“What? We’ve all done it…well, everyone, except you,” Lucy said as she stuck out her tongue.
I didn’t think I’d ever hated my best friend, but in that moment, I did. “Will you shut up already?”
“Sorry.” She snickered as Mr. Kester walked in.
“Sure you are,” I grumbled as I glanced at Jesse.
He was smiling, and I felt my heart melt a little. Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous? His personality sucked most of the time, so if he were ugly, I could ignore him. No, that’s a lie. There was just something about the guy that made me want to get to know him, regardless of what he looked or acted like.
The rest of the day passed in slow motion. I must have checked the time at least twenty times in each class, only to see that a minute or two had passed.
When the final bell rang, I grabbed what books I needed from my locker and walked to the gym for practice. It was normally my favorite part of the day, but today, I wasn’t looking forward to it. It was just another obstacle that got in the way of my date…or rather, not a date with Jesse.
All of the other girls had already arrived by the time I walked in, and I hurried to the locker room to change into a pair of shorts and a tank top. By the time I finished changing and made my way back out to the gym, my girls were already lined up and waiting on me.
Jennifer tapped her foot impatiently as I approached. She and I were both captains of the team, and she was my least favorite person on it. It wasn’t that she was a bad cheerleader because she rocked at our routines. It was just that she came off a bit cold sometimes. We had butted heads more than once, and I often wondered if Coach had lost her mind by putting us together to run the team.
“Are you ready, princess?” Jennifer asked sarcastically.
I liked it much better when Jesse had called me princess even if he was being sarcastic about it.
“Yeah, I’m ready when you are,” I replied, ignoring the iciness in her tone as I started stretching.
“Great. Everyone ready?” she shouted.
The girls nodded and prepared for the start of the routine. I grabbed the remote next to the CD player and hit play. As soon as I heard Nicki Minaj’s “Roman’s Revenge,” I relaxed my body and prepared to start. This was my thing. Cheering was everything to me, and I loved it. It was like breathing. I couldn’t live without it.
My eyes met Lucy’s, and off we went. We’d perfected this routine over the summer, and I could do it with my eyes closed. We both did two cartwheels that put us in front of the rest of the girls. I took a deep breath. We started off small with a toe touch jump, and then we did two more cartwheels past each other. Next, it was tuck, tuck, back up, get a running start, then an aerial, and end with a handspring. I. Loved. This.
We continued to do our stunts until we finished up our routine with two basket tosses. I was sweating, and my muscles were burning, but I loved it. I’d been cheering since I was three, and it was such a huge part of my life. Thankfully, my mom thought it was good for me to keep in shape, so she fully supported me.
“That was great!” I said to the rest of the girls.
They had all performed flawlessly. We were a hell of a team.
“Okay, let’s do it again, and then we’ll move on to the next routine!” Jennifer shouted from beside me.
We spent the rest of practice doing our routines over and over until we were sure that we had them. Even though it was Friday, our school didn’t have a game until the following week, so we decided to add an extra night to our practices for the week. When we were finished, I showered and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I was nervous over the fact that Jesse was probably out in the parking lot already, waiting for me.
I waved good-bye to the team and left the gym. As soon as the parking lot was in view, I saw Jesse leaning up against his Jeep, waiting, just as I’d expected. My stomach churned nervously as I approached him. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous, but I was. I wanted tonight to be perfect even if it wasn’t a date in his eyes.
“Hi,” I said awkwardly as I stopped in front of him.
“Hi back,” he said casually.
I wanted to kick him for being so at ease when I was a giant ball of nerves.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Sure. You want to take my car or yours?”
“It doesn’t matter to me,” I replied.
“Okay, we can take mine. This isn’t a date, but I can be a gentleman and all that crap.” He grinned, and that damn dimple appeared in his cheek.
“You’re off to a good start, talking like that,” I teased.
“Right? Anyway, hop in, and I’ll take us to grab some food.”
I walked past him and slid into the passenger seat of his Jeep. It was very strange to be in a car that didn’t have all the luxuries I was used to, but I kind of liked it. Life was boring when you had everything you wanted.
Jesse started the car and switched on the radio to some rock station. I found myself bopping my head to the song as he pulled out of the lot.
“Who is this?” I asked.
“Breaking the Hunger. They’re a really cool rock band from West Virginia. They just came onto the scene a few months ago, and I’m already a huge fan.”
“I don’t listen to rock, but I like this.”
“Whoa, wait a minute. You don’t listen to rock?” he asked incredulously.
“Nope. I usually listen to pop music. I like stuff that I can dance or cheer to.”
“So, you don’t listen to Linkin Park? Metallica? The Doors? Seether? All That Remains?”
I shook my head as he continued to name off bands. “Nope. I have no idea who any of those bands are, except Linkin Park. They play on the pop stations occasionally.”
“I’m not sure if I should feel sorry for you or kick you out of my Jeep at this point. You poor, sheltered child. How have you survived in this world without rock?”
