Page 100 of Damaged Boys Don't Fall For Bubbly Girls
“No!” Finn shouts. He thumps his fist on the machine. “Darn it.”
What in the world? I know that whoever won wouldn’t have won Lexi’s heart—that’s stupid—but it would have been nice to know if I’d beat him.
“What a bummer,” Cooper says. “Maybe rematch on another game?”
But as we examine the place, we realize that all of the machines have gone dead. The other kids start complaining.
“Sorry about that,” the manager says as he exits the back room. “Seems like we’re having some technical problems. The arcade is closed now, so everyone needs to leave.”
“For real?” Gael mutters as we follow the rest of the kids toward the door. “Just when things were getting interesting.”
Finn heads over to me, holding out a fist. “Good game.”
I bump it. “Yeah, good game.”
“So who won?” Theo wants to know.
Finn and I look at each other and shrug.
“I think we should call it a draw,” Lexi suggests.
“That’s fine with me,” I say.
Finn nods in agreement. “Same with me.”
I’m glad he and I are still friends. Even though he said some harsh things to me last week, I don’t hate him for it. Because everything he said was true, and at the end of the day, we both want Lexi to be happy. That’s all that matters.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lexi
Brock doesn’t hang out with us during dance rehearsal after school on Tuesday.
I can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason for that, or if he found something better to do. None of the other guys seem bothered about it.
When Gael and I take a break at the water cooler, I ask, “Is it weird that Brock’s not here?”
He shrugs. “No. Maybe he got bored of watching us dance for hours.”
He could be right. Maybe Brock had a shark documentary to watch.
Would he watch it without me?
I take a deep breath and let it out. Why am I going crazy? He could watch it alone if he wants. We’re not attached at the hip. Besides, I need to put all my focus on Finn if I want to see if he and I have a shot. As much as it hurts, Brock can’t be at the forefront of my mind anymore.
Finn joins Gael and me and fills his cup with water. As soon as Gael walks away, Finn asks, “What are your plans after rehearsal?”
“I have a date with homework.”
“Do you have a lot? Because I thought we could hang out.”
This is exactly what we need, to spend time together and figure out if we’re good for one another.
“Actually, my date is a pretty bad kisser, so I’m willing to push him away and hang out with you instead.”
Finn just stares at me.
I playfully hit his shoulder. “That was a joke. Geez, dude. You used to laugh at my jokes all the time.”
