Chapter 2
Wow. Is there not a
limit as to how much a
guy could actually be
such an egotistical,
bigheaded, cocky jerk?
Well, with Mr. I-Have-
Nice-Biceps-Right? guy,
I
guess there isn’t. And
frankly? He disgusted
me to death. Especially
since 1) he had
absolitely no idea how
drunk he was, 2) he
wasxin love with his
biceps, 3) and he
practically wanted to
kiss me the moment
he
saw me.
He smiled at me. “Well,
Karla—”
“It’s Kyla,” I corrected
him.
He looked around the
room. “Where?” he
asked, and I fought the
urge to slap him. He
didn’t even know my
name. So as he looked
around the room with
all these swaying,
sober, half-drunk, really
drunk party people
dancing to the lame
Super Bass song, I tried
my best not to hit
Biceps Guy where it
hurt.
I could do that. I could
kick him right there—
he’d probably swear,
most likely cause a big
ruckus that would
attract the attention
of
the room, and end up
crying like the big baby
he was—and I’d just
act all childish-like and
innocent, tell him I
didn’t mean to, kiss
him, and he’ll forget it.
As easy as one-two-
three.
Fortunately, though, I
didn’t do that. Not
because I could actually
control my temper
(trust me, I have anger
management issues),
and especially not
because I was nice and
I didn’t want him to cry
like a baby in the middle
of a high school party
where half the student
body could see him. No.
In fact, it was because
of this: I didn’t want to
end up kissing him.
Period.
I mean, did he even
brush his teeth? Those
yellow—yellow
unidentified objects
stuck to his gums
were
just repulsing. There
was simply no way I
would kiss him.
So I stood up from his
lap, where I somehow
ended up five minutes
ago when he pulled me
down with him.
“Where’re you going?”
he asked me.
I gave him my best
look, batting my
eyelashes at him, and
bent down to whisper
something into his ear.
By the way his whole
body tensed, I knew he
was turned on. Way
turned on.
“So, I’ll just wait for
you upstairs. I think
the
bedrooms are
available,” he
whispered
back—huskily, I might
add. While some people
could be sexy with the
whole husky voice, he
simply sounded like a
drunk pervert.
“Sure. I’ll be there in a
minute,” I said and
winked at him.
He jumped out of his
seat, clearly excited. I
sighed and watched as
he disappeared into the
crowd of dancing
people, up the stairs,
while I stood there and
paused, before turning
to the door to leave.
The party was a dump.
There were hardly any
cute guys. And besides,
Cedric wasn’t there, so
what was the point?
When I walked out the
door, I never planned
on
staying back. I had no
plans of going to the
room where Biceps
Guy,
most likely undressed,
would be waiting for
me.
No Cedric, no thanks.
“Yo, Evans.”
I looked to my side.
Only
one person ever called
me that. Excluding my
teachers, but I really
didn’t expect to find
them standing in the
middle of a high school
party where students
are getting drunk,
getting laid, or getting
silly. So despite the
lack of light, I knew
who it was.
Seth Everett.
“Need a drink?” he
asked me.
“Nah. I’m leaving,” I
said
and eyed the skanky
girl
draped all over him. By
the way her lipstick
was smudged, I was
guessing they were in
the middle of
something. And by the
way her blue eyes sent
cold glares in my
direction, it was a no-
brainer that she did not
like the interruption.

*continues*
“Hey, watch it!” came
the voice from behind
me, and I recognized it
immediately. I looked
up
to see Seth Everett. He
wasn’t looking at me,
though. He was looking
at whoever had
thrown
that football in my
direction.
To my surprise, it was
Cedric. Cedric, who had
never played football.
At least not that I
knew of. He ran
towards me and I
wanted to run off as
far away as possible
before he could actually
get near, but I was
rooted to the ground.
Seth had a firm grip on
my shoulders, and I
would’ve have looked
like he still affected me
if I did run away.
So I stayed there.
Seth did not pick up the
ball. Neither did I. So
when he came, he
picked it up and looked
up at me.
In the morning light, his
brown eyes seemed
amber and I realized,
really, how tan he had
become. It wasn’t a
deep tan, but it was
enough for me to
notice. I also noticed
how much longer his
black hair was.
So he wasn’t just
Football-Playing Cedric.
I wondered, for a
second, how much he
had changed.
“We’d appreciate it if
you don’t try hitting
people with your lousy
throw,” Seth told him.
I pursed my lips
together, trying not to
defend Cedric, not to
spat at Seth for being
such an Bottom. It was
almost a reflex, for me
to feel protective of
him.
So we stood there,
Seth behind me with
his
arms on my shoulders,
and Cedric in front of
me, at arm’s length, in
the middle of the
grassy courtyard of
the
school. A lot of people
passed us by, some
going to the peach-
colored building to my
right, some going out,
changing classes or
having break.
But in that moment, it
felt like it was the just
three of us.
“I don’t have a lousy
throw,” Cedric said
through gritted teeth
before looking at me.
“I’m sorry. Are you
okay?” I heard the oh-
so-slight, softening of
his voice as he turned
to me.
I held my head high and
stepped back until my
back could feel the
warmth of Seth’s
chest. I made the
gesture obvious, and
even held one Seth’s
hands on my shoulders.
“I’m fine,” I said and
smiled sweetly at him,
“it was just a lousy
throw after all, wasn’t
it?” I cocked my head
to
the side, still smiling,
thinking, Do you regret
breaking up with me?
Are you hurting? Are
you jealous?
But really, the only
question that ever
really mattered was—
Will you take me back?
“Of course,” he said.
I was almost startled,
wondering, if by some
chance, he had
answered my question
with an “of course,”
before realizing he
couldn’t have heard the
question. And he
wouldn’t want me
back
anyway.
Besides, I realized he
was talking about his
throw when he added,
“I’ll work on it, and
next
time, I’ll try hitting you
again to see if it
improved.”
“Why not?” I asked
him,
shrugging. “I’ll probably
be twenty seven by
then.”
Seth snorted and
Cedric’s face darkened.
Seth slid his hand so
that he was half-
hugging me, one arm
draped across my
shoulder, as he let his
other hand slip away.
He put it in his pocket
and looked at me.
“Let’s
go.”
The two of us went
off, leaving Cedric
standing there.
Seth kept his arm over
my shoulder, even as
we walked into the
school.