What was Troy’s problem?
God, what was my problem?
He hadn’t been that out of line, but I was pressed for time. And he was being unreasonably stubborn.
I found Gina waiting for me near the café. We always met here after my English class, only I usually beat her here.
Her eyebrows were lost behind her big bangs and her expression told me she couldn’t believe I would take my time on a day like today.
I shook my head and jogged the remaining few feet.
“What took you so long?” she demanded. “Oh, my god, I can’t even believe you were almost late!”
“Shut up!” I bent over to tug at the top of my knee high black boots and then wiggled my hips to adjust my short black mini. I’d grabbed my black leather jacket from the back of my chair on my escape from English, but hadn’t put it on yet.
October was freezing this year and my black tank top did nothing to protect me from the chill. I shoved my bare arms into the jacket I’d found at a thrift shop over the summer and pulled my long hair over one shoulder.
“How do I look?” I asked Gina.
She licked her thumb and smoothed out one of my eyebrows. “You need lipstick.”
I rolled my eyes because Gina always thought I needed lipstick. Our senses of fashion couldn’t have been more different.
She was a total Betty, more punk rock than anything. Her super straight, bleached blonde hair was the exact opposite of my wild black hair. Lucky for both of us, both shades were natural.
As far as wardrobe went, I stuck to varying degrees of black, and she was all about colors. Her bright green mini and knee high orange socks were practically blinding. Throw in the streaks of pink in her hair and she looked like a flippin’ rainbow.
Gina did know her boots, though. And even I could appreciate the motorcycle blacks she rocked.
She pulled out her cotton candy lipstick but I quickly shook my head. The reason we met in this exact spot on days like today had arrived. I spotted the very top of his head as he pushed through the crowd. “I see him.” She took the cue and we both subtly turned our bodies toward the main flow of traffic.
In a shameless display of desperation, I flipped my hair again and laughed loudly like Gina had just said the funniest thing on the planet.
I felt her side eye of disapproval, but totally ignored her.
He turned the corner and his entire, smokin’ hot body came into view. I stopped laughing. I stopped moving. I stopped thinking completely.
There was nothing in my head except the image of Jake Turner in all his glory.
We made eye contact across the student center and he lifted his chin in recognition. I should have done something in return… a wave or chin bob orsomething. Instead I stared at him, my teeth sinking into my lower lip.
His chin length hair bounced as he strutted through the crowded area. Kids on all sides jumped out of the way for him. He had this commanding presence that sucked up all the air in a room and filled out the entire stage when he performed.
He was a rock god. Even at nineteen, everyone knew he was the next big deal.
I’d told my parents that I wanted to stay close to home and them. Which was why they didn’t bat an eye when I picked Wharing. But the real reason had been Jake.
We’d grown up next door to each other, but he’d been a year older than me and his friends had always been the cool, under the bleacher crowd. My dad hated his dad and so our families had never really interacted.
I’d spent every summer of high school lying out in the backyard, hoping he’d notice that I wasn’t a kid anymore. We would talk every once in a while, and sometimes at school we’d run into each other and catch up, but I wanted more than that.
I wanted Jake Turner to see me and notice me and make out with me. At the very least.
I had never wanted anyone more than I wanted Jake. Just looking at him made my insides all wobbly and my knees go weak. I liked to think I was too cool to write his name on my notebooks with a heart around it, but even I could admit I’d burned a few tattered pages with Mrs. Cassandra Turner scrawled in black.
It was more than a little pitiful how I swooned over this guy.
But I couldn’t help it! He was Jake Fricking Turner and I just wanted to make out with him. Once. Or twice. Or have his babies.
