by Cindi Madsen
I’d been so slammed last semester, and she’d taken point, no complaints. “You got me there. I would’ve never scored that A without you.” Which gave me an idea…I’d seen how focused and determined she got. How organized she was. That attention to detail and time management was exactly what I needed to up my training right now. Plus, I remembered how she’d surprised me with how well she handled a boat on the lake a few summers ago. “I have a proposition for you…”
Her eyes narrowed further, suspicion mixing in.
“My rowing partner for the Spring Festival race busted his wrist, and I need to keep up my training. How about you be my partner until he recovers?”
She wrinkled her nose.
“You asked what I needed. Not only do I need to keep up my training to ensure a top spot on Harvard’s rowing team, I want to win the Spring Festival race, and I’ve seen you out on the lake, remember? You can handle yourself in a boat. Plus, Pec—Mick—always enters that race, too, and he’s out on the water practicing sometimes. It’ll only help land his attention.”
Her posture relaxed a fraction. “I’m listening…”
Was I really doing this? Hell, if anything, the girl was highly entertaining, and if it came down to me alone on the boat trying to keep track of everything while juggling the oars, or having Kate along to keep me on task and provide a more accurate picture of a two-person race, that seemed like the better option. Added bonus, it provided the time-commitment-to-someone excuse that would help keep Dad off my back. “Train with me, and I’ll train you on how to land Mick.”
She shushed me again. “Seriously, you always say it so loud. I don’t think you can be discreet, and if this got out…” She hugged her arms around her middle as if she needed to protect herself.
“It won’t. I’ll be more discreet. I’ll help you, and I guarantee that by the end of the month”—I lowered my voice—“Mick will be the one staring at you.”
She seemed to be mentally weighing her options. “How long do I have to train with you?”
“Until Jaden’s wrist heals. Probably three weeks, maybe four.” If it took a whole month, that’d only give Jaden and me one week of practice until the actual race, but at least I’d stay strong enough to make up for it.
“Three or four weeks? That’s intense.” She pressed her lips together, resolve settling into her features, and then her gaze lifted to mine. “I want him to do more than stare. I want him to go to prom with me.”
Prom? Shit, when this girl went for it, she really went for it. Most girls were obsessed with that one special night dancing among cheesy decorations, while most guys couldn’t care less, except that it meant their dates might be more adventurous.
Kate’s face dropped, and I got the feeling I’d accidentally insulted her by not responding with a resounding yes to being able to make it happen. “Easy peasy,” I said, then considered kicking my own ass.
“Easy peasy?” she asked with a giggle.
Great. The girl who liked to knit and solve equations was mocking me. Good thing I didn’t care what anyone at this school thought about me. “Just don’t tell me you’re planning on knitting your dress.”
She shoved me. “I’m already regretting admitting anything to you. But fine. Your deal is acceptable.” She held out her hand, apparently wanting to shake on it—I’d remark that it was the kind of gesture that gave off the serious vibe, but decided I better hold off until we’d sealed the deal.
I shook her hand. Her skin was crazy soft, her hand so small compared to mine, and I couldn’t help but notice the bright blue nails.
The zing that raced through my veins surprised me, but like I said, I did love a challenge. Not that I’d admit to how big of a one it was to her, but I had a feeling she’d have a lot of competition.
A smile curved her lips. “Operation Prom Date is go for launch.”
“You named it?”
“What? I’m supposed to wait for you to come up with a clever name? Likely story.”
I bit back a laugh—she was a little more bonkers than I realized. Yep, these next few weeks will definitely be amusing, if nothing else.
An older SUV pulled into the parking lot, and Kate released my hand and hiked her bag higher on her shoulder.
“Meet me tomorrow after school for training,” I said. “I’ll give you a ride home after, but fair warning, you’ll get back sort of late.”
“That’s okay. I usually do my homework in class anyway.”
As she walked away, I noticed the way her long ponytail swayed in time with her hips. So the girl might be on the serious side, but I could definitely work with that.
Chapter Three
Kate
What did one wear for her first day of being Play it Cool Kate, with a side of rowing training? After all, seduction and sports hardly went together.
Unless you happened to be Mick, then throwing a ball was alluring enough. Come to think of it, most any guy seemed sexier while playing sports, making me rethink my stance on seduction and sports.
It didn’t seem to work the same for women, though, which was totally unfair. Or maybe I just had no clue what guys found sexy. According to Cooper, it was mostly not being serious. If anyone had the not-serious market pegged, it was the guy who strolled through the halls of the school like he didn’t have a care in the world. I pulled my flamingo shirt out of my drawer. The words “majestically awkward” curved above the bird that had one leg up in the air and was about to fall. Mom and I saw it in a store and we’d both laughed at how accurately it described me.
“I highly doubt that’s the type of not-seriousness guys are looking for.” Which was why I mostly wore it during Netflix binges on the weekend.
Mom’s head popped through the open door. “What did you say, hon?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.” Like a normal person.
