Page 18 of Loved By The Bad Boy

“I can’t sing or dance or drum.”

Gracie doesn’t counter me. She knows how much I love dancing. I dig into my burger. If I intend to win her heart, I have a long way to go. For the first time, I’m worried about my competitor.

“Don’t worry, Ben. I can’t sing either. I sound like a frog,” Imani says. She feeds Mira her fries. How are they not in a relationship if she does things like this? Maybe she’s like me and hates labels. “You can be here for moral support. Me, you, and Tessa can support with our presence.”

Gracie is in the band? I dart a look in her direction, but she’s glaring at her Coke.

“So, the band is made up of just Calum and Mira?” I ask.

Blue Eyes and Rainbow Hair sound like a recipe for disaster.

Imani retrieves a folded flier from the pocket of her Spiderman backpack to give me. “No. The others attend a different school. Sam and Lucas. They are so hot you want to lick their faces.” What? No. The only person’s face I want to lick is Gracie’s, particularly her lips. I skim through the flier. It’s for a concert. “We have our first gig next week. Are you any good at taking pictures?”

The girl is weird. The type of weird that grows on you. I might like her.

“My brother never complains about the pictures I take,” I say, half-hoping Gracie will take the hint.

Asher misses her. We spoke last night, and I could tell he wanted to know if we were together again.

“Good. You will manage our social media pages. All you need to do is take pictures and videos and share some behind-the-scenes moments with the fans. We have rehearsals on Friday and Saturday, and sometimes, Sunday. It gets really hectic on some days, but it’s totally worth it.”

I don’t care how often they meet as long as Gracie is there. “Sure, boss. Count me in.”

Mira laughs. “Don’t mind her. She’s so bossy.”

“I’m not bossy,” Imani says to anyone who cares to hear it. “I’m only taking charge.”

“So, you’re bossy,” Mira teases. She stops the rest of the words from Imani with a chaste kiss.

They have to be the most confusingly cute couple I know. Are they dating or not? I need to mind my business. No, they are Gracie’s friends. I have to care if I ever want us to get back together.

Imani clears her throat. “Ignore Mira. Back to our social media manager, Mister Benjamin. We will add you to the group chat. Miss Tessa will be your assistant.” Gracie blinks. I flash her a triumphant grin. I love my new unpaid job. “We only want the best pictures. No mediocre job.”

They should have seen our Vogue album. There was nothing mediocre about that.

“Yes, boss,” the whole table choruses and erupts in laughter. Everyone but Calum laughs.

Nine

Mom dropsme off at Sam’s house. The car stops, but I don’t alight immediately. We stay in that comfortable silence for a while until she pulls me in for a hug. She must know how much I need it because I’m still shaken by Ben’s presence. I managed to avoid him today. I could say the only reason I was successful at that was because he didn’t want to bother me. What’s his plan?

“Are you sure you are okay?” she asks while pulling away from the hug.

I told her about Ben. But I didn’t mention that red, angry welt on his forehead. “I’m fine.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

Now, she sounds like Maria. “Not really.” I just want to finish the rest of school with no drama. But my mind seems to think otherwise. It keeps pushing memories of Ben and me back to the surface. I hate my mind sometimes. I hate that stupid recording on my phone. Who does he think he is? A god? Idiot. That chapter of our lives is over. “Do you think I was wrong to ignore him?”

“You did what you thought was best for you,” she tells me. “And that’s okay.”

Those words stay with me as I head to Sam’s house. I walk around the white building like Imani advised while searching for the entrance. Mira said to look for the back door leading to the basement. She’s probably somewhere making out with Imani. I glance at my wristwatch and roll my eyes at the wooden door before me. Imani promised she and her girlfriend would be here by 6.

It’s 6:15 pm.

The group chat is quiet. The last message was from Mira, telling us to be here early. I never contribute. Ben is always sending memes. He seems to be in a meme competition with Calum. He has only been in Crescent High for less than a week but has created a rivalry with the boy.

I knock again. The door creaks open. A boy with tousled hair, an annoyed face, and a big scowl stands in the doorway. I have no idea who this one is. He’s also shirtless. Is this the right place?

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