Then I talked to her and have been hanging with her every day at lunch and during every break at school.
And the more I know about her, the more I like her.
Her sense of humour, her kindness and her tendency to swear when she's surprised or amused, made me want to know her better.
There's only one problem: Teague likes her too.
We’re not super tight or anything, but he's definitely my best friend at school and on the team and he told me what happened on that morning in the girls’ bathroom.
He said that he was gonna ask Aubrey out.
I didn't hide the fact that I wanted to ask her out too and my friend surprised me by not getting mad at me.
He said we could maybe both take her to Knox's party?
I liked the idea because it would take a lot of pressure off me.
One of the reasons why I liked Aubrey is that she didn't look as ‘boy crazy’ as the other girls at BHPA.
This is the thing at school: it's like a constant race for who's hooking up with whom.
Who sleeps with more people, who sleeps with the most popular people and ultimately who gets the best relationship on paper, the one that furthers your social standing.
And boys and girls both play this game: admittedly, boys are more interested in the hooking up side of things but girls are actually the worst.
They compete with one another ruthlessly and they’ll use sex as a weapon to belittle their rivals and to get the best and most popular boyfriend.
And obviously the football players are prime targets: the most desirable traits that BHPA girls want in a hookup and potential boyfriend are social status and family wealth.
So a rich football player is at the top of the social ranks at the academy.
This is why both Teague and Knox even tried out for the team to begin with.
They're both filthy rich and being on the team, would get them laid more than they could handle.
I joined the team because I genuinely like the game but obviously I never complained about the attention I got from the girls at school, especially the cheerleaders.
Because there's also the reverse aspect of the situation: for a girl to get to the top of the social and dating ranks, a guy would look at how hot she is, how popular she is and her family's standing.
So a hot, rich cheerleader would definitely be having the pick of any guys she wanted.
Teague and Knox fucked their way through their junior year: they weren't on the starting team but they were the most popular guys in our class.
The natural heirs to the A-Team that last year took our school to victory in the state championship: Max, Reece, Chaz and Pryce.
So they actually had a bit of a challenge going on between them about who’d fuck more girls.
They took it pretty damn seriously and I think that while the whole thing started as a friendly competition, by the end of the school year, they started to actively dislike each other.
I always was part of the pack and acted as their wingman at parties and I’ve gotta say, that while I wasn't interested in competing against them, I certainly reaped the benefits of hanging out with them.
The amount of hand jobs and blowjobs I got last year is something I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed of.
However I didn't join their race to see who fucked the most.
Don't get me wrong, like every hot blooded seventeen year old boy, I found it really hard to say no when a pretty girl offered to ‘entertain me’ but I always wanted sex to mean something.
Especially my first time, I wanted it to be with someone I cared about and who cared about me.
So I waited and up until now, I haven't found that special someone.
I just hope that Aubrey turns out to be her because I’ve never liked anyone as much as I like her so far.
I know that Teague will be ok if we both get to know her, at least at first.
Knox might be a completely different matter but I’m not bowing down.
I really want this girl.
Principal McArthur’s house is right on the beach and when we arrive there are several bonfires already lit, food being cooked and a makeshift dance floor lit by tiki torches.
It's a school sponsored event, so there's a strict no alcohol policy but because the only students taking part are mostly seniors, all the adults in charge mainly keep to the house, leaving us to our own devices.
Every now and then someone will come and check on us with the excuse to make sure that there's still ice in the coolers full of sodas and water that dot the beach.
This doesn't mean that people don’t hook up: it only means that they're careful to find a private spot if they decide to.
Obviously there's a group that immediately sheds their clothes with the intention to go skinny dipping.
I’m not surprised to see Margaux and Macy in it.
Margaux is trying to convince Devon to join and attempts to grab the buckle of his belt to undo it.
I’m standing next to Teague with Aubrey between us and I don't miss the way she’s looking at the scene Margaux and Devon are offering.
What surprises me is that while trying to resist the cheer captain’s advances, Devon turns to look at our group and his eyes settle on Aubrey.
The two silently stare at each other for a moment and I see Aubrey’s lips tighten in a displeased straight line.
When Aubrey begins turning away from them, Devon seems to decide to disrobe and follow Margaux and the others into the dark sea water.
I’m not sure what just happened here: Devon and Aubrey have maybe exchanged five words since school started and they don't seem to like each other much.
But I’ve been catching our QB1 looking at her when he thinks that no one else is watching.
I bet he wants her too but he seems stuck with his rally girl who's determined to become more than his personal cheerleader.
Talking about rally girls, Teague lowers his head to whisper something in Aubrey’s ear, making her giggle and I feel a pang of jealousy that she's his rally girl.
I’m afraid that this will put Teague at an advantage compared to me and that she’ll choose him.
But tonight fate is on my side because a bunch of other players have decided to have an arm wrestling competition and come to drag Teague into their fold.
