Page 25 of Wicked Dreams

It was just another piece of settling into a new home.

“Salt and vinegar chips?” I hold out the blue bag.

“Yum.”

“Gross.” I laugh and toss them at her.

“Trade you for… the carrots?”

“Deal.”

She sighs. “By the way, Caleb and Eli are only low-level insufferable right now. But hockey season is starting up next week, and we’ll be reminded of how much theyactuallyrule the school. When they skate out and do their warm-ups…”

I wave my hand in front of her dreamy gaze. She focuses back on me with a start.

“Lost you there for a second.” I laugh.

“You just wait,” she says on a sigh. “You’ll feel it, too.”

“Feel… what?

“The carnal energy. No girl gets through unscathed.”

I laugh it off, but my stomach twists. “It’s that bad?”

“Every girl loses their mind. Football is big in the south. But here, hockey rules.”

Interesting. Not to say I have no interest in the game, but… I don’t know anything about hockey. The closest I got to sports was a foster dad taking us to his biological kid’s high school basketball game one year. Even that, I could barely follow.

“We could go to a game,” she offers. “It’s a good introduction to the craziness, and no one would fault us for attending.”

“You want to go to a hockey game?” I repeat.

She bounces on her seat. “Listen, it’s just something you have to experience.”

I narrow my eyes. But really, the idea of going to a hockey game sounds kind of fun.

She blushes. “And hey, I’m sure we can get into the party after, even if Caleb will be holding court with his friends.”

I stare at her. “Riley Appleton, who are you? Hockey games and parties?”

Her blush deepens. “I’ve never had a friend to take, and going alone is a total buzzkill. And then there’s the whole courage thing, so… please say you’ll go with me? Please, Margo? You can sleep over my house?—”

“I’m not allowed to do sleepovers without a lot of paperwork. Foster rule.”

She heaves a sigh, her face falling.

“But…” I throw her a bone, even if anxiety is slowly winding around my lungs. “Maybe Lenora and Robert will let you stay at their house?”

She claps. “Yay! You talk to them, and I’ll find out who’s hosting the party next weekend. I’d bet it’s at Theo’s house. Word is, he has a giant swimming pool with a slide, and sometimes they jump in from the second-floor balcony. Cool, right?”

Totally…not.

“Besides, we’ve got some time. The game isn’t this weekend but the following. Plenty of opportunity to ask your foster parents!”

“What could possibly go wrong?” My voice is faint.

I try to shake off the apprehension for Riley’s sake, although it’s damn hard. As long as Caleb doesn’t find out I plan on going, it should be fine. We gather our wrappers and toss them in the trash, making our way to the front of the library.

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