Wallflower

by Cookie O'Gorman

  Looking over my shoulder toward the road, I didn't see Dad's car yet, but I knew he must be on his way. He always came home around the same time.

  "If you let me," Dare said, "I'll help you."

  "You already are, silly," I said.

  "Don't think," he said, taking a step forward. "Just react to what I do."

  I swallowed as he met my gaze. "I still think we should keep our distance."

  In answer, Dare closed the gap completely, putting him flush against me.

  I held back a gasp.

  "Why?" he said. "This is to show your dad we're a couple. Isn't it?"

  I nodded, and a moment later his hand was on my cheek.

  "And we both know it's not real." He scanned my face. "Right?"

  "Of course," I said.

  "Then there should be no problem with me doing this."

  His other hand slid down a few inches from my waist to rest against my hip…then went slightly lower.

  "You're playing with fire." A forced laugh left my lips, and I lifted my gaze to his. "I thought you said you didn't want to get benched."

  He grinned. The next moment his hand had moved up, but he pulled my shirt along with it. There was no way to know if that was his intention. But his palm now rested against a small stretch of my exposed skin, and I tried not to hyperventilate.

  "Think Coach would like this better?" he asked.

  "I don't know," I said, trying to keep my heartrate steady. "But I draw the line at kissing. There will be absolutely none of that."

  Dare nodded. "Okay. If that's what you want, we won't kiss."

  I felt both relief and disappointment even though it had been my suggestion.

  "Great," I said, trying to convince myself. "That's great."

  "We're just flirting, flower." Dare tilted his head as he leaned forward. "No big deal. Take a deep breath and try to relax."

  Easy for him to say, I thought. My hand wasn't on any part of his body but his neck. I had the strangest urge to plunge my fingers into his hair. My fingers itched to move, but I wasn't that daring.

  "You can do what you want," he said as if reading my mind.

  God, I hoped he couldn't.

  As I glided my hands up into his dark hair, feeling the smooth strands fall through my fingers, I paused there a moment.

  "This okay?" I asked.

  "Yeah," he said. "You're good."

  I allowed one hand to drift down past his shoulders, chest and finally ending on his abs. The material of his t-shirt was still between us, but as I ran my fingers over the hard ridges there, Dare huffed.

  "Who's the one playing with fire now?" he said and then did something I didn't expect.

  In the next breath, he'd closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against mine. It made me feel delicate and protected—but I also felt powerful for getting that kind of reaction from him. Talk about swoon. Foreheads kissing was one of the things I'd always dreamed of doing with a guy. But never thought I'd get the chance.

  "Maybe you do know something about romance," I said softly.

  "Oh yeah?" he said.

  "You're really good at this."

  Dare gave a slow shake of his head, and I felt it all the way to my bones.

  "Nah, you're just easy to please."

  Before he could say more, I heard the distinct sound of a car pulling into the driveway. That was followed by a door opening and closing.

  "Hey, you guys," Dad said, coming up next to us. Dare stepped away then, and we both looked to him. "I didn't expect to see you two out here. Viola, did you give Dare a ride home?"

  "Yeah," I said.

  My father put his hands on his hips as his eyes traveled to Dare. "And you guys have been hanging out all this time?"

  "We have," was Dare's response.

  We waited to see what my father would do. He'd seen us together for a second time. Our foreheads had been together when he drove up for goodness sakes. Neither of us offered any explanation other than the brief answers to his questions. Dad had to be at least a little suspicious…right?

  His reaction was less than satisfying.

  "Awesome," he said. "I love that you two are hanging out now."

  Hanging out? Gracious was he blind? Dare's hand had been resting against my face, and mine had definitely stayed on his stomach for an almost indecent amount of time. We were pressed against each other. He could've been about to kiss me for all Dad knew.

  My father elbowed Dare. "And I understand I have you to thank for finally getting my Viola out to a game. Thanks for that."

  "Uh, no problem," Dare said.