I glanced at the glass cage where Klaus, my bearded dragon, slept, thinking I should’ve at least claimed I was talking to him. He peeked an eye open as I patted his head and then settled back down for another long day of napping. Clearly he cared a lot about what I wore.
“Okay, well hurry up. We’ve got to be out the door in fifteen.” She rushed down the hall toward her bedroom.
I crossed to my shelves, where my jewelry box sat among my Funko Pop collection, and put on my three-tiered gold necklace. Naturally, I’d paired up the figurines in the couplings they should be in, whether or not the TV show or book series they belonged to was currently doing the right thing and allowing them to be together.
You’d think all my time spent analyzing fictional relationships would help me have one of my own. But those relationships probably only gave me false expectations, because outside of movies, books, and TV, the most popular guy in school didn’t usually notice the smart, semi-awkward girl who would be perfect for him.
But Cooper’s going to help me, and it’ll all work out. I still couldn’t believe the deal I’d struck with him. Two summers ago he was just the scrawny guy Amber and I constantly bumped into as we were running around by Massabesic Lake. They both lived nice and close to the banks, the sparkling water visible from their big front windows. That was back in the day when she and I were best friends, before I learned what betrayal felt like. It was also back when Cooper talked about constellations a lot. He knew them all, and one night he pointed out several with this app he had on his phone.
Amber had told him no one cared, so to stop rattling off boring facts, and while I didn’t agree, I didn’t stand up for him, either. I usually just went along with whatever she said. It was how being her friend worked. It made me feel stupid now, but back then I’d been the new girl who’d transferred because her mom thought her other school’s students were too rough, their classes too basic. The basic classes theory was true, the too rough debatable. Auburn Academy was also closer to the real estate office where she worked and showed houses, and as a parent now doing the job of two, that made a huge difference for both of us.
> Honestly, I liked it at AA better, although my status as the kid on the far outskirts, the lake nowhere in viewing range, sometimes made me feel like an outsider. Not that I didn’t appreciate our charming—if a bit outdated—two-bedroom house that boasted a view of lots and lots of trees. Unless Mr. Morris was working on his vehicles or RV in his yard, when our view had a bit more butt crack than I preferred.
I crossed the hall to Mom’s room and opened her summer drawer. A tangerine beaded tank top sat on top, and I decided it was just what I was looking for. And that my mom was cooler than me, but I tried not to linger on that thought.
Apparently I took more after my dad when it came to style—we went for easy and comfy. After all, we never knew when one of our impromptu “top-secret missions” would crop up.
My gaze automatically lifted to the picture of my parents on top of the dresser. The sorrow that pressed against my chest was a ghost of what it used to be, something that faded a bit more every year, although I knew it’d always be with me. He’d enlisted in the Air Force in order to help pay for an engineering degree, but then he fell in love with flying.
Constant deployments were all I’d ever known, those long stretches without my dad. They passed by slowly, but Mom and I would gradually adjust and get used to it being just us. Then he’d be home for about a year.
But last deployment we lost him for good, and there was a big difference between missing him because he wasn’t home for long stretches and missing him because he was never coming home. That was two and a half years ago—sometimes it felt like an eternity and sometimes it felt like yesterday. It just depended on the day.
“Kate! I swear if you don’t get your butt in the car in five minutes, I’m going to leave you!”
An empty threat, but I hustled all the same, quickly exchanging my T-shirt for the flashy tank top. I resisted the urge to throw my hair in a ponytail and stopped in my room for lip-gloss and my backpack before taking the stairs two at a time and rushing out the door.
By the time I arrived in the passenger seat, I was out of breath.
Mom looked at me, her eyebrows scrunching together.
“What?” I smoothed a hand down the shirt. “Does this not look okay?”
“I like it. I’m just wondering what inspired the change in fashion.”
“Just felt like trying something new.” Like trying to actually land my crush instead of staring at him from afar. Usually I told Mom quite a bit about school and my crushes, but I knew she would tell me to just be myself, and it was hard to convince her that being myself simply wasn’t cutting it. She didn’t understand, because she was the kind of woman who got attention from attractive men all the time. She accidentally flirted, as in it took no effort or thought and she didn’t even realize she was coming across as flirty.
Whereas even the thought of talking to my crush made my palms start to sweat.
So for right now, Operation Prom Date would remain on a classified, need-to-know basis. And I was as surprised as anyone that it somehow included Cooper Callihan.
Chapter Four
Kate
If I thought something as simple as a change in wardrobe, wearing my hair down, and putting on a necklace and an extra coat of shimmery lip-gloss would produce head-turning results—and I kind of hoped it’d be that easy—I would be wrong.
I mean, the guy with the locker next to mine at least gave me a smile before asking me to please move aside. Considering the aroma coming off his clothing, I think it had more to do with herbal help than an appreciation of my going out on a fashion limb.
My former BFF Amber didn’t seem to notice as she, Paris, and their clique rushed past me, not a single glance spared in my direction. More than anything, I felt invisible, which was pretty much how I felt every day.
Sometimes I wondered if I could go back in time and do things differently, if I would. Amber said she wanted to start hanging out with Paris and her group, so I’d tried. But Paris made Amber’s pushiness look mild, and when I wasn’t cool with her talking down to me and trying to make me a minion, I didn’t stick around.