“By being awesome?” I teased.
“I feel like I should educate you. You’ve missed out on so much, young one.”
“Hey, I’m not that young. I’ll be eighteen in a month. I’ll be legal and all that jazz.”
“Wait, in a month? When’s your birthday?”
“October third. Why?”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. We have the same birthday.”
I smiled from ear to ear. What are the odds? “That’s too funny. Will you be eighteen, too?”
He nodded. “Yep. I can’t wait.”
“Me either. Nothing will change for me until I graduate next year, but there’s just something about being an adult that sounds so exciting.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I can barely contain myself for when I have to pay bills.”
“Oh, shut up. You know what I mean.”
“I’m just kidding. I’ll be glad when I turn eighteen, too. So, back to music. I feel the need to make you fall in love with at least one of my favorite bands before the night is over. Flip down the visor and pick any CD up there.
“Sure, why not?” I pulled the visor down and started looking through his collection. He had a ton, and I wasn’t sure which to pick. There was one with an apple on it, and I pulled it out. “Let’s try this one.”
“Good choice. In This Moment kicks ass, and their lead singer is a woman.”
I popped the CD in and waited for the first song to start, but before it could, Jesse skipped to the second one.
“The first one sucks. The second is much better.”
I stayed silent as the music started. A woman’s voice came through the speakers seconds later, and I concentrated on the lyrics. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the screaming, but I tried to act interested for Jesse’s sake.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“They’re not bad. It’s just not something I would normally listen to,” I answered truthfully.
“They’re not for everyone. Andy hates them.”
“I think if I listened to them for a while, I could get used to i
t.”
“Take it with you tonight, and listen to it over the weekend. I bet you’ll be singing along by the time Monday rolls around.”
“You’d trust me with your precious music?” I asked.
“Surprisingly, yes. And if you scratch it, I’ll just make you buy me a new one.”
I laughed. “Way to abuse the rich girl.”
“Might as well put Daddy’s money to good use,” he said as he glanced over at me.
I knew he was teasing, but there was a darkness behind his eyes that I couldn’t ignore.
“Listen, while we’re out, I’m not the rich girl, okay? I’m just a girl you’re taking out for dinner. I hate how you categorize us. We’re just people, regardless of what our parents have in their bank accounts.”
“Wow, you sound all wise and shit,” he joked, and I felt the tension in the car ease.
“I am wise, believe it or not.”
I hadn’t been paying attention to where he was taking us, and I was surprised when he suddenly stopped the car. We were sitting in the parking lot of a restaurant on his side of town. The building looked surprisingly clean for being in the bad part of town.
“Welcome to Joe’s. They have the best burgers in town,” Jesse said as he got out of the car.
I followed closely as we walked across the lot to the entrance.
There was no hostess to seat us, and Jesse walked straight in and took a seat in one of the booths in the back. I sat down across from him and picked up a menu that was already on the table.
“So, you said they have good burgers?” I asked.
“Yep. Anything they make is good, but their burgers are amazing. I would commit murder for one.”
“Then, I guess I’ll have a burger,” I said as I glanced down at the menu. I looked through their burgers, trying to find the cheapest one. I felt bad for doing so, but I knew Jesse didn’t have a lot of money, and I didn’t want him to waste it on me.
“Hello, are you ready to order?” a young girl asked as she stopped beside our table.
Jesse glanced at me. “You ready?”
“Yeah, can I have just a regular burger and fries with a water, please?”
“I’ll have the same, except I want a Coke,” Jesse said as he closed his menu.
“Sure. Give me just a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Lisa,” Jesse said as the girl turned and walked away.
“Come here often?” I asked, noting that he knew the waitress’s name.
“Usually once a week if I have any cash to spare.”
“If I have any cash to spare.” I felt horrible. Here I was, driving around a brand-new car that probably cost more than his house, and he could barely afford to eat at a hole-in-the-wall burger joint. The more I was around him, the more I realized just how different we were.
“What has you in such deep thought over there?” Jesse asked.
“Nothing. Just wondering if you’re telling the truth about these so-called amazing burgers,” I lied.
“You don’t trust me? I’m insulted.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you are.”
We sat in an uneasy silence as I tried to think of something to say. I wanted to get to know him, but I wasn’t sure how. We were so different.
“So, what do you like to do when you’re not working or in school?” I asked.
“I like to surf.”
I raised a brow. Jesse was full of surprises. I’d pegged him as a surfer when we first met, but this was the first time he’d mentioned surfing to me. “Really?”
“Yep. I’ve been doing it since I was ten, so I’m actually pretty good at it.”
“I’m impressed. I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m too scared of falling or something.”
“It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. You’d probably be pretty good since you’re in great shape from cheerleading.”
“You think I’m in great shape?” I asked, half-teasing and half-fishing for compliments.
“You know you are, so don’t act all surprised.”
“You’re such a charmer, you know that? If you think you’re so good at it, why don’t you teach me?”