So all my dreams seem to come true when I find myself alone with Aubrey.
“Are you all right with your soda or do you need a refill?”
I ask with a smile and she says that she's fine.
I debate if I should ask her to dance but then I think that this is a really great opportunity to get to know her and the dance floor isn't the best place to talk, so I ask her if she’d like to go for a walk along the beach.
“Sure, that sounds nice.”
She has the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen, it always reaches her eyes.
I’m not the bravest or most daring person, the way I kissed Aubrey last week taking advantage of that suck and blow card game is really out of character for me but I remember the way Knox was looking at Aubrey and the looks Teague gives her, so I summon all my courage and grab her hand while we walk.
She doesn't try to resist and we walk alongside each other for a few steps.
“So, how do you like BHPA compared to Aylesbury?”
Her smile widens and she says that ‘American high school’ is different than what she was used to.
“I did all my schooling up to sophomore year in Hong Kong. It was an international school for mostly expats and rich locals and the curriculum was as hard as it is here if not harder but the social aspect was much simpler. We were a much smaller school anyway, so we all knew each other.”
I think about it for a second and then ask her something that's quite important:
“So, did you leave behind anyone special at Aylesbury or in Hong Kong?”
She smiles softly and looks at me in that direct way that I like so much about her.
“Landon Campbell, are you as asking me if I have a boyfriend?”
Her tone is amused and I find myself smiling too.
“Yeah. A guy has to know what chance he stands with the girl he likes, right? I can't always be lucky enough to be playing suck and blow next to you.”
She laughs at my attempt at self-deprecation.
“No. I don't have a boyfriend. And what you did last Friday required some serious balls.”
I rub the skin between her thumb and her index finger before stopping to look into her dark blue eyes: we walked quite far from the party, we can still see the light of the bonfires in the distance but the only light we really have is provided by the full moon.
“I’d do it again.”
Her smile becomes provocative this time.
“What are you waiting for, then?”
And all my hesitation vanishes when I realise that she wants to kiss me too.
So I take a step closer to her and place my index finger under her chin to lift her face towards mine.
My eyes stay on hers when I touch her lips with mine.
And at first this is all I do: I don't move, I just revel in the feeling of the softness and smoothness of her lips.
But then she puts a hand on my chest and I can't wait any longer to taste her mouth again.
I purse my lips against hers and suck really softly at her top lip.
She lets out a soft gasp and opens her mouth allowing me in.
She tastes of citrus fruit, like the soda she's been drinking and I don't think I can ever have enough of her.
So I show her my desire in each stroke of my tongue against hers.
It's a sensual kiss and it's hot but not in a frantic way, it’s like melted chocolate, smooth and warm, addictive.
We’re holding each other tight and I might be a virgin but my body knows very well what it wants, so as soon as I start feeling that my desire for Aubrey is growing, I break the kiss.
I didn't bring her here to try to get off or get laid.
I wanna get closer to her, know who she is before we take things any further.
I sit on a nearby rock and settle her on my lap, her back is to my front and my arms are closed around her.
The light breeze that comes from the sea, is bringing the salty ocean scent and the smokey one from the nearby bonfires and it makes her long, dark brown hair brush against my arms giving me goosebumps.
“Who was your first kiss?”
I ask with a smile and she giggles.
“Wow, I haven’t thought about it for a while ... it was Matt Huang, my freshman year. But there's a bit of a story there. He wasn't really the one I wanted to kiss. I was crushing real bad on this sophomore, Simon. He was tall and blonde with dreamy blue eyes. His mom was a Danish supermodel and his dad an American diplomat. He was a bit of a bad boy too. One day at school, I saw him rolling a joint under a staircase at school. It was a bit out of the way and when I saw him, he invited me to hang out. We didn't smoke but he told me that he wanted to kiss me. I knew he was a very experienced guy, at least compared to me, so I freaked out a little and told him that I had to go back to class. That Friday night, I was invited to a party and I knew he’d be there.”
I keep playing with her hair, keeping my arms around her while she reminisces.
“He showed up with another girl and I was so hurt that I ended up outside on a balcony with Matt. We talked, he kissed me and it was good. I was so nervous because I didn't know what to do but if he realised that, he never said anything.”
I ask her if she ever kissed Simon and she turns to smile at me, resting her head on my shoulder.
I love the feel of that and the warmth of her breath on my neck when she speaks again.
“No, I never did. He looked at me sometimes and I saw him at other parties but I never really spoke to him again. I kissed a few other boys. Nothing serious but at least those ones didn't get through girls the same way Simon did. What about you? Tell me about your first kiss.”
I trace my thumb over her bottom lip and force myself to talk rather than seize her lips again.
“Mine was with a girl called Ally Baker at summer camp, also my freshman year. But it wasn't very romantic, I’m afraid. She liked making out and she’d wait for boys behind her cabin after curfew. The first boy there would get to spend about twenty minutes kissing her. I heard that from the other guys and I was curious about kissing, so one night I made sure that I got there first.”