When I relayed how I felt to Amber over the phone, she told me she understood, and since they were semi-horrible to her, too, we agreed to break off on our own again. Only the next week at school, she pretended I didn’t exist and stuck with Paris and her crew, making it clear she’d picked them and the promise of popularity over me. It hurt, and it didn’t help that without her to hang out with, my mind had more time to dwell on how much I missed my dad and how empty my house was with Mom working all the time. But it was about a year ago, so I was mostly over it. I wasn’t sure if I missed who she used to be more, or if I just missed having a close friend.
No use crying over spilled friendships. Especially not today.
Last night I’d thought about it, and in addition to putting a little more effort into my clothing—but not so much effort I came across as too serious or high-maintenance—I was going to talk to Mick. Even if it was a simple hi. I had to start somewhere, right?
I spotted Cooper’s head above the crowd, his blond waves messy as usual, and thought about going to ask him about my wardrobe choice and for help with possible conversation topics. After all, it’d be awesome if my “hi” to Mick turned into more. But he was laughing with a group of people, a junior girl on the fringe hanging on his every word, and the risk of someone overhearing was way too high. No reason to turn my already difficult mission into a suicide mission.
Besides, my first class of the day was in the other direction, and I couldn’t be late. Just the thought made my heart pick up its pace.
Hugging my books to my chest, I wove my way down the hall.
Mick was coming up, a couple of his boys around him.
Okay, this is it. Give him a flirty smile.
Say hi.
I licked my lips, my courage floundering. The non-flavored lip-gloss didn’t help, either. Sparkly was cool and all, but could they not make it taste like…well, grossness?
Then again, there was that time back in elementary school when I ate an entire stick of banana Lip Smacker. I got super sick and couldn’t stand artificial banana flavor to this day.
O-M-G, focus, Kate! He’s almost past you! Just do something…
I cleared my throat. Yeah, apparently my knee-jerk reaction is to make a sound like an old person clearing phlegm. Ugh, seriously, why were all my internal thoughts dwelling on disgusting things today?
For the briefest moment, Mick’s gaze flickered my way. I started to lift my hand in a wave, but then my books slipped, and I had to concentrate on keeping them from falling. Yes, our only conversation involved him picking up my dropped notebook, but if I went around doing that all the time he’d only think I was a klutz, and that was hardly the impression I wanted to make on him.
Still, the movement must’ve caught his eye, and I swear his attention lingered. On me!
I opened my mouth, because this was my chance to cross talking to him off my list. A strand of hair fell in my face and stuck to that extra coat of lip-gloss I’d slicked on. I quickly swiped at it, trying to pull it off as more of a sexy hair-flip, and went for try two of making words.
“Hey, Kate!” Isaiah, one of the guys in my AP Calculus class, approached. “Did you do the bonus problems for calc? I wanted to see if we got the same answer.”
Oliver Queen, I totally understand the struggle now. Secret identities are really hard to keep up. Okay, so mine might be slightly less detrimental to my continuing to be alive and stuff, but with Mick now headed away from me, all the air in my lungs stuck in there, making it hard to breathe.
I’d never ignore someone who’d been a real friend to me, though, so I shot Isaiah the smile I’d been preparing for Mick. “Yeah, I did them all. What did you get?”
As he pulled out his homework, I tried to tell myself that some problems took more work to get right.
I’d try again.
But my brain hated me, because a countdown flashed thro
ugh it, and I wondered how I’d ever land Mick as my prom date when I couldn’t even manage a simple hello.
Chapter Five
Cooper
I leaned against the sun-warmed hood of my truck after school as I waited for Kate. I checked the time on my phone again. What was taking her so long? I wanted to get out on the lake so badly I’d practically sprinted through the double doors.
Finally I spotted her trailing out with the other people who were clearly not in a hurry to leave the place, mostly thanks to the orange shirt that stood out in the crowd. I waved and she started over to me. The sun glinted off her necklace and she squinted at me, putting a hand over her eyes to shield them.
“Operation Prom Date did not go so well today,” she said with a sigh.
“You asked him to prom?” I’d thought we were going to build up to that.
“No! Do you think I’m crazy?”
“You probably don’t want me to answer that.”
She smacked me. She seemed to do that a lot, especially considering we were two for two in as many days.
I opened the door for her, partly because I liked to think I could be a gentleman sometimes, but mostly because I was in a hurry and wanted her to get her butt in my truck so we could leave already.
As soon as she was seated, I rushed around the front, climbed in, and fired up the engine. I glanced over at Kate as I turned out of the parking lot and headed toward Massabesic Lake. “Sometimes Jaden and I drive into Manchester and practice with the Central Crew Club on the Merrimack River, but I think it’ll be better to start you in the lake.”
“Isn’t that where the Spring Festival race is going to be anyway?”
“Yeah, but if I practice against the current in the river, I’ll kill it on the lake—or say it’s windy, it won’t be a big deal.”
“Where does Mick practice?”