  "I'll see you kids later," Dad said and walked by us. "Frost, you can stay for dinner if you want. My wife requested pizza, so that's what I'm cooking."

  "No, that's okay, Coach. I should be getting home."

  "Okay, good seeing you."

  And with that he went inside.

  I couldn't contain my frown.

  "I really do have to go," Dare said. "Phase four was a bust, but no worries, Vi. We'll make him see the light."

  "I'm not so sure," I said. "This is turning out to be harder than expected."

  Dare pointed a finger at my face. "That's what she said."

  "Ew," I said but laughed despite myself.

  "It'll be alright, flower," he said. "You'll see. It's like soccer or the cello. We just have to keep playing until we master the proper technique."

  "Using a sports and musical reference to drive your point home?" I cocked my head. "You should go into motivational speaking."

  I'd been kind of serious, but Dare rolled his eyes.

  "Speaking of, I've got a game coming up next week. You don't have to come or anything," he said. "But will I see you there?"

  Thinking back, I remembered how his parents never made it to his games, and I knew it meant something to him that I'd come last week. Also, he'd asked the question with nonchalance, but I could tell it mattered. There was only one answer I could give.

  "Of course," I said. "I can't wait to see you play again."

  Dare smiled, and it was worth it. He was worth it.

  "Besides," I added, "I have to see if you really are as good as they say or if that game was just a one off."

  His eyes narrowed, but I could still see the happiness there.

  "Challenge accepted," Dare said and started jogging backwards. He tossed me a wink. "Later, girlfriend."

  It was like being blasted with cold water. I suddenly remembered the truth. The only reason he was hanging around, why we were talking at all, was because I'd blackmailed him into this. I thought about what had happened mere moments ago. React to him, he'd said. And wow, I'd done that and more. Goosebumps still lingered on my skin from his touch. Our relationship was fake, but my feelings were becoming all too real.

  After Dare left, I went straight to the shelter, which helped clear my thoughts.

  But it also allowed me to see the danger in letting this go any further. Revenge didn't seem to be working. Plus, was that really why I was doing this anymore?

  More importantly, I thought, didn't Dare deserve better than some pretend girlfriend?

  The answer was unequivocally yes.

  And I knew what I had to do.

  #

  "I think we should break up."

  My words caused Dare to choke on his Pop Tart, and I patted his back in concern.

  "Are you okay?" I asked.

  "Yeah, fine." He coughed once more then straightened. "But why would you say something like that?"

  I took a deep breath. "Well, for one, this isn't working. My dad doesn't even believe his own eyes. He couldn't be happier with how his meddling worked out, and he's not at all concerned about us being a couple."

  "But he just needs more time," Dare insisted.

  "No," I said, "he thinks I'm hopeless, that I can't make friends on my own. And maybe, he's right."

  A scoff. "What about Estelle?"

  I shrugged. "Estelle is an awesome anomaly," I said.
"She likes me despite how awkward and lame I am."

  Dare nearly growled at that.

  Once we were parked, I shut off the engine and turned to face him. "I don't know why I thought this would work in the first place," I said. "And I'm sure you have other girls you'd rather be with."

  "You're sure about that, huh?" he said.

  It wasn't a confirmation or a denial.

  "Yeah, and after talking with the animals, I realized I can't keep you from living your best life." I reached out, laid a hand on his forearm, ignoring the sparks that small contact ignited. "As your friend, I want that for you. More than I need my revenge."

  "But why not have both?" Dare said.

  His eyes locked on my face.

  "You need to stick with this, flower," he said. "See it through to the end."

  "I thought you'd agree with me," I said.

  "Well, I don't." As I tried to release him, Dare placed his hand on top of mine. "Much as I respect the guy, Coach has this coming. You were right, Viola. He was wrong to ask me to be your friend, and I was wrong to accept."

  Man, that hurt.

  "So you regret it then," I said.

  "What I regret is not getting to know you sooner," he retorted.

  Warm fuzzies spread throughout my body.