“To surf or charm people?”
“To surf, smart-ass. I’d love to give it a try.”
The waitress appeared just then, and she set our food and drinks in front of us. “Here you go. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“Thank you.” I picked up my burger and took a bite. Sweet mother of God, he wasn’t kidding. It was like a mouthgasm—yes, a mouthgasm. It was so good that it needed a new word to describe it.
I moaned a little bit, and he grinned.
“Good?”
“Um, yes! How did I not know about this place before now?”
“Because you’ve never been to this side of town before?”
“Oh, right,” I said sheepishly.
“Anyway, were you serious about learning to surf?”
“Absolutely. I think I could kick your butt if I knew what I was doing.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I wouldn’t mind seeing you get knocked off the board a few times. Might bring you down to my level.”
“Oh, shut up. We’re on the same level now. Seeing me get the crap knocked out of myself won’t change anything.”
“But it’ll make me laugh,” he said as he grinned at me.
“Sure, it will. What do I need to do, and when do you want to do this? I need time to get a board and stuff.”
“Don’t worry about the board. You can use my old one that I learned on. As for when, I’m free tomorrow morning until two if you want to start then.”
Wow. That was a lot sooner than I’d expected. I wasn’t one to turn down a challenge though. “Sounds like a plan to me. What time do you want to start? And where should I meet you on the beach?” I asked.
“Let’s meet at eight. There won’t be a ton of people around, so you won’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself. The beach I surf at is only a few minutes from here.”
“Great, I can’t wait. Should I bring anything with me?” I asked.
“Nope, just yourself.” He gave me a devious smile. “And a bikini.”
I felt my cheeks heat, but I refused to look away from him. He was testing me, and I wasn’t about to lose this one.
“I think I can handle that.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
We talked about nothing in particular as we finished our food. While we didn’t get into anything personal, I felt like I could relate to Jesse a little bit better. The guy was smart, really smart. I could tell just by the way he talked. While he came off as easygoing and even a little wild, I didn’t think he was as bad as he seemed. Still, underneath the shaggy hair and tattoos, he was a force to be reckoned with. There was just something about him. Maybe it was the way he carried himself as if to say, “Don’t mess with me.”
When we were both done, Jesse pulled out his wallet and set a few bills on the table to cover our dinner. I grabbed my purse and followed him out to the parking lot. I stayed a few feet behind him, admiring his ass as he walked. I couldn’t help it. I was only human.
The ride back to the school was quiet. As he pulled in next to my car, he turned to me.
“Well, this was fun. Thanks for inviting me,” I said.
“You’re welcome. I know it wasn’t five-star dining, but I like this place.”
“Screw five stars. I have to wear a dress when we go to places like that.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a dress sometime, preferably something short.”
I wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not, so I just smiled as I opened my door.
“Don’t forget. Eight o’clock sharp, or I’ll paddle out without you.”
I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
He waved as I started my car, and pulled away. I watched him in my rearview mirror until I was out of the parking lot. I was going to have a lot of fun figuring Jesse out.
; I groaned as I pulled my car into our garage. My mother’s car was inside, which meant she was home. Why me? I thought she’d told me that she would be gone until tomorrow, but I’d apparently heard her wrong. I’d had such a good day, and I didn’t want to deal with her tonight. She’d just ruin my mood.
I slipped out of my car and walked to the door that led inside the house. Maybe, just maybe, if I were quiet enough, she wouldn’t know that I’d made it home. I crept through the house and went up the stairs to my room. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, I heard my mother’s bedroom door open.
“Emma, I see you made it home.”
Damn it. “Hi, Mom.”
“How was your day?” she asked.
What’s up with that? She never asked about my day. “Um, fine. Why?”
“Can’t I ask how my daughter’s day was?” she huffed.
“Well, yeah, I guess. You just normally don’t.”
There was no use sugarcoating it. We both knew that she didn’t give a damn about how my day went unless it pertained to her.
“Emma! That was very rude of you!”
“Sorry,” I grumbled.
“I’m sure you are,” she said sarcastically. “I was talking to Todd’s mom today. She said the two of you went out last night. How did that go?”
And there it was. She didn’t give a damn about my day. She was simply fishing for information about Todd. His parents were one of the highly influential people who she chased after. The two of us together would be like a wet dream to her.
“It was nice,” I said.
“Just nice?”
It took every ounce of self-control I had not to run to my room and lock the door. I did not want to talk about Todd with my mother. Now that she knew we’d been out together, she’d never let it go.
“What do you want me to say, Mom? We went out. It was nice.”
“I thought you had a crush on that boy. Why aren’t you more excited over the fact that you two went on a date?”
“It wasn’t a date. We just went out for a little bit. He didn’t ask to go out again, so don’t get your hopes up for a repeat performance.”
“I might not be a teenager anymore, but the last time I checked, a date consisted of two people going out. I’d consider last night a date.”
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