The Truth About Thongs (Mapleville High #1)

by Stephanie Rowe

  And tonight?

  He was more like a slobbering, disgusting troll from a stench-ridden swamp, than a hot senior I wanted to date.

  I sat down on a bench, leaned against the wall, and closed my eyes. What was I going to do? I still couldn't go back in there and face him. What if he tried to kiss me again? Allie's sister had taught us a few self-defense moves, but it really wouldn't do wonders for my reputation to knock Heath to the ground.

  But the idea of it made me smile. Maybe that was exactly what Heath deserved, in honor of all the other girls whose butts he'd smacked.

  Truthfully, my reputation was shot no matter how I handled the rest of the night. When I'd rejected his advances and walked out of the movie, that had already sealed my fate. He was one of the people who ruled the school, and I'd bailed on him two dates in a row. Heath would tell all his friends that I was a psychotic freshman with deranged parents. My entire high school career would be ruined two months into my freshman year. Yes, it was worth it not to have to deal with his wandering hands again, but still. How was it fair that one jerk could ruin my entire high school career?

  I scowled. It wasn't.

  I needed an alternate plan. Once that somehow made it possible for me to salvage my own life, no matter how hard he tried to destroy it or grab my butt.

  There was only one thing to do: call in the reinforcements.

  I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Allie's number, hoping they wouldn't be too immersed in her mom's advice to help me.

  Frances answered Allie's phone on the second ring. ""Blue? What are you doing? It's only nine o'clock."

  "I need your help. Now."

  "What? What happened? Are you okay?" The instant concern in her voice made me feel better, and I knew I wasn't alone. I had my posse, and they were going to help me.

  I glanced at the theater door, but Heath was apparently still watching the movie. "You have to come to the movies right now."

  "Are you kidding? What's wrong?"

  I almost got tears in my eyes at Frances's worried tone. I realized that dealing with Heath had been more overwhelming than I'd thought. "I'm fine. I just… well... Heath is trying to kiss me again…and..."

  "And?"

  "I don't want to."

  "Why not?"

  "I can't go into it now. Just get to the movies. We're in the first theater on the right, in the back row, left corner. You guys have to come in there, find us, and sit with us. Then catch a ride home with us. Be really intrusive no matter how many times I tell you to leave." Then I panicked. "Oh, my gosh. Is Allie's mom there? Can you get a ride? You have to come now!"

  "Hang on."

  I heard Frances talking to the others, and I crossed my fingers that they'd forgive me for being a jerk earlier. I couldn't exactly leave Heath in there and get a ride home with my parents. How humiliating would that be? I didn't have the social power to withstand that sort of an assault on my reputation.

  "Blue?" Allie was on the phone now. "You okay?"

  "Yes, I'm fine."

  "Okay, stop panicking."

  "Right." I took a deep breath. "Are you guys coming?"

  "Yes, but we won't be able to get there for fifteen minutes."

  "Fifteen? But it won't take me that long to get popcorn! I have to go back in there! What am I supposed to do?" There was no way I could kiss him. But how was I going to avoid it without putting him in a headlock and wrestling him to the gum-covered floor?

  "Blue! Calm down!"

  I shook out my hands and took a deep breath. "Okay, what do I do?"

  "It's time for the Ledge."

  "The Ledge? Are you kidding? I don't have time—"

  "Shut up!"

  I clamped my lips together.

  "Heath wants to kiss you. Reject him. Flip a bit of the Attitude his way. Tease him, but don't let him touch you. It'll put him right on the Ledge. Don't act like you're afraid of him. Let him know that you're too good for him. Make him feel like the loser for not being worthy of your lips."

  He so wasn't worthy of my lips. "I've never put anyone on the Ledge."

  "You'll do just fine. You only have to keep it up for a few minutes. Summon the Attitude, girlfriend."

  "The Attitude?" How could I pull off the Attitude? It wasn't in my nature. Especially because I was freaking out!

  "You can do it, Blue. He's cocky and arrogant. Girls fall at his feet. Do you really want to be one of his conquests?"

