Page 1 of Counter Bet

Emily.

I line my lips with my favorite red lipstick, then glance at my latest painting on the easel. I stayed up until the early hours, mixing colors to get the right shade, but I’m still not entirely happy.

I place the lid back on the lipstick, eyeing the result in the mirror. My makeup is flawless as always.

“Are you ready, Emily? Rick is waiting,” my mom calls from downstairs.

I breathe a tired sigh as I run my fingers through my blonde hair. Here’s to another year of pretending to be so goddamn perfect all of the time. Today is the first day of my senior year, and while the thought of putting high school behind me should excite me, it doesn’t. It terrifies me. I play my role perfectly at Hedgewood High. I’m the head cheerleader with the perfect grades and the clean-cut boyfriend who also happens to be the star quarterback.

Cliché, you say?

That’s because it is.

I’m not ready for everything to change next year. I don’t know why it fills me with so much dread? I’m already unhappy, so a new start should be positive, but I feel comfortable behind my mask. I’m at the top of the hierarchy.

People see what I let them see, and the anxiety beneath the surface is kept behind lock and key where no one can see it except for me. Mostly though, I think I’m bored. Life is predictable in every sense of the word.

I grab my bag off my bed, leave my room, and skip down the steps to find my boyfriend ruffling my little sister’s hair. She’s three years old and cute as a button.

Rick is dressed in a pair of light blue jeans paired with a white Henley. His letterman jacket lies on the kitchen table.

He glances at me, then smirks as he crouches down to whisper in my sister’s ear. Her adorable giggles fill the room.

“What are you two whispering about?”

My little sister pokes her tongue out and runs off.

I watch her little piggy tails bounce. “I sometimes think you like her more than me.”

Rick’s hazel eyes dance with mischief as he wraps me up in his big arms and leans down to nuzzle my neck. “Are you jealous, baby?”

He smells delicious with his freshly washed hair and the new cologne I bought for his birthday.

“Hands off my daughter, Rick!” My dad booms in a loud voice as he walks into the kitchen.

Rick jumps back in surprise. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

My dad rolls his eyes. “How many times have I told you to stop calling me sir? It makes me feel old.”

“Sorry, sir,” Rick says, a wide grin on his lips.

My dad chucks him on the back of the head, earning a disapproving glance of my mom.

She puts my freshly pressed cheer uniform in my bag. “Try not to ruin this one, sweetie.”

I bite back my retort. Technically, Rick ruined my last one, but she doesn’t need to know that.

“Are you ready?” I ask Rick, gesturing to the door, pushing his broad back to get him moving when he snatches a freshly cooked waffle.

* * *

Rick parks in his reserved spot next to the front steps of the main building. It’s one of the many perks of being the star quarterback and having a father who’s one of the most successful lawyers in town.

Our dads are close colleagues and work for the same firm. Needless to say, they were over the moon when Rick asked me out after school two years ago, and I said yes, not because he sets my soul on fire but because it’s the most logical decision.

“Are you okay?” Rick asks with a sidelong look in my direction as he cuts the engine. “You’re quiet.”

I unfasten my seatbelt and plaster on my most convincing smile. “I’m great.”

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