BRAD WASN'T THE most difficult ten-year-old boy to babysit. He mostly just played on video games and yelled at the TV. All I had to do was give him his dinner. Then, at half nine, I had to almost drag him up the stairs until he shouted, 'Fine! I'll go to bed!'
I sighed, relishing the quiet once his bedroom door slammed shut.
I threw myself down in front of the TV and finally settled on some gory movie with Romans or gladiators or whatever.
Just as I was dropping off, my phone rang. I jumped, almost falling off the sofa.
'Hello?' I mumbled into the phone without checking the caller ID. I sounded kind of mad, but I didn't really care. Whoever was on the other end just had to deal with it.
'Um, Elle?'
'Yes?' I snapped irritably.
'It's, uh, it's Adam. Listen, don't hang up, I just wanted to apologize for this morning. I didn't really think it through, I guess, what I was saying. So . . . yeah. Sorry.'
I blinked a few times, trying to clear my mind. Adam? Calling to apologize?
I couldn't believe it. Although maybe that was because he sounded like he was trying not to laugh.
'Um . . . Elle? You still there?'
'Y-yeah,' I stammered quickly. 'Sorry, I'm just – just using the stove a sec.' What the hell? Who gets distracted on a phone call because they're using the stove? At ten p.m.?
'You're calling pretty late, you know,' I said hastily. 'Maybe a little too late for apologies?'
'I know, but I just wanted to say sorry.'
'Well, thanks,' I said curtly. 'I've got to go now, Adam so I'll–'
'Hold on a sec.'
'I don't want to hear it, whatever it is.'
'You don't want to have dinner with me, then?' I could just imagine the smug look on his face from his cocky tone. It made me grind my teeth. 'Give me a chance to really apologize?'
'No. Bye.'
I hung up and threw my phone on the couch before he could utter another syllable. What an ass.
And Lee said I was too nice . . . Ha!
I snorted quietly at that thought, feeling quite satisfied with myself for being so blunt with Adam – though that wasn't what I was thinking about when I went upstairs.
There was only one thing running through my mind. Predictably enough – it was Noah.
For some reason, all I could think about was Sunday morning when we'd fallen off the bed: the look in his eyes – the look I remembered perfectly but couldn't fathom, with his bright eyes shadowed and holding mine.
Because you don't look like that at your substitute little sister, right?
Of course I was being ridiculous; it was just my sleepy thoughts wandering into dreamland. But it made me think maybe there was a different reason he got involved in that fight that morning.
I scoffed at myself, my eyes already drooping shut.
'You're an idiot, Elle,' I muttered. 'A total fool . . .'
School the next day wasn't so bad. There were a couple of joking wolf-whistles and teasing loud comments, but I didn't pay them any attention. And I only heard them when Noah was nowhere near.
Lee was muttering about them and I said, 'Well, it's kind of my fault. I mean, I did try stripping off to skinny-dip . . .'
He gave me a look, making me trail off. 'What did I say yesterday? Too nice.'
'How was that too nice?' I demanded.
'It's not like you go parading yourself around, do you? You have some decency. One drunken mistake, and those guys are practically undressing you with their eyes.'
I sighed. 'Come on. I'm not that hot.'
'Have you looked in the mirror lately, Miss Thirty-Four C?'
'Lee!' I shouted, smacking his arm. I felt my cheeks go red. 'Don't say it so loud!'
He laughed at me, slinging an arm around my shoulder. 'I can't believe this is the same girl who would've gone skinny-dipping and stripped off for a load of guys—'
'Shut up.'
'Sorry.'
'We have a meeting for the carnival at lunch,' I reminded him as the bell went. While I was a chemistry kid, Lee was biology. It was the only subject we didn't have together.
'Yeah, I know.'
'See you.'
'Bye, Elle.'
I went to take my usual seat in the chemistry lab, but then I heard, 'Hey, Elle! Come sit by me.'
I looked over my shoulder and saw Cody pulling out the chair next to him.
'He's dead,' I heard Dixon mumble behind me.
'And that's not even mentioning what Noah will do,' Cam agreed, and they smiled at me before sitting down. I just shot them back a baffled look, thinking: Boys.
'Uh . . . sure, okay,' I said to Cody, and went to sit next to him. I didn't know him too well, but he seemed like a nice enough guy. He had dyed black hair and a tongue piercing, and he was also an amazing classical pianist; I'd seen him play at a school concert once.
'I heard about that fight yesterday,' he said conversationally, doodling squiggles on the corner of his textbook. 'I can't believe they said those things to you.'
'Oh, well, um . . .' I laughed nervously, unsure of what to say to that.
After a few moments he said, 'Is it true you and Lee are doing a kissing booth? For the Spring Carnival?'
I nodded with a grin, grateful for the change in topic. 'Yup! Cool, huh?'
'Yeah,' he agreed with a smile. 'Are you going to be working it then?' He raised an eyebrow, his green-brown eyes flecked with amusement and a suggestive smile on his face – though I could tell that he wasn't entirely serious from the note of laughter in his voice.
'No,' I laughed. 'I'm not.'
'Shame. I was hoping I wouldn't have to embarrass myself here.'
'Oh?'
'You wouldn't want to . . . you know . . . uh, go' – he cleared his throat – 'go see a movie, or something . . . with me . . . sometime?'
I wanted to laugh, just because he was so nervous.
But I managed to stop myself.
Instead I gave a wry smile and said to him, 'Aren't you afraid Noah will break your arm or whatever?'
He shrugged. 'I think I can take a risk for a nice girl like you.'
'Well, when you put it that way,' I said with a smile, 'why not?'
'Really?' His eyes brightened.
'Really, really.'
'Cool. Well, I'll call you sometime.'
I nodded. Then I realized – 'I don't have your number.'
'Here.' He uncapped a biro with his teeth, and grabbed my arm, turning it over. He was pretty skilled to write his number all the way down from my elbow upside-down, I had to admit.
'You could've just put it in my phone.'
'But there's no fun in that.'
I laughed.
Meanwhile the teacher had come in. 'All right, everybody, shut up and settle down. We've got a lot of work today. Now open the textbooks to page one hundred and thirty-seven. Last lesson we looked at the production of ethanol and its commercial uses and social implications . . .'
'Yeah,' some boy – I think it was Oliver – called out jokingly. 'Making Elle strip!'
I blushed, and retorted, 'What would you know? You were passed out by that point, you lightweight!'
'Nice.' Cody laughed appreciatively; the others started jeering at him, but I gave him a smile.
Lee wouldn't mind when I told him I had a date with Cody. He knew Cody a little better than I did, too. It was Noah I worried about.
'Hey,' Cody said, once the bell had gone and I was about to rush out for my meeting about the carnival.
'Yeah?' I said.
'Call me.' He winked, laughing.
I smiled. 'Bye, Cody.'
I arrived at the meeting at the same time as Lee. 'Hey, you'll never guess what just happened in my chemistry class.'
'You got asked on a date?'
My grin fell away into a pout. 'How'd you know?'
'Dixon texted me. He said there was someone risking their neck. Cody, right?'
'Yeah,' I said with a big smile. 'Can't you be more excited for me, Lee?' I pushed at his arm playfully. 'I've got a date! Can't you be happy for me?'
Lee laughed. 'I am, Shelly!' He gave me a hug, but that might've been just to stop me bouncing about excitedly. 'Cody's a nice guy. I'm just wondering what my brother will say when someone tells him about it.'
I laughed. 'Don't worry