  "His conquests?" I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

  "Natalie 'fessed up. Heath has quite a rep. He deserves a little time on The Ledge. We'll be there in fifteen minutes."

  And then she hung up.

  This was not good. Not good. I couldn't do this. But I couldn't sit out here for twenty minutes. I dragged myself to my feet and took as long as possible to get popcorn, but there was no line. Figured.

  When I got back to my seat, Heath gave me a big grin, apparently thinking that my "don't smack my butt" comment had a shelf life on only five minutes.

  Yuck.

  I sat down next to him and put the huge tub of popcorn between us. Maybe he'd get the hint.

  "Let's put this on your lap," he said.

  On my lap? Was he kidding?

  Apparently not, as the popcorn promptly made its way to my jeans, with a little help from Heath. Giving him a perfect excuse to lean toward me.

  He was going to kiss me! Already!

  No way. I planted my hand against his chest. "Stop."

  He frowned. "Why?"

  "Because I don't want to kiss you." Forget the Attitude and The Ledge. I just wanted him off me.

  "Why not?" He twirled my hair around his fingers. "Playing hard to get?"

  "No." I set the popcorn between us again and smacked his hand away from my hair. "Let's just watch the movie."

  He moved the popcorn again and leered at me. "I don't want to watch the movie."

  Okay. That did it. I turned in my seat to face him. "Listen, Heath. I really liked you, but frankly, I didn't like kissing you."

  "What?" The look of shock on his face was almost comical.

  I looked right at him and gave him the truth. "You're not a very good kisser."

  "You... What... I…"

  Cool, suave, Heath, actually tongue-tied? This was sort of fun. "And I didn't like your hand on my leg. It gave me the creeps."

  "The creeps?" For a split second, he looked stunned, then his eyes narrowed, and the old, arrogant Heath was back. He snorted with obvious disgust. "You're just too young. You wouldn't like kissing anyone."

  Ohhh, I didn't like being dismissed like that. "Wrong."

  "Yeah? Who do you like kissing?"

  I blurted out the name before I could stop myself. "Colin." There. It was out there. And it felt good. I smiled. "I liked kissing Colin."

  He scowled at me. "I knew there was something going on between you two."

  There was no need to tell him that there was absolutely nothing going on between me and Colin. I simply gave him a vague, superior smile and leaned back against the seat. So this was what the Attitude felt like? I peeked at Heath, who was looking rather annoyed. I had a feeling this was the first time anyone had ever told him he wasn't a good kisser.

  Heath Cavendish was officially on the Ledge.

  And, I'm not going to lie, it was super fun to have put him there.

  This was turning out to be a fantastic evening. Why had I been so afraid to stand up for myself with a boy? It rocked, in a whole bunch of ways. I put the popcorn on my lap, leaned back in the seat, and began to watch the movie.

  Not once did Heath try to kiss me, or even snag a piece of popcorn. He just folded his arms over his chest and glared at the movie screen.

  By the time my friends got there, I didn't even need them. I had things totally under control. I did, however, excuse Heath from his duty to suffer through the rest of the movie. Then my friends and I took over the row, ate popcorn, and girl-bonded.

  It was brilliant, and I felt
good.

  So good, that I managed to completely avoid thinking about what my reputation would be like by the time I got to school on Monday.

  "So you really told him you liked kissing Colin?" Allie asked.

  It was Sunday night, our first chance to all get together to rehash my date. Mom hadn't let me go to Allie's on Saturday night with the rest of the girls on such short notice, and Natalie had an away cross-country meet all day Sunday. I'd been sworn to silence until we could all get together.

  I'd done all my homework ahead of time, so tonight would be free for consultation. "Yes, I told him I liked kissing Colin."

  My friends shrieked with delight. "Well, do you?" Allie asked excitedly.

  I'd been pondering that exact question since the night before, and I still hadn't come up with an answer I liked. "It's better than kissing Heath."

  "But do you like it?" Frances asked.

  "How do I know?" I flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. "I've only kissed two boys. Maybe I just liked kissing him because it was my first real kiss."