  "You're not lame," he said. "As your friend, I refuse to let you think that or quit."

  The warmth growing inside me felt wonderful but also reminded me of another reason, maybe the biggest one, why I should stop this. But Dare wouldn't let up.

  "Come on, flower. Just give it a little more time. We've already put in all this effort. It's not like hanging out with me is going to kill you."

  "It just might," I mumbled.

  Dare laughed, but I was only half-joking.

  "So, does that mean we're still doing this?" he asked.

  I gave a slight nod. "Revenge is the Slytherin way."

  If I'd hoped to put him off with my dorkiness, it didn't work.

  "It's also the Jam way," he said solemnly.

  "Jam?" I questioned.

  "Jim and Pam? It's their—"

  "Couple name," I finished. "I know. You really like those don't you?"

  He shrugged. "I guess. But isn't theirs the best?"

  I gave him a reluctant smile. "Hm, it's not LoVe, Dramione or Olicity. But I'll admit. It's pretty good."

  "Yeah, it is," he said. "And Jam loved pulling pranks. We're trying to bamboozle your dad." At my wince, he amended, "Out of love. Face it, Vi, we're basically the real-life Jam."

  I thought it over. "But that wouldn't be our couple name."

  Dare let out a long-suffering sigh.

  "You're missing the point, flower."

  "No, I get what you're saying." I frowned. "But if you join our names together…it's awful."

  "It's not that bad," Dare said, but I tossed him a look.

  "Seriously?" I said. "It's either Vare or Diola, both of which suck majorly in my opinion. Face it, our names just don't mesh well."

  The Clueless reference went straight over his head, but I didn't hold that against him. My love of teenage romcoms was one of my greatest strengths. I couldn't expect him to know them all.

  Dare crossed his arms. "Our couple name could rock just like Jam's. You haven't given it a chance."

  "Haven't I?" I held up a finger. "Our initials are either DV—which reminds me of the DMV, blech"—another finger joined the first—"Or there's always VD. Which…yeah, yuck."

  "You've obviously put some thought into this."

  I blushed then mumbled, "I have not."

  I totally had.

  Dare nodded to himself. "I'm going to prove you wrong."

  "Yeah, good luck with that."

  "So, I'll see you at my game later?" he asked.

  It was my turn to cross my arms. "You know, if I have to go watch soccer, I think you should come help out at the shelter. It's only fair."

  "Done," he said with a shrug.

  I didn't really expect him to agree. Paris and I were always short-staffed and looking for volunteers—especially male volunteers.

  "Oh," I said a beat later. "That's…really nice of you."

  "It's no problem," he said. "I can't be there on game days. But I can definitely come in sometimes during the week and on the weekend."

  I swallowed. "Awesome."

  "Can I bring toys for the dogs?" he asked, and I swear my heart melted, just dissolved right there into a puddle at his feet. Oh my gosh. I hadn't thought it was possible, but in that moment, Dare became even more attractive.

  Once I recovered, I gave a small shrug. "Yeah, or the shelter's always looking for blankets and food. But you don't have to bring anything. Just yourself."

  Dare nodded.

  "Great," he said. "Ready to drop off your cello?"

  School went by so fast after that. Between Dare, Estelle, Jovonte and even Tyson, I had to be honest. It felt like I'd found my tribe. I'd heard people talk about that but never really understood. Until now. As much as I'd been convinced that releasing Dare from our fake relationship would be best, I couldn't deny that I loved having him around.

  I loved how he wouldn't let me give up.

  I loved how he wanted me at his games.

  I loved how he was determined to find us a killer couple name (though that was definitely a lost cause).

  I loved that he'd agreed to help at the shelter without hesitation and wanted to bring the animals toys.

  I loved that he'd become my real friend, and I didn't want to mess it up.

  I loved…so much about him.

  And that scared me.

  CHAPTER 13

  I hated to admit it.

  But I was actually starting to like soccer.

  Wait, back up and put an asterisk beside that.

