Page 46 of The Players

I tried to smile and look like I was about to have the time of my life, but I was having a hard time.

“Where are the guys?” I hissed, glancing toward the dimly lit parking lot as dusk began to settle over it. “They should’ve been here ten minutes ago.”

“I’m sure they’re coming.” Randy let her gaze trail to the student lot before offering me a reassuring smile. “There was probably traffic.”

Or an issue, I thought but didn’t say. There was one more thing we needed to make our plan fall into place that Hector and Lowell had to go out of state to get. They’d told me not to worry about it, that they would handle it, but as the minutes ticked by, I had a feeling it was more complicated than we’d imagined.

“We should’ve gone with them.”

“But we had to look presentable for the dance, remember?” Randy slipped her hand into mine. “It’s fine. We can tell those teachers up front that I am your date. It’s super progressive here, right?” She gave me a wink.

“Not that progressive,” I said, shaking my head. “Plus, the guest pass says that you are Lowell’s guest, not mine. That’s going to be a red flag.” I knew the permission slip in my purse well since I’d been the one to fill it out. I also knew Principal Monroe was a stickler for the rules, especially when it came to me.

The line moved forward. We had about five minutes until we were face to face with our destiny.

Just as I was about to move to the back of the line, two dark figures cut toward us from the parking lot. I was so relieved to see Hector and Lowell I nearly squeezed the life out of Randy’s hand. “They’re here,” I hissed.

We turned to stare as the two parted the crowd like celebrities walking a red carpet. Hector looked amazing with his fresh haircut and trim five o’clock shadow. His suit was navy blue Armani and fit him like a glove. I marveled as the expensive fabric clung to every inch of his perfect body and swore that no one here looked better in a suit than my date.

Yet, Lowell looked equally as delicious. His black leather jacket and boots had been paired with jeans and a white collared shirt since formal dress was a requirement. The slim black tie loose at his neck completed the look. He appeared rough and sexy, like someone who tasted like liquor and bad decisions all while giving you the biggest thrills of your life.

I wanted to take them both into a dark corner of the school and see what kind of trouble we could get into, but the night was not about that. I could indulge myself when Savannah was dealt with.

They sifted through the crowd and stood beside us. Hector slipped an arm around my waist while Lowell gave Randy a nod. They were on good terms, but neither seemed to be interested in each other sexually, a fact that I found comfort in. We didn’t need any more complicated feelings right now.

“How’d it go?” I whispered, glancing between them.

Hector gave a nod as Lowell sucked in a breath. “We got what we needed.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, but the line moved up and before we could talk any more, we were face to face with Principal Monroe and Mr. Tanner.

“Well, well, well,” Mr. Tanner said, giving us a once over and not looking pleased with what he saw. “Two of the Lords coming to a Homecoming dance? Has that ever happened before?” He gave Principal Monroe a quizzical look.

She shook her head. “No. What’s the occasion, boys?”

Hector gave her an award-winning smile. “I never had anyone I wanted to go with before.” He gave me a squeeze.

I blushed. I couldn’t help it. This was the first time Hector or any of them had acknowledged being associated with me in front of the school public. We’d done that to keep the heat off me, but now it was out in the open. I could stand the stares of the rich girls who wanted to kill me for being with one of our school’s most eligible bachelors, but I needed to convince our chaperones that nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Hector finally realized he wanted someone stable in his life,” I said, giving him a loving gaze. “And stable is my middle name.”

Mr. Tanner made a huffing sound but then realized himself when Principal Monroe gave him a hard look before turning to me. “That’s very nice, Ms. Romero,” she said in a monotone teacher voice. “Though I wouldn’t have thought you were Mr. Contreras’s first choice, I’m glad to see you’ve made a connection.”

There it was, a backhanded compliment meant to question my worth when stacked up to someone like Hector. I had a feeling Principal Monroe was a mean girl in a former life.

I didn’t let it bother me. She was a dried-up, single, old bitch who had to discipline teenagers for a wage lower than should be legal. She drove an old Mercedes as if the ancient car gave her any status, and displayed degrees on her wall from colleges no one should be proud of.

She was bitter and jealous. Jealous ofmeI realized. Jealous of the scholarship student she had tried to expel only a handful of weeks ago.

I slipped my hand around Hector and drew him close. Suddenly, I was feeling a lot better.

“It’s a miracle how things work out for people. I find you end up with what you deserve, don’t you think, Principal Monroe?”

Her eyes went cold. “I’m sure we are all dealt our cards, Ms. Romero. We need to check your bags now. And empty your pockets, boys.”

Suddenly, she was all business. She began rifling through Randy’s purse and mine, but we’d all known this would happen and made sure she wouldn’t find anything in there other than a spare tampon and red lipstick. Even Lowell had agreed to leave his lucky flask in the car. His pockets were clean too. No cigarettes, liquor, or weapons to be found.

When Principal Monroe had to agree we were clean and let us in, I could see the disappointment in her face.

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