Popped

by Elizabeth Stevens

  After class, we headed for the Common Room and I tried to think of the best ways to manufacture some meet-cute-like scenarios.

  “Short of you going over to him and ‘falling’ in his lap,” Georgie said, “I’m not sure how we can plan this.”

  “They bumped into each other yesterday,” Mia replied. “How about she does that some more?”

  Georgie was nodding. “Instigate physical contact. Initiate lust. Lust begets affection. Affection in turn begets love. This could work.”

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked them. “Whenever I see him get up, I sprint to a point of intersection?”

  Georgie sniggered. “Yeah. Maybe not.”

  “Okay. Other ideas for how to get us talking, then? I have four weeks to do this. We need to shorten any preconceived ideas about how long it takes to fall in love here, people.”

  “I’m thinking!” Georgie said, nudging me gently as we walked into the Common Room.

  “Paige! Paige!” I heard from behind me.

  I turned to see Dean jogging over to me, with Cody in tow. I gave the girls a knowing smirk and turned a more welcoming smile to him. “Dean, hey. What’s up?” I asked, tucking my hair behind my ear.

  “I was just going to ask you if that SRC meeting was tomorrow or next week?” he asked.

  My smiled widened. “Tomorrow.”

  “Still in room eighteen?”

  I nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  He grinned and I didn’t miss the way his eyes ran down and back up my body. “Great. Thanks.”

  “No worries, Dean.”

  “See you later, Paige.” He nodded then headed off.

  “See you later, Dean,” Mia called.

  “Yeah. Bye, Dean,” Georgie added, then we burst into giggles.

  “He was definitely not asking about the SRC meeting,” I said and Georgie shook her head.

  “What else is in room eighteen tomorrow?” Mia asked.

  I linked my arm with hers as we headed for our lockers. “Nothing. He was making an excuse to talk to me.”

  “Too bad you’ve sworn off guys,” Mia sighed. “Dean’s super-hot.”

  “More like, too bad she’s got a bet to win,” Georgie replied.

  Mia nodded. “Also, that.”

  I turned and looked to see if Dean had come into the Common Room. “It’s probably poor form to be getting Bash to fall in love with me at the same time as hooking up with Dean, right?” I checked.

  Georgie snorted. “If they get to do it, I don’t see why we don’t get to.”

  “I thought we didn’t like it when they did it?” Mia asked.

  I nudged her gently. “You and your logic get out of here.”

  She laughed. “Oh, I’m very sorry.”

  We put our Maths stuff away, got out some food and wandered through the other kids on the way to our couch.

  I nodded back to Freya and Audrey.

  I said ‘hi’ back to Mitch. I frowned at Garritt’s ‘hey’ and shared a grin with Eddie next to him.

  And I spared a warm smile for James, who was quite clearly still pining.

  “You got him just at the right time, then,” Mia commented as we sat down.

  “Who with what?” I asked.

  “James. He looks positively forlorn,” Georgie replied.

  “He does, doesn’t he?”

  “Why did you dump him anyway?” Mia asked.

  “Same reasons.”

  “Because he was getting all desperate to be the victor of your cherry,” Mia said knowledgably.

  “And because the fantasy didn’t match up to the reality,” Georgie added.

  They were both right. “Guys only see what they want to see. And when they get to see behind the door, three things happen. They either try to change you, they ignore anything that doesn’t fit their view of you, or they bolt because you’re quote ‘too high maintenance’.”

  “Like, sorry for being me,” Mia said.

  “It’s not my fault I’m not perfect,” Georgie agreed.

  I sighed. “It’s so tiresome.”

  Movement from the direction of the Baker Boys’ usual seat caught my peripheral vision and I looked over to see Bash sitting down with the boys. Jendo was already on his usual fruit roll-up and Rufio was juggling empty soft drink bottles. But Bash was looking at me.

  And every time I looked up for the rest of recess, he was watching me. We exchanged a few more smiles, some lingering glances, and he winked at me once. When the bell went for the end of lesson and people started going to class, I knew what to do.

  “Show time, girls,” I said softly then got up.

  “What are you?” Mia asked then, “Oh…”

  “Good luck,” Georgie whispered.

  I smoothed my school skirt entirely unnecessarily as I kept my eyes on Bash’s. I bit one side of my bottom lip as I looked down to find my way through the girls’ legs. I slid my eyes back to him as I headed for the kitchen as though I was hoping he wouldn’t catch me looking.

  Every action was perfectly designed for him to follow me. And follow me he did.

  I went through the motions of making a cup of tea when I sensed someone in the kitchen with me. I snuck a look and saw it was indeed Bash.

  “Can I help you?” I asked when he didn’t say anything.

  He looked back out the door – where almost everyone had emptied out of the Common Room – then turned to me.

  “I figure I should be asking if I can help you,” he said. His voice was low and rough. It wasn’t quite as comical as those voices ‘teen’ characters did in paranormal TV shows and movies, but it was a similar timbre.

  “And why would you think I want anything from you?” I asked.

