Page 5 of Operation Prom Date
“Kate! I swear if you don’t get your butt in the car in five minutes, I’m going to leave you!”
An empty threat, but I hustled all the same, quickly exchanging my T-shirt for the flashy tank top. I resisted the urge to throw my hair in a ponytail and stopped in my room for lip-gloss and my backpack before taking the stairs two at a time and rushing out the door.
By the time I arrived in the passenger seat, I was out of breath.
Mom looked at me, her eyebrows scrunching together.
“What?” I smoothed a hand down the shirt. “Does this not look okay?”
“I like it. I’m just wondering what inspired the change in fashion.”
“Just felt like trying something new.” Like trying to actually land my crush instead of staring at him from afar. Usually I told Mom quite a bit about school and my crushes, but I knew she would tell me to just be myself, and it was hard to convince her that being myself simply wasn’t cutting it. She didn’t understand, because she was the kind of woman who got attention from attractive men all the time. She accidentally flirted, as in it took no effort or thought and she didn’t even realize she was coming across as flirty.
Whereas even the thought of talking to my crush made my palms start to sweat.
So for right now, Operation Prom Date would remain on a classified, need-to-know basis. And I was as surprised as anyone that it somehow included Cooper Callihan.
Chapter Four
Kate
If I thought something as simple as a change in wardrobe, wearing my hair down, and putting on a necklace and an extra coat of shimmery lip-gloss would produce head-turning results—and I kind of hoped it’d be that easy—I would be wrong.
I mean, the guy with the locker next to mine at least gave me a smile before asking me to please move aside. Considering the aroma coming off his clothing, I think it had more to do with herbal help than an appreciation of my going out on a fashion limb.
My former BFF Amber didn’t seem to notice as she, Paris, and their clique rushed past me, not a single glance spared in my direction. More than anything, I felt invisible, which was pretty much how I felt every day.
Sometimes I wondered if I could go back in time and do things differently, if I would. Amber said she wanted to start hanging out with Paris and her group, so I’d tried. But Paris made Amber’s pushiness look mild, and when I wasn’t cool with her talking down to me and trying to make me a minion, I didn’t stick around.
When I relayed how I felt to Amber over the phone, she told me she understood, and since they were semi-horrible to her, too, we agreed to break off on our own again. Only the next week at school, she pretended I didn’t exist and stuck with Paris and her crew, making it clear she’d picked them and the promise of popularity over me. It hurt, and it didn’t help that without her to hang out with, my mind had more time to dwell on how much I missed my dad and how empty my house was with Mom working all the time. But it was about a year ago, so I was mostly over it. I wasn’t sure if I missed who she used to be more, or if I just missed having a close friend.
No use crying over spilled friendships. Especially not today.
Last night I’d thought about it, and in addition to putting a little more effort into my clothing—but not so much effort I came across as too serious or high-maintenance—I was going to talk to Mick. Even if it was a simple hi. I had to start somewhere, right?
I spotted Cooper’s head above the crowd, his blond waves messy as usual, and thought about going to ask him about my wardrobe choice and for help with possible conversation topics. After all, it’d be awesome if my “hi” to Mick turned into more. But he was laughing with a group of people, a junior girl on the fringe hanging on his every word, and the risk of someone overhearing was way too high. No reason to turn my already difficult mission into a suicide mission.
Besides, my first class of the day was in the other direction, and I couldn’t be late. Just the thought made my heart pick up its pace.
Hugging my books to my chest, I wove my way down the hall.
Mick was coming up, a couple of his boys around him.
Okay, this is it. Give him a flirty smile.
Say hi.
I licked my lips, my courage floundering. The non-flavored lip-gloss didn’t help, either. Sparkly was cool and all, but could they not make it taste like…well, grossness?
Then again, there was that time back in elementary school when I ate an entire stick of banana Lip Smacker. I got super sick and couldn’t stand artificial banana flavor to this day.
O-M-G, focus, Kate! He’s almost past you! Just do something…
I cleared my throat. Yeah, apparently my knee-jerk reaction is to make a sound like an old person clearing phlegm. Ugh, seriously, why were all my internal thoughts dwelling on disgusting things today?
For the briefest moment, Mick’s gaze flickered my way. I started to lift my hand in a wave, but then my books slipped, and I had to concentrate on keeping them from falling. Yes, our only conversation involved him picking up my dropped notebook, but if I went around doing that all the time he’d only think I was a klutz, and that was hardly the impression I wanted to make on him.
Still, the movement must’ve caught his eye, and I swear his attention lingered. On me!