  "Or maybe you like him," Natalie suggested.

  That was definitely not the answer I was looking for. "Impossible."

  "Colin's so cute." Even Frances wasn't doing homework. She hadn't even opened her backpack. "Why would it be impossible that you like him?"

  "Because." Because he didn't like me. Because he'd been at Pop's with another girl, and he'd smiled at her. And held the door for her. I pulled a pillow over my face and screamed, "Argh!"

  I heard a light knock at the door and then my mom intruded. "Everything all right in here?"

  Allie answered. "Blue just realized she likes a guy she didn't realize she liked."

  "Heath?" My mom asked.

  "Nope."

  Oh, my gosh. My mom knew Colin's mom! I'd die of embarrassment if she knew!

  "Who?" she asked.

  I sat up so quickly I got a head rush. "Someone else in the musical."

  My mom gave me one of those looks that said she totally knew I was lying. "Who?"

  "Um...he's...in the chorus?"

  "Are you asking me or telling me?"

  Sometimes parents are the worst. "Telling you. He's in the chorus."

  "Great. You can point him out to us at the show." She glanced around the room. "Anyone want to try my new dessert? It has chocolate."

  Everyone sort of waved their hands halfheartedly. They'd had my mom's desserts before. It was amazing how she could turn chocolate into some healthy thing that tasted like shoes.

  "Great. I'll bring some up." She left the door open behind her, no doubt hoping she'd catch more details when she came back.

  Allie straddled my desk chair backward, leaning on the back of it. "So what are you going to do about Colin?"

  "Nothing. He has a girlfriend."

  "He does?"

  "I saw him with her." And I hated her. Hey, at least I didn't hate Vladimir's lover anymore. She could have him. So that was one burden off my shoulders. It was kind of exhausting hating two girls I didn't know.

  "Do you like him, though?" Allie was staring at me intently. Actually, all three of them were.

  "Don't you guys have someone else's social life to obsess about?"

  They looked at each other, then shrugged almost in unison. "You're the only one with a social life at the moment," Frances said.

  "Great."

  "So what are you going to do about Colin?" Allie persisted.

  What was there to do? He had a girlfriend. He was taken. I had to move on. But for some reason, the thought of letting go of Colin hurt a whole lot more than giving up my dreams of being Heath's girlfriend.

  On the Ledge again. Shoot!

  Chapter Fourteen

  Monday afternoon when I got home from school, Colin's pickup truck was parked in our driveway. He was in the barn? Funny how I'd never really noticed his truck before. In fact, if Natalie had asked me how he got to our house, I would have said he magically appeared. I'd been so obsessed with the fact that Heath had a car that I'd never even stopped to consider that Colin might too.

  Sneaking a peek at the barn, I casually walked over to Colin's truck. It had a sign on the door that said, Bradshaw Landscaping. His dad's business?

  I peeked inside, and it was pretty clean. For a guy.

  Shifting my backpack to the other shoulder, I studied the barn for a moment. Should I go in? Pretend I hadn't noticed he was there and act surprised to find him in there? Or just pop in to say hi, like we were friends?

  But we weren't friends.

  Well, we were. Or we had been.

  So why did I feel so weird around him all of a sudden?

  Okay, I could do it. I'd walk in, say hello, and see what happened. Maybe I didn't really like him. Maybe it was just because I'd been so annoyed by Heath that anyone would look good in comparison. Then all it would take was a quick conversation with Colin and I'd be over him.

  That was it.

  Nothing scary about that.

  I shifted my backpack yet again, took a deep breath, and marched up the path to the barn.

  Then I stopped.

  What was I supposed to say to him? "Sorry I was a jerk to you on Saturday night? I ditched Heath because I like you? Even though you know I'm a total dork and everything, I sure hope you'll like me?"

  It sounded so stupid.

  I couldn't do it.

  No way.

  I heard a thud from inside, and I jumped. It was Colin, on the other side of the door. All I had to do was open it.