  He leant against the bench and crossed his arms. His jacket sleeves were pushed up and I had to admit I was relatively impressed with the whole thing as a package, just as he wanted me to be. It wasn’t like I was surprised that he was pulling out all his moves. The guy was known to pounce on any girl who showed him an interest – which to date had been most of them. So of course he was going to be responsive. I supposed what did surprise me was just how soon he’d been so responsive. Time was looking like it was going to be less of a problem than I’d anticipated.

  “You know damn well I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at me,” he said smoothly.

  “Who’s to say I haven’t seen the way you’ve been looking at me?” I countered, leaning back on the bench on my side of the kitchen and placing my hands on it behind me. This had the unintentional benefit of making my boobs pop and I know he noticed.

  The corner of his lip tipped up in a half-smirk. “Let’s agree we’ve both been looking at each other.”

  I nodded. “All right then.”

  “I have to wonder, though…” he started slowly.

  “What?” I asked when he didn’t continue.

  “Why you’re looking at me all of a sudden.”

  “I’ve looked at you before.”

  One eyebrow rose, then he dragged his eyes down my body aggravatingly slowly, and then back up again. For a guy I’d never really thought twice about, he certainly knew how to make me look twice. Finally, those icy blue eyes were pinning mine again and they were filled with arrogant humour.

  “You haven’t looked at me like that before,” he said slowly.

  I swallowed, reminding myself I was not out of my depth here. I pushed myself off the bench slowly. “And exactly how am I looking at you?” I asked him.

  “Like you’re thinking things that are hardly suitable for the Common Room kitchen.”

  “Oh, you’ve got that filter, have you?”

  “Which filter?”

  “The one responsible for knowing there is such a thing as inappropriate for school.”

  “Oh, I’m well acquainted with what’s appropriate for school.” He looked down at his shoes as he crossed his legs, then looked up at me through his hair
and gave me a sinful half-smirk. “I just don’t care.”

  “It must be nice. Not caring.”

  “I’d be more than happy to give you a crash course. Complete with…hands-on tutorial, of course.”

  I licked my lip. “Of course.”

  “Is that your way of saying you’re not interested in my offer?”

  Here it was. Step one. “That’s my way of saying I’m not interested in your offer…” I paused just long enough for him to quirk his eyebrow in question, “at school.”

  “Does that mean you’d be interested if we weren’t at school?”

  “Did you want me to be interested?”

  He shrugged, but there was humour in his eyes. “I’m merely interested to know if we’re on the same page or not.”

  “All right. Would it help you to know that if we happened to be in the same place outside of school, I might be inclined to take you up on your offer…should the opportunity…arise?”

  He gave the that half-smirk again and I felt a tingle of excitement. “That is helpful. Would it help you to know I’m going to a party on Saturday night?”

  “It’s not unhelpful.”

  “Who knows what might happen if you made an appearance, then?”

  I clasped my hands behind my back. “Who knows. Shame I don’t know where it is.”

  The other side of his lips tipped to join the other in a cheeky grin. “I could message you the details?”

  I nodded. “You could.”

  “Would you like me to?”

  “I don’t see how I’ll be able to make an appearance without them.”

  “All right. I’ll send them through.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “Mia and Georgie are also more than welcome.”

  “You have the host’s permission to invite multiple plus ones?”

  His grin was positively naughty now and heat flashed in his eyes. “Oh, princess. It’s not that sort of party.” He gave me a wink and strode out of the room with his confident swagger.

  Bash looked back at me over his shoulder once with a smouldering gaze before pulling his headphones on and opening his ever-present book.

  And I finished getting my cup of tea and went out to finish my latest English read-through. Not that I got very far through it, because Bash sent me the details of the party.

  Paige:

  That was quick.

  Paige:

  I thought you were supposed to wait like three days before initiating contact?

  Bash:

  Damn it. You got me. I’m just so gosh-darned new to all this, I got overly excited.

  I looked up at him and saw him watching me. I snorted and shook my head as I looked back at my phone.

  Paige:

  Your honesty’s refreshing. I so wish more guys would be so open.

  Paige:

  No wait. I’m confusing honesty with sarcasm again.

  I looked at him again and saw him smirk before he replied.

  Bash:

  Honesty comes with desperation. Sarcasm comes with charming wit.

  Paige:

  Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.

  Bash:

  You don’t seem to think so.

  Paige:

  What do you know about what I think?

  Bash:

  I know you’re smiling.

  Paige:

  Mia texted.

  Bash:

  Or you find me charming.

  Paige:

  I never said you weren’t.

  Bash:

  You heavily implied it.

  Paige:

  I implied nothing.

  Bash:

  You said sarcasm was the lowest form of wit.

  I looked up at him again and found him watching me with an expectant half-smile on his face. Before I looked back down, his eyebrow rose in what I could only assume was a challenge.

  Paige:

  It’s not my fault people don’t appreciate sarcasm.

  Paige:

  It’s also not my fault if you rely on the lowest form of wit as your main avenue for charm.

  Bash:

  Are you insulting my charm now?

  Paige:

  I wouldn’t dare.

  Paige:

  I’m just stating the facts.

  Bash:

  Ah. You’re one of those girls who doesn’t appreciate charm.

