Page 1 of Foolish Games

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#1 at the Box Office: Conspiracy Theory

Vivienne Delacroix

“Oh, look, it’s the nerd herd.”

I turn to see my brother’s best friend, who happens to be the Wampus Cats’ new team captain, and his crew swaggering by. I roll my eyes at my brother, who pretends he doesn’t know me and snickers in solidarity with Sebastian’s other minions.

Since Rob made varsity, he’s been irritatingly arrogant.

Since becoming friends with Sebastian, he’s been insufferable.

I tried explaining to him that I joined Quiz Bowl because it looks great on college applications, but that was the last straw for him. Apparently now I’m not cool enough to speak to him in the presence of his football buddies. Since he started high school and started going by his first name, all he cares about is his image.

I turn away, unbothered by Sebastian’s lame jeer, but my boyfriend answers before I can stop him.

“Is that the best you can come up with?” he asks. “No wonder you have to run around slamming into each other for entertainment. Your tiny brains probably can’t think of anything better to do.”

I sigh and shake my head. Most nerds know better than to give the popular jocks the reaction they’re looking for, but Chaz just can’t seem to help himself.

“I can think of something better to do,” my brother says. “Your mom.”

I hold back laughter, since even though Robert thinks he’s too cool for me, he’s still my little brother, full of lame jokes and unwarranted confidence.

“Very funny,” Chaz says, sliding an arm around my shoulders. “But a false statement. Whereas I am, in fact, doing your sister.”

I would laugh out loud if I didn’t see the fury brewing in my brother’s eyes.

“You better hope you’re fucking with me right now,” Robert says, stepping forward like he’s about to deck Chaz. All the humor of the moment is gone, and my other friends huddle together, cowering nervously as the football players prowl closer. I shrug off Chaz’s arm and shove myself between him and Rob, annoyed that once again, my boyfriend doesn’t know when to shut up and my brother doesn’t know when to mind his own damn business.

I’m a year older, but he acts like it’s his brotherly duty to talk shit to any guy who’s interested in me, even the ones who treat me as well as Chaz does.

“Rob,” I say, pressing a palm to his chest to keep him separated from Chaz. “Chill out. He’s just messing with you.”

“And we’re about to mess with him,” Sebastian says, looking as ready to deck my boyfriend as my brother does. “Or mess him up, to be more accurate. You nerds love to be precise, don’t you?”

“Lay off him,” I say, standing in front of Chaz to block him from the football players.

“Who’s going to make me?” A spark of challenge ignites in Sebastian’s green-apple eyes as he looks me up and down, taking his sweet time.

A little flutter starts in my lower belly when his gaze lingers on my chest before making its way back to mine. I lift my chin and cross my arms, refusing to back down from him or acknowledge the stupid thing my body just did—and does every time I see him hanging out in the pool at my house, all muscle and cocky attitude, dripping with water and sculpted like a freaking god. But I’ve had to put up with him turning my brother into an egomaniac, and I’m not about to let him get to me next.

“You?” he asks, dropping his voice to barely above a whisper, a smirk of disbelief on his lips.

I raise a brow.

“You’re lucky your brother’s one of my boys,” he says. “If he wasn’t, I’d have some fun with you, Princess.”

For a split second, I’ve never regretted having a brother so much in my life. Then my rational mind kicks in, and I remember that Sebastian’s brand of fun includes tormenting everyone outside of his social circle and probably sleeping with five different girls at once.

“It’s Vivienne,” I say in my iciest voice.

A couple of his friends “ooh” behind their hands, like I said something clever. Hell, maybe to them, I did. Chaz doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. Sebastian’s been friends with my brother for the entirety of high school. He should know my name by now.

“Vivienne,” Sebastian says, trying out the word in his slow drawl, his tongue caressing every syllable in the most indecent way. He looks me up and down again, this time so thoroughly it’s nearly obscene. I can feel my nipples pebbling as my skin prickles with goosebumps at the naked lust in his eyes. He reaches out and tips my chin up, brushing his thumb down over my full lower lip. “Keep looking at me with those fuck-me eyes, Princess, and we’re going to have a problem.”

“Dude,” Robert says, slamming his shoulder into his best friend and knocking him away from me. “That’s my sister.”

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