Page 77 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
I understood rom-coms so much more since meeting Logan.
Anytime girls in movies would try on their whole closet and throw it to the floor, or agonize over gettingtheir hair to lay just right, or even applying, scrubbing off, then re-applying their makeup always seemed so excessive.
Strutting the halls so everyone in school could see you? Sure, you needed to make a good impression. But all that work over a guy?
Turned out that I just hadn’t met the right guy. I’d rather die than let Kyle be the reason my entire wardrobe ended up on my floor, but Logan?
Worth every single wrinkle.
I immediately jumped into the shower when I got home from practice, because there was no way I was going to climb into Logan’s car hoping my perfume did a good enough job covering my sweat. In the shower, I did everything—exfoliated, shaved, applied a hair mask. I even brushed my teeth right there under the stream. And then I agonized over an outfit.
The mystery of whatever he had planned made it feel so impossible. Did I wear shorts? Jeans? A skirt?
On the drive home from practice, Logan had texted.
Logan
No spirit gear.
please, I’d never wear spirit gear on a date
Logan
Never should’ve doubted you ;)
I’d smirked at the winking emoji. Like a dweeb.
Don’t get out of the car or anything when you get here, I’ll be rightout
Logan
so DON’T open your car door for you??
What is this, the 1940s?
Logan
:(
The dress I ended up choosing was a light blue one with ruffles at the hem, and I layered a white shirt underneath. Cute, similar to the outfit from our mini golf date, but still not trying too hard.
With just enough time to spare, too. After slaving over my hair, fussying my blonde locks into the perfect blowout, I hurried out of my bedroom with five minutes until six-thirty. I found Mom sitting at the kitchen table, and I faltered immediately at the sight of her. “Hey,” I began tentatively.
Mom had paperwork laid out in front of her and her reading glasses on, attention absorbed in the stapled stacks. “Hey.” She glanced up, and then did a double-take. “Where are you going?”
“Ashton’s having a bonfire,” I told her, the lie slipping easily from my tongue. “Riley and Kyle are picking me up.”
I’d thought that through—Mom wouldn’t recognize Logan’s car if she glanced out, which meant she’d immediately see through the lie if I’d said Jade and Connor were picking me up. But I’d bet five bucks that she had no idea what kind of car Kyle drove. It seemed like the safe play.
I felt a little bad for lying to her, of course, but it was a harmless little fib. I just couldn’t trust her to not accidentally let something slip. All it took was for Mom toaccidentally say Logan’s name in front of Jade and it’d be game over. I couldn’t risk it.
But Mom still seemed suspicious. “Riley has never picked you up before.”
“Jade and Connor are already there, and it’d be easier if Riley got me on her way.” I swiped my house keys from the hook it hung off of. “I won’t be late. It’s a school night.”
Mom slipped her glasses lower on her nose, peering at me. “A bonfire on a school night?”
I shrugged. “We didn’t have homework tonight.” From where I stood, I could see when Logan’s dark red car pulled into the driveway. My heart jumped into my throat, and my voice was several pitches higher when I turned. “I’ll be back by ten, promise!”
