
Her eyes widened, and she peeked over toward Garrett and then back at me. “Does it matter?” she asked.
Great. He did.
“To me, it does,” I said.
Margie took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Yes, he slept with her, but before you go judging him, Anna has slept with every guy she has ever laid eyes on.”
My heart dropped, and I looked back at Garrett. He was now talking to some brunette paper shaker. He threw his head back as he laughed, and my heart started beating faster as I balled my hands up into fists.
“Emma Rose? What is wrong? You look like you are ready to hurt someone,” Margie said, pulling me out of my moment of rage.
What is wrong with me? I shook my head and tried to smile. “Nothing is wrong at all. Shall we?” I motioned for her to walk ahead of me.
As we walked up to Garrett, Billy, and Wayne, they all stopped talking. They turned to face us, and they each grinned. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Garrett’s smile, but then he turned and kissed the paper shaker on the cheek. My heart stopped, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. When Garrett looked back at me, I shot him a dirty look before turning to look at Billy. He had a beautiful smile, and it made his green eyes brighten—but it didn’t have the same effect on me as stupid Garrett Mathews. I smiled at Billy as I stopped just in front of all three guys.
Margie grabbed my arm and turned me to a guy I’d never seen before. He was the tallest out of Billy, Garrett, and Wayne. He was built just a bit bigger than Garrett, who had muscles that made me weak in the knees. Farm boys were always built the best—or at least that was what Margie always said.
“Hey, Emma. How are you?” Garrett asked.
I gave him the dirtiest look I possibly could. “Fine.”
I turned to Billy and flashed him the sweetest smile. When he smiled back, it hit me. I was flirting with him just because I was mad at Garrett.
What are you doing, Emma?
Margie cleared her throat and turned me back toward the taller guy. “Emma, this is Raymond. Raymond, this is my cousin, Emma.”