She giggles.
“And how was it?”
I shrug.
“It was ok. I just realised that kissing someone you really like, feels completely different.”
She lifts her head from my shoulder to stare into my eyes and for a second I fear that it was too much, too soon.
But she smiles at me and tells me that she likes me too.
“I like you too, Landon but—“
I interrupt her.
“I know that you're seeing Knox and that Teague is also into you. All I ask you is if you wanna go on a date with me too. I’m not mad that you wanna get to know them, I just want a chance too. To be the one you choose in the end.”
When she whispers her yes, she does it against my lips and I feel like a fucking sap because I’ve never felt so happy in my whole life.
Aubrey
IT'S SUNDAY AND I WAKE up really late: it's almost noon.
I’m not surprised that I slept this late because last night I was out really late with Knox.
It was a really fun date and I was impressed by the amount of thought he put into it.
First he took me to this really edgy pop up restaurant where we dined in the dark.
We got ushered into a pitch black dining room and basically the concept is that they take away your sight, so you experience your food only with your sense of smell and your taste.
I never thought that I could enjoy something like that but it was actually a lot of fun.
We laughed the entire time and he held my hand in the dark, which I found really nice.
He also often leaned in to whisper something funny in my ear and his scent of soap and clove is even more delicious in the dark because it feels more intense.
After the restaurant, Knox took me to star gaze at the planetarium.
They had these reclining seats and the screen was above us, showing us the night sky.
I admit that it was interesting but we ended up paying zero attention to it because I made the huge ‘mistake’ of thanking Knox by kissing him on the cheek.
I got the outer corner of his lips instead and he took it as an attempt to kiss him.
He kissed me back and we spent the whole time in there making out.
His lips never left mine and his hands delicately caressed my jaw and neck.
The room wasn't packed but we weren't alone, so kissing felt thrilling and daring.
After the show, Knox took me home and after kissing me on my doorstep, he asked for another date but I was surprised that he didn't try to push his luck or invite himself in.
He must have noticed the doubt in my eyes because he felt like he had to explain.
“Aubrey, I just want you to know that I’d love to continue what we had to interrupt when the show at the planetarium was over.
I’d like to follow you inside and kiss you some more and not stop until I know everything there is to know about your beautiful body.”
The intensity in his grey eyes makes me feel weak at the knees and there’s a raging heat between my thighs when he hints at the way he wants to get to ‘know’ me.
I feel so attracted to him, to his gorgeous, tall and muscular frame, to his short blonde hair and his high cheekbones, to the smattering of freckles on his nose that softens his otherwise fierce appearance.
I’m so attracted that I feel brave and I ask:
“Then why don't you?”
His eyes are so dark right now that I could easily lose myself in them and in a way, maybe it's good that he seems to have s
ome control over his own urges, because the way he’s looking at me would make me say yes to a lot of things right now.
“It’s because I just realised that I really like hanging out with you, Aubrey ... Fuck it, I really like going on dates with you and it's not just kissing you, which trust me is so fucking awesome that I’ve been rock hard for the last hour. No, I just really like to go out to eat with you, to listen to the things you say and the way you listen to me. So I don't want this to be just a quick hookup. And if you agree to keep seeing me ... I can wait for all the really, really hot things I wanna do with you. I just don't want this to be a ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’ kind of deal like I’ve always wanted in the past.”
I smile thinking about his last kiss before he walked back to his car: it was so hot, so full of desire.
It’s as if his mouth were making love to mine and it took all my self-control not to drag him with me into the empty house.
I love the fact that he wants something more, that he doesn't just wanna bang me like Devon did, despite talking to me about feelings the whole time.
I shower and wear a little summer dress that feels light and airy, as if I wasn't really wearing anything.
It's mid September but the summer sun is still very strong and it’s stifling hot outside the air conditioned house.
I open the fridge, trying to decide what to eat when I hear a rumbling noise coming from the front of the house.
“It sounds like the fucking apocalypse out there! What the hell!”
Am I crazy because I talk to myself a lot?
I always do it when I’m alone, out loud.
And while I’m relieved that I don't have to put up with Daddy’s stupid controlling rules and his attempts to marry me off for business profits, I admit that being in Chaz's house by myself is starting to feel really lonely.
I wish Abi and her boys were here, like in the summer.
There was never a dull moment and always someone to hang out with.
The rumbling noise stops and my doorbell rings.
So I go to open the door to find myself staring into a pair of super sexy, dark blue eyes.
“Hey, princess!”
Teague is standing on my threshold dressed in dark jeans, a black leather jacket and biker boots and he’s holding a motorbike helmet under his arm.
The Retribution: A High School Light Bully Romance (Beverly Hills Prep Academy Book 3) Page 8