Page 52 of Something Rad
“What the hell, man?” I ask, shoving at his chest. “You trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Well, just repaying the favor,” Paul replies. “I think I just had an aneurysm when I saw Robbie Summers staring longingly into the doors of the closed library. You feeling okay? I didn’t think you even knew we had a library.”
I shake my head, starting down the hallway towards the front doors of the school, Paul trailing right behind me. “You're not going nerd on us are you?” Paul asks.
“No, dingus,” I respond. “I have detention in the library this whole month.”
“You do?” Paul asks.
“Yeah, I told you.”
“Huh. I don’t remember,” Paul says. I slip on my sunglasses as we walk through the front door. “I just thought maybe Little Miss Valedictorian was rubbing off on you–”
“What?” I ask, spinning around to face him.
The smile on Paul’s face flickers. “Well, you know. That Cooper girl. I figured you were getting at that–”
“Why?” I question him. “Why would you figure that?”
Paul’s brows pinch together as he scoffs out a laugh. “I mean, I’ve just seen the way you two–”
I’m not listening to Paul anymore. Because the light catching a bright blond ponytail coming out of the door behind him already has my attention fully diverted.
“Denise,” I say, turning away from Paul to follow after her.
“I don’t have anything to say to you, Robbie,” she replies without turning back.
“Okay, well, I’ve got something to say to you,” I say, jogging after her through the parking lot. We quickly reach her BMW parked in the front row, just a few spots over from my Camaro. “Actually, I’ve got something to ask you.”
Denise freezes as she gets her car door unlocked, turning slowly to face me. “What is it?” she asks.
I lean up against the side of her car, leaning towards her. “Okay, I lied. I’m not asking anything.”
“Robbie,” Denise groans. She starts to get into her car, but I stop her, gently grabbing her arm.
“I’mtellingyou…” I say, “that you’re coming to the Back to School Dance with me next weekend.” Denise’s lips part and she glances away from me, her cheeks turning pink. I reach for her hands, holding them in mine. “So find something pretty to wear, sweetheart. And let’s start over on starting this school year right.”
Denise is still looking away from me, so I lean in close, tilting my head to try to regain her eye contact. “Sweetheart?”
She slowly starts shaking her head. “I can’t,” she says.
I click my tongue. “Denise, really. Can we stop this already? We had such a great summer. I know you can’t say no to me–”
“I’m not saying no, Robbie,” Denise says, her spine steeling.“I’m saying I can’t.”
“And why can’t you?” I ask. “Are you doing something else that night?”
“No,” she says, her eyes trailing on the parking lot at our feet.
“Then why can’t you go to the dance with me?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
“Because I’ll already be there,” Denise says, slowly meeting my eyes again, my brows pulling together. “With somebody else.”
“Wh–what?” I stammer. “Withwho?”