  And then I heard a female voice. And it wasn't one of my friends. Or Marissa. Or my mom.

  Then I heard Colin laughing. Laughing? At something the female had said? In my barn?

  Impossible.

  I sneaked up to the door and pried it open a tiny bit. Just enough for one eye. Just enough to see Colin…and his date from Saturday night. He was teaching her how to sweep the floor. And he was touching her arm. In my barn!

  I was going to throw up. Truly, I'd never felt so sick in my life.

  Colin with another girl.

  My Colin.

  With another girl.

  I slumped to the ground right outside the barn. I'd blown it.

  Too bad it took seeing Colin with another girl to make me realize I liked him.

  Yes, too bad for me.

  My life was a sewer.

  By the time I got to rehearsal on Tuesday night, I was so depressed that I nearly had to be carried to the auditorium. Why did I want to go to rehearsal? Heath was the reason I'd been so excited about it, and now I felt like an idiot. Yes, supposedly I'd put him on the Ledge and not vice versa, but I had a suspicion that boys had a way of getting off that Ledge pretty quickly.

  I slunk inside and sat down in the front row, waiting for the song onstage to finish so I could do my little speaking part. What had I been thinking? Doing a speaking part in a musical? There was no better way to feel like a complete loser and outsider than to have to sit at rehearsal and watch the entire cast practice the opening number except me, because I couldn't sing at all.

  Heath and his lover were holding hands in the center of the stage, gazing at each other as if they were in a trance.

  Ugh.

  Didn't girls have anything better to do than gaze at Heath? I folded my arms across my chest and slouched down in my chair and watched everyone dance around the stage.

  Laughing.

  Smiling.

  Singing.

  And there was Blue, sitting alone in the front row watching, because she was so musically incompetent that she couldn't join them. That was what they were all thinking. What a loser that Blue is. Heath won't even look at her now. What'd she do to make him mad?

  I wanted to stand up and shout how I blew Heath off, but they probably wouldn't even hear me, they were singing so loud.

  So I sat there, feeling like a loser, for two hours. At which point they ran out of time and postponed my scene until the next day.

  This musica
l was definitely the stupidest idea I'd ever had.

  "I'm going to quit the musical," I announced over dinner that night. "So you can fire Colin. I'll take over the barn starting tomorrow." It was the perfect solution. It would get me out of that awful rehearsal hall, and get Colin out of my life. He'd have to find another place for his girlfriend to giggle.

  "No." My mom didn't even look at me. She just dished up some vegetable mush onto Marissa's plate.

  "What do you mean, 'No?'"

  "You can't quit." She took my plate and dumped a mound that looked like dog vomit onto my plate. "Wallers don't quit."

  "Have I ever mentioned that I would really prefer if you didn't refer to me as a Waller?" How could I eat that? "Don't we have any chicken?"

  "You took that role in the musical away from someone else. You have a duty to follow through," Mom said.

  "Yes, but if I quit now then that poor, deprived soul can have my part, and then they'll be happy."

  My dad set down his fork. That wasn't a good sign. My dad never got involved in these sorts of discussions. They were too confrontational for him. "I agree with your mom."

  I was sunk.

  "Just because you don't like this boy anymore isn't enough reason to quit."

  "Dad!" I didn't want to discuss Heath with my dad! What if he asked what happened at the movies?

  "Whatever happened with him anyway?"

  "She said he was too slobbery," Marissa said.

  "Marissa!" Oh, my gosh. I was going to die.

  My mom barely hid her smile, and my dad had a fit of coughing. Oh, great. They thought it was funny? A new low in my social life. My parents laughing at my social life. I'd be the name in the yearbook for the Biggest Loser award.

  Why couldn't my parents be normal? Why couldn't they be shocked upon hearing that I thought a boy was slobbery? As if I could be lucky enough that Marissa's comment would freak them out. Did anything shock them? Probably not. They were much too tuned in to the evils of society to be surprised by any of them. They'd do what they could to prevent them, like family dinners and making me wear baggy sweaters, but they certainly weren't going to be surprised.