Dare You to Kiss the Quarterback (Rock Valley High 1)

“Mom, nothing’s going on. And I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“You’re right. I can see that.” Her eyes shone bright as she scanned over my Halloween costume for Susie’s party tonight. “You look so beautiful and all grown up.”

I stood and checked myself out in the mirror one last time. Lexi had loaned me a pretty shimmery blue cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline and Mom had helped me add a few layers of crinoline to the skirt to make it poof out. A pair of white wings rested on my back and a necklace made from toothbrushes hung from my neck. I’d pulled my hair up into a fancy bun and practically doused myself in glitter.

“I think this costume really turned out well,” I said, turning to check the back. “The tooth fairy was an awesome idea, Mom. Thanks for that.”

“Don’t forget your bag of tooth money,” she said, tossing me a silk bag we’d stuffed with cotton and a few coins for the sound effect. “There, perfect.”

She pulled me into a tight hug, the scent of her perfume filling my head. I couldn’t remember her ever being this sentimental when we were younger, but maybe things had changed since the divorce. With less time wasted in endless arguing, Mom could be involved in more of our lives. It was nice. And for the very first time I could remember, I actually felt grateful for my parents’ split.

My phone dinged and I peered at the screen over Mom’s shoulder to see that Mandy and Trina were here to pick me up.

“Got to go,” I said, picking the phone up and shoving it into my silk money b

ag.

“Make good choices,” Mom yelled as I ran from the apartment. “And have fun!”

Trina and Mandy greeted me with wolf whistles when I jumped in the back of the car. Trina had decided to dress up as Rapunzel this year, with a long golden wig covering her curly black tresses. Mandy was Khaleesi, her blonde hair braided in an intricate fashion and three small plastic dragons attached to her impressive replica of the Game of Thrones character’s costume.

“Hot stuff,” Mandy said, grinning at me from between the seats. “Does Collin know he’s going to lose it the moment he sees you?”

“I told you, it isn’t like that,” I said, leaning back into the rear seat, my cheeks flushing. “He doesn’t care what I look like. We’re just friends.”

They didn’t know about the kiss. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t told them yet. I usually told them everything. For some reason, this secret didn’t want to come out. If I told them the truth, the comments about Collin and me would only intensify. And then, I might start to believe them.

No matter what, I couldn’t let my heart go down that road. Collin had been very clear. He couldn’t fall in love. Setting my sights on a guy like that was only going to get me hurt. They couldn’t understand.

“Okay, okay.” Mandy held up her hands. “Whatever. But as the Mother of Dragons, I’m ordering all of us to have fun. Eat some good food. Flirt a little. Dance with some boys. Let loose. We’re going to forget our problems tonight.”

Trina flashed me a smile in the rearview mirror. “Sounds good to me.”

I smiled back. It would be good to forget about my problems for a while. Dad had stopped by the apartment this morning to pick up Lexi for brunch. It had been impossible to avoid him. He’d hugged me, although I’d stood as stiff as a yard stick, and told me he loved me. And then he’d left.

The hard armor around my heart must’ve been thinning because that small episode had stung. I’d wanted nothing more than to throw myself into his arms and cry like a little girl. I missed him so bad. It was the first time I could admit that in months.

It used to be Dad and me. We were a team. Best buddies. But now, we were more like strangers. I didn’t want to think about that anymore. I wanted just what Mandy had prescribed: a night of fun and absolutely no worries.

The party was already crazy when we got there. Susie’s front yard was littered with jack-o-lanterns, grave yard markers, and an animatronic ghost that flew from the eaves down at our heads. We went inside to find most of the high school stuffed into her huge house and spilling out onto the backyard. All of the costumes were dizzying. It was hard to know who was who. At one point, we spotted Lexi in the living room near the fireplace. She’d gotten ready at a friend’s house and arrived early. She was in a skimpy crop top and loose linen pants, her belly button ring catching the light.

“What is she? I Dream of Jeannie?” Mandy asked.

“Princess Jasmine,” I replied, cocking my eyebrows. “She thought all the boys would like it.”

“I think it worked.” Trina smiled and waved at Lexi. “She’s got three guys from the baseball team surrounding her.”

It was true. They were all younger classmen, and they all seemed to be drooling over my baby sister. For a moment, I envied Mandy and Trina. They both had younger sisters about Lexi’s age, but didn’t seem to have nearly the amount of drama with theirs. Still, tonight was about having fun and I was determined not to let Lexi ruin it.

We moved deeper into the party where a deejay had set up and kids danced under the flashing lights. I couldn’t help scanning the crowd. Collin was here, somewhere. It was our first time to actually hang out since the kiss. For some reason, the thought made me feel all jittery.

And when I spotted him leaning casually against a tree just outside the dance floor, talking to a fellow teammate, my heart jumped into my throat. He was dressed in a tight black leather jacket and pants, with a bow and quiver strapped over his back. No one had ever looked so sexy in black before now. He looked like a Greek god.

All of a sudden, I was feeling utterly dorky in my tooth fairy costume. Why hadn’t I gone with the sexy nurse? At least three other girls were wearing that costume tonight and they looked drop dead gorgeous. Why couldn’t I have just gone with something normal for once?

I couldn’t face Collin yet. Not with my gut twisted in knots.

“Let’s dance,” I said suddenly, turning to the girls.