Page 7 of The Puck Secret

Her focus is still on me, but his words break the bubble as she turns to look at him, and it’s only then I see that real smile she was hiding before. “Everything’s good, just wanted to see if you fancied going for lunch?” the she-devil asks, and I know he is going to agree before he even opens his mouth. It’s no secret that his one weak spot is his little sister.

“Sure, let me just shower and get changed first.” I feel his eyes glaring at me, but I keep my focus on his sister just to fuck with him even further. “You coming, Darkmore?”

I lick my lips as I shrug. “I don’t know, ask your sister.” A blush immediately creeps up her neck and I crack my own, loosening the muscles there as I enjoy torturing them both.

“Nova, I swear to god,” Josh starts, taking a step back towards me, but I cut him off with a glare.

“Relax, Peters.” I roll my eyes dramatically. “You know your daddy’s cum spawn isn’t my type anyway.” Her shocked gasp and his curse is the last thing I hear as I stalk away from them and leave them both behind.

I hear a scuffle before Maddie mutters under her breath, “Leave it, Josh, he’s an asshole.”

The smile on my face widens, until I reach my locker and check my phone, seeing no reply from the new mystery girl or my mother, and suddenly it disappears. I head to the showers no longer feeling the high from earlier, and just wanting to wash this morning off and try and enjoy the rest of my day.

Nova Darkmore is an asshole. I swear there is a special place in hell for people like him. That cocky and arrogant sort of prick who thinks he is god's gift to women, yet has the personality of a damn goldfish. I honestly don’t understand what half of Fairfield U’s female population sees in him. I mean, sure he’s attractive with all that dark inky, black hair and broody green eyes, and of course he towers over me at around 6 ft 3, and is ridiculously cut from playing hockey, but did you miss the part where I said he was an asshole?

I stare after him until he disappears, and then I turn back to Josh and force my face back into a smile. “So lunch?”

Josh continues to stare at the now empty door that leads into the locker room until he sighs, “Yeah, that would be great, Mads, just give me ten minutes.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond, just rushes off into the changing rooms and I head outside to bring my car around front.

When I pull up I notice a new message I had missed earlier because my battery was dead, after I forgot to plug in my new phone last night. I quickly rectified that when I left the house this morning, putting it on charge in my car, and now the backup is finished I notice the unread text.

I can’t keep the surprise off my face when I unlock it and read.

The Lonely Charm: Maybe we aren’t lonely.

The Lonely Charm: Maybe we are just alone and peaceful

*Image attached*

The words give me something to think about, but it’s the image that captures my immediate attention. It’s a picture of a lake, but not just any lake, it’s a lake I recognize almost instantly. It’s the lake that runs right by the back of my house. I take a walk along it almost every night. Butterflies start to swirl through my stomach that I now know this wonderful stranger lives in Fairfield. Is it fate?

No, wait, maybe it really is a stalker?

No, Maddie, we are not being neurotic today, I tell myself, trying my best to calm my anxiety, but it doesn’t seem to work. Did I remember to take my meds this morning? I read the message again, and despite my worries I can’t help but take comfort in his words. Do I feel lonely? I don’t know. I like spending time alone, I love Josh and Hallie, and most of the time my parents, but there is nothing I enjoy more than being able to kick my feet up and relax with a good murder documentary. But so does every other girl, that doesn’t make me special, it doesn’t make me lonely. It could mean I have a stalker though.

I quickly fire off a reply.

Maddie: Are you a stalker as well as a charmer?

The message changes to read almost instantly, as if he was waiting for my response, which doesn’t do my stalker theory any favors, but still I smile in anticipation when the little typing bubbles appear.

The Lonely Charm: I accept the role as charmer, but I have yet to make it to stalker territory. Care to elaborate?

His response makes me smile more than it should, and I bite my lip as I look around the lot to see if my brother is coming yet. No luck, the only person I spy is Nova, head buried in his phone with a smile. I bet he’s never been lonely a day in his life, he’s probably texting one of those puck bunnies of his right now. Rolling my eyes I focus back on my text message and tap out another response.

Maddie: That picture you sent is of Lake Spring, it runs right by my house.

Again he reads it almost as soon as it’s sent, and straight away bubbles appear and disappear a few times, before a message finally comes through.

The Lonely Charm: Interesting, so that must mean you go to FU then?

The question about school throws me a little, but before I can respond my passenger side door opens and Josh climbs inside. “So where are we going?” He heaves his bag into the back seat with a huff, and then looks at me expectantly.

I know how exhausted he is after games and practice, so I focus on him with a smile. “Tacos on fifth?” I ask, suggesting his favorite place, making his face light up.

He leans over and ruffles my hair, kissing my head as he says, “You know you’re my favorite sister, right?”

I roll my eyes, turning my engine on and getting ready to leave “I’m your only sister, douchebag,” I remind him, but he just shrugs as we move on our way.

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