  I liked watching Dare play soccer. There was something in the way he moved that made it all so effortless, though I could tell it wasn't. The people around him didn't look that way. They often tried to do the same things he did. Tried being the key word there.

  The guy could do anything with a soccer ball.

  Case in point, right at this moment, Dare was dribbling the ball down the field. He passed to Ty, who was hot on his trail. Ty went to pass, but some player on the other team knocked him down—looked like a foul to me, but what did I know about the rules of soccer?—and a second guy intercepted the ball, taking off in the opposite direction. It looked like no one could stop him. He was too far ahead. I remembered him from the first half because he was the top scorer for the other team. The kid was wicked fast, and he had a clear shot to the DHS goal.

  But Dare chased him down.

  Not only that, just as the other player was about to take a shot, Dare stole the ball back with a slide that defied the laws of Physics. He went down onto his hip with one leg extended—but was back up the next instant, jogging in the other direction, the ball now firmly under his control.

  Dartmor's player looked dumbfounded.

  It took the kid a moment to get his head back after that. But by then, it was too late.

  Dare only needed that slight hesitation. He and Tyson passed the ball back and forth, again and again, until the net was right there. Either of them could've taken the shot. But Dare let his best friend do the honors.

  The ball went in with a whoosh, and the crowd went wild.

  Tyson and Dare did this chest bump/hug combo. The game resumed, but after that, it was another blowout.

  Dare, Tyson, and Jovonte came over to us at the end of the game. Smiles ate up all of their faces.

  "What's the verdict, flower?" Dare said as Gigi and Estelle showered Jovonte with praise.

  "On what?" I asked.

  "Was it just luck last time"—his brow raised—"or do you think I have a future in the sport?"

  Tyson scoffed as I rolled my eyes.

  Just to mess with him, I tilted my head side to side. "Eh, I'd say your chances are fifty-fifty."

  Dare groaned. "A little hars
h there, Vi. You could at least tell me how good I did."

  "I don't want to embarrass you with compliments," I said. "I know how humble you are."

  Tyson barked out a laugh. "Embarrassed? Humble? This guy?"—he pointed his thumb at Dare—"Yeah, right. We've been best friends forever, and I don't think anyone's ever described him that way."

  I nodded. "On second thought, he is a bit cocky. All the more reason to withhold flattery."

  "And I know how sarcastic you can be," Dare said back and then spoke to Ty. "Despite the good girl act, she's actually quite the smartass."

  "Why, thank you," I said not even taking offense.

  "My pleasure."

  Tyson laughed again and pointed between the two of us.

  "You guys are too cute," he said. "It's almost sickening to watch."

  Dare and I had been smiling at each other, but at that, he turned to Tyson.

  "What are you talking about?" Dare asked.

  "I'm just saying you're like the definition of couple goals." Ty shrugged. "It's obvious how much you love each other."

  I didn't know who was more shocked, Dare or me. But his smile was the first to drop.

  "That's real funny, Ty," he said, a frown marring his features. "You should give up soccer and become a comedian."

  "No really," Ty added. "For a single guy like me, the love you two share, it's something to aspire to. You know?"

  "You've got the wrong idea." Dare took a step back. I hadn't even realized we were standing so close until he put the space between us. "It's not like that. Me and flower are just having fun."

  Each word was like a punch to the chest, but Dare wasn't finished.

  "We may be a couple, but it's not serious."

  Ouch.

  "And Viola knows that."

  Did I though? I'd really started to believe we might be something more. And this conversation was painful, like watching all of my hopes being crushed right before my eyes.

  "Really?" Tyson didn't sound convinced.

  Dare put a hand on his shoulder. "Man, you know me. I don't do serious relationships. I never get too wrapped up in a girl."

  "I guess that's true."

  "Yeah, it is. In fact, if we broke up tomorrow and she wanted to date someone else, I'd be totally fine with it."

  Tyson shook his head with a grin. "Ah now, I know you're joking. You're way too competitive. You wouldn't let someone swoop in and steal your girl."