“That was different. He’s…” She stops herself from finishing that sentence.
A friend? Not a jerk? I fill in the blanks for her. But I don’t care if we’re friends or not. I’ll do whatever it takes to pass this test, and all signs are pointing to Lacey being the key.
“I need you.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice lifts an octave, and both brows are now inching toward her hairline.
Dammit. I’m not good with words, but by the look on her face I need to say something and fast.
“I met with Caleb at lunch.”
“You did?” She seems surprised by that little tidbit.
I nod. “Yeah, and it isn’t going to work. He’s smart, for sure, but I need someone else.”
The look she gives me is part confusion and part something else I can’t quite name. “Why?”
“I just do.”
Her narrowed gaze scrutinizes me carefully, and then some unnamed emotion flicks across her features.
“Was he not cool enough? Not hot enough? Would you like me to ask around and see if I can find someone a little more popular, so you don’t have to be seen with nerdy Caleb?” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “I didn’t think you were such a snob. He’s actually a really cool guy. Sure, he talks in Klingon part of the time and his cologne is so strong you can smell him as soon as he walks into a building, but he’s a good guy.”
She’s so fired up that I can’t do anything but stare at her as she goes off on me. She’s inched closer too. I can smell her minty breath, and my gaze drops to the light freckles along the bridge of her nose. The tiny dots fan out over her cheekbones where a flush is also creeping onto her skin.
Lacey is pretty. The way she’s always smiling at everyone draws people’s attention. But there’s something about seeing her like this, glaring and nearly shouting at me, that has my blood pumping.
“Well?” she asks, clearly wanting me to admit to being the asshole she thinks I am.
“Caleb’s a good guy,” I say. Sure, I only spent thirty minutes with him, but he was willing to help me, so I’d say that qualifies his character well enough.
“Yes, he is.”
“I appreciate his help, and I don’t care if the guy smells or is obsessed with Star Wars.” TheJedi in TrainingT-shirt he was wearing isn’t my style, but what do I care?
“You just don’t want to be seen with him?”
I sigh heavily. I wish it were that simple. “It’s not that. He’s…a fan.”
“Okay.” Her head shakes slightly. The movement makes her long, dark ponytail swish around her shoulders.
“I spent the last hour with Caleb, and he was more excited to talk about soccer and the upcoming game than Algebra II. He can’t tutor me because he’s too worried about hurting my feelings to tell me when I’m doing something wrong. He looks up to me too much to tutor me.”
Lacey’s lips part, and her chin dips slightly. Slowly her lips curve up, and then she…giggles. The noise starts small and then grows until her entire body shakes with it. She reaches forward and places a hand on my arm.
My skin pricks at the contact, warmth spreading up my arm despite my confusion.
“Wow. Full of yourself much?” She continues laughing as she pulls her hand free, then says to herself, “‘He looks up to me too much.’”
“Yo, Collins!”
I turn as someone calls my name, too agitated to place the voice until I spot Caleb jogging toward me. His dark hair flops around his head and a big smile is splashed across his face.
“Hey, Caleb,” I say in greeting.
Lacey composes herself and stands next to me, offering him a smile that is much brighter than any she gives me.
“Hi, Lacey.” He blushes a little as he steals a glance at her, and then his attention comes back to me.
