Page 39 of Foolish Games

My heart somersaults wildly, and tension crackles around us as his thumb strokes my cheek and his laughing green eyes go serious for once, burning with an intensity I haven’t seen before. My breath catches, my heart stops, and all that exists is this obnoxious, wonderful boy and the electric heat shimmering between us.

“Mr. Swift,” the teacher interrupts. “Ms. Delacroix. Please save your public displays of affection for after school. This is a classroom, not a brothel.”

I’m snapped back to reality, and the moment is gone, as much an illusion as the shimmering heat of a mirage.

Sebastian’s mouth twitches into a smile. “You better go,” he whispers. “This isn’t a brothel, Ms. Delacroix.”

I fight back laughter as I grab my books and hurry out, ignoring the snickers from the class and the outright laughter from Sebastian’s friends as he takes his seat. Even though they’re laughing at me, for once, there’s nothing mean-spirited about it. I know it’s all in good fun and not at my expense, because they’re giving him shit too. It’s different than when he and his friends picked on me and the other nerds. This laughter includes me somehow. As his girlfriend, I’m in on the joke.

The fact that they’re not makes a knot of guilt tighten in my stomach. These are Sebastian’s friends, and he’s lying to them—for me.

*

“Hey, girl,” calls a voice behind me as I head through the student lot toward my sleek red Corvette. I keep walking, since school’s out and everyone’s milling around, hopping in cars with their friends who drive together every day or finding rides so they don’t have to take the bus. I drive alone.

Lexi catches up to me, out of breath and weighed down by a backpack that looks like it holds every textbook she owns. “Hey,” she says again. “Wait up.”

“Um, hi,” I say, not sure why she’s chasing me down. We don’t have any classes together.

“So, you and Bash, huh?” she asks.

“Guess the word’s out,” I say, avoiding her gaze. I hate lying to her face, so I tell myself that if I don’t say it outright, maybe it’s not as bad.

As if lying to both of us is somehow better.

“Cool beans,” she says. “I’ve known the guy since freshman year when they moved here, so if you need the scoop, I got you, girl.”

“Uh, okay.”

“Also, little tip,” she says, looking me up and down. “You’re going to need to dress a little sexier if you want to keep him interested.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, drawing myself up. I’m only 5’6, but she doesn’t even clear five feet, so I feel tall.

“Whoops, that came out wrong,” she says. “You dress fly as fuck. I’d kill for a pair of Tommy jeans. I just mean, maybe it’s time for a change, y’know? It’s just, Bash dates girls who look a little more… Available.”

“I need to dress slutty to keep him?” I ask, unlocking my car.

“Hey, I’m a founding member of the Slut Club,” she says, grinning. “I love all things slutty, and I use that word in the most complimentary way.”

“Okay…”

Lexi looks at me like I’m missing something. “Seriously, girl. Didn’t you just get dumped?”

“Yeah, so?”

She rolls her eyes. “So, haven’t you ever gotten dumped before? It’s time to change things up. Get a new look.”

“A slutty look?”

“Whatever you want,” she says, hopping into the Corvette like I invited her. She runs her hands over the seats, the dash, the controls.

I slide behind the wheel. “Uh, where are we going?”

“The mall, obviously.”

“Right,” I say. “Shopping.”

I start the car and shift into gear. When we pull out onto the road, I glance over at Lexi, who has a huge grin plastered across her face. “Fuck me, I think I just creamed my jeans,” she says. “There are no words for how nice this car is. I can’t believe you drive this thing around like it’s, I don’t know… A normal car.”

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