Page 88 of A Disaster in Three Acts

I can’t hook up with Victor. I don’t want to, and who even knows if he wants to hook up with me. I walk over to himanyway, just to get Corrine off my back.

He smirks when I stop in front of him. “You don’t go here.”

“Neither do you.” I take a sip of my drink, only to realize that it’s been empty for a while. The sticky remnants of the soda linger at the bottom. “I’m with the band.”

“You should ditch the zeroes and get with a hero then.”

“Did you expect that line to work?”

“From the way your friends are watching you talk to me, yes, I assumed that’s why you came over.”

When I look over my shoulder, Corrine and Kayla make a big show of turning around and acting like they weren’t watching. I pan back to Victor.

“Want to dance?” he asks.

“I don’t dance.”

“Okay.” He nods, glancing into my empty cup. “Do you want to grab a refill and go upstairs where it’s quieter? Get to know each other better off campus?”

“Here’s one thing you definitely know about me: I’m in high school.”

He laughs. “Yeah, but you’re eighteen, right?”

“More romantic words have never been spoken.”

“There’s where you’re wrong.” He leans in. “I’m not trying to be romantic, I’m trying to get into your pants.”

I stare at him for a second when he pulls away, smirking. Is this what I have to look forward to? If I’m not cheated on, I’m alone and every guy will be a scumbag?

But that’s not true. There’s another option, one I don’t want to admit to knowing. There are people like Holden. Peoplewho are sweet and funny, but in like with someone else enough to buy them expensive jewelry like a total romantic sap.

I grab Victor’s T-shirt and pull him in close, smashing my lips against his. At no point in the next twenty-three self-loathing minutes in the bedroom upstairs does he turn into Holden. At no point do I enjoy myself. At no point do I forget the thought that has weaseled itself into my mind:

I’m in love with Holden Michaels.

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