Page 2 of Pucking Only

“Star?” he yelps. “What…what are you doing out here? Aren’t you hanging out with Grace?”

“She’s helping your mom,” I tell him. “And it’s Skyler, weirdo. Not Star.”

He smirks and shakes his head. “Nah, you know you’re too small to be the sky.”

My heart flips over in my chest. I roll my eyes at him but can’t help the small smiling tugging at the corners of my lips.

“So, what did you want?” he asks.

I stand right in front of him and tilt my head back so I can meet his confused gaze. “I want to talk to you.”

“Me? Why?”

This is it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’ve imagined it countless times over the last few months, but I still don’t feel totally prepared for this. I’ve made up my mind. This is happening. This is happening today.

“Carson,” I state in a loud, firm voice. “I like you.”

He blinks and stares at me in silence for several moments. He looks totally stunned and when he doesn’t reply, I start to get nervous.

Suddenly, he lets out a burst of laughter, and it’s my turn to be startled. “Oh, my gosh, Skyler,” he wheezes, nearly doubled over as he continues to laugh. “That’s freaking hilarious.”

My stomach twists and my cheeks flush as embarrassment sweeps through me. “I’m…I’m not joking,” I murmur. “I’m dead serious, Carson. I like you… a lot.”

His laughter cuts off abruptly and he slowly looks back upat me. I can tell he’s confused, which hurts. Why is it so ridiculous that I like him?

“Skyler…” he says, his voice low and hesitant. “I…I…”

Why is he hesitating? Crap! What is he going to say?

“Um…do you…do you like me too?” I ask in a nervous whisper when I can’t take his silence any longer.

He scratches at the back of his head and releases a nervous chuckle. “Well, it’s just… liking you would be like liking my sister. It’s…weird.”

I purse my lips and clench my jaw, literally holding in all the anxiety, fear, and disappointment that’s swirling through me. “Liking me is weird?” I whisper.

He shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah…I mean, it’s just that you’re Grace’s best friend and I’ve known you my whole life. We’re practically family.”

“Family?”

He nods. “Yeah. Besides, you’re such a tomboy and I like girls who are more….girly. You know…like Elizabeth Norris.”

His words are like a slap to my face. He wants a girly-girl.

I am not a girly-girl by any stretch of the imagination. Honestly, I don’t have any interest in being one. Since my mom passed when I was little, Mrs. Monroe has offered to teach me how to do my makeup and hair, but I’d much rather spend my time on my computer or playing my Nintendo than staring at myself in a mirror.

For him to bring up Elizabeth Norris, though… ugh. She’s the worst. The stereotypical mean girl type who’s so pretty that she’s super-popular. I cannot stand her, and for Carson to say she’s the type of girl he likes…

God, I just want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. This is so humiliating.

“We can still be friends, though,” he quickly insists. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend, Skyler.”

I blink, pain welling up within me. He just wants to be friends…I’m not girly enough…I’m not Elizabeth Norris…he doesn’t like me the way I like him.

Feeling tears gather in my eyes, I mutter, “Okay…it’s whatever.”

Turning, I quickly make my way back to the house.

“Skyler!” Carson calls after me but I ignore him. I have to get away from him before I lose it. The last thing I want is to cry in front of him. That would be way too humiliating.

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