  Paige:

  Everyone appreciates charm.

  Bash:

  So it’s just me.

  Paige:

  If it was just you I probably wouldn’t be possibly going to the same place as you on Saturday.

  When I looked up this time, he was looking at his phone thoughtfully. I felt my phone buzz in my hand but didn’t look back down until he’d looked up and given me the mother of all smouldering smirks.

  Bash:

  I see you rely on teasing as your main avenue of charm.

  Paige:

  Naw. You think I’m charming? :P

  Bash:

  I’d certainly be willing to show you just how much I…appreciate your charm ;)

  And on it went until Mia and Georgie sat down beside me at lunch.

  “So far, so good,” I told the girls with a smile as I waggled my phone at them. “Plus, I got us an invitation to his friend’s party on Saturday.”

  “Seriously?” Mia squeaked in excitement,

  I nodded. “Seriously. He’s messaged me the details.”

  “I’ll drive,” Georgie offered.

  I looked at her in surprise. “Just like that? You sure?”

  “Yep. You need to let yourself relax.”

  I huffed a laugh. “You saying we’re easy with some booze in us?” I teased.

  She shrugged, all coy and nonchalant. “I’m saying I don’t need to be drinking to have a rando party hook-up.”

  “I haven’t got time for hook ups. He has to fall in love with me.”

  “I’ve got time for hook ups,” Mia sighed contentedly.

  “And what about Eddie?” I asked.

  Mia grinned. “Eddie’s good and all, but what if one of Bash’s friends is better?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her optimism. “Keeping your options open. Sensible.”

  “Thank you.” She nodded perfunctorily.

  “Right. So, we need a plan,” Georgie said, settling into planning mode. “Paige is right. Bash needs to fall in love with her. If this was just the get Bash Baker into bed wager, that’d be easy”

  “But we need him thinking with his heart, not his dick,” I added.

  “That,” Mia said, pointing at me.

  “Okay. So, ideas on how to do that?” Georgie asked, looking around at us.

  Operation Pop Casanova’s Ego was officially in full effect.

  Chapter 7: Bash

  Less than a week in and this was already going better than I could ever have planned it. There was aggressive flirting coming from both sides and I was fairly confident she was coming to Fowler’s party the next night. The only way this could have been better was if she’d just let me have her in the kitchen the day before.

  The boys and I were sitting at our table in the Common Room at lunch and I was having trouble keeping my eyes off Paige on the other side of the room. An affliction I was all too aware she seemed immune to. I looked down at my phone and opened my messenger app for the sixteenth time in the last half hour. She’d seen my message and not responded.

  “You think she’ll give it up tomorrow?” Rufio asked.

  I smirked at them cockily. “There is a very good chance.”

  “So, how do you plan it going down?” Jendo asked.

  “With any luck, she’ll be the one going down,” Rufio chuckled to himself and I shook my head with a smile.

  “I like head as much as the next guy, but you’ve gotta give if you expect to get, mate. How many times
do I have to tell you?” I asked, clapping him on the arm and shaking him gently.

  He grinned at me as he batted my arm away. “I know. I know. But it’s not exactly a joke to say ‘with any luck, you’ll both end up down to mutual satisfaction’, is it?”

  “It does lack a certain…je ne sais pas,” Jendo agreed, waving his hand in the air pretentiously.

  “Git,” I muttered.

  “Doesn’t negate the fact you didn’t answer the question. Plans. For tomorrow night.”

  “What about them?”

  “Well, do you have any, for starters?” Jendo scoffed. “You seem mighty convinced you’re winning the bet tomorrow.”

  I nodded, leaning back in my chair and folding my arms. “I said there’s a chance. And, I have plenty of ideas.”

  “Any that relate to the popping of Paige’s cherry?” Jendo clarified teasingly.

  “Any that will work?” Rufio asked cheekily.

  “Watch it,” I warned, failing to hide a smile for either of them. “I dunno. I’m gonna have to play it by ear.”

  “Oh, mate,” Jendo cooed. “She playing hard to get?”

  I shook my head. “Not at all. She’s responsive, she’s sassy, she’s into it.”

  “And yet, Casanova’s gonna wing it?” Jendo asked, obviously disbelieving.

  I moved my arms to lace my hands behind my head as I looked over to Paige as she talked animatedly with the rest of the Triad. “This time Sunday, if Paige Nicholls isn’t popped, then I’m losing my touch.”

  “Mate, it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you don’t get her the first time you take her out.” Jendo waved his hand in front of my eyes pointedly and I shoved his hand away.

  “No one’s taking anyone out,” I reminded them. “We just happen to be going to the same party.”

  “Casanova doesn’t do dates,” Rufio added, looking at Jendo like he should know better but I knew he was taking the piss out of me.

  “Casanova might not. But the princess sure does. What’ll you do if she won’t give it up on Saturday?” Jendo asked, picking at his tooth.

  I shrugged. “Try again some other time.”

  “Uh-huh,” Jendo said slowly. “And if the usual Bash treatment isn’t working, what’ll you do then? You gonna stoop to dating little miss ‘it’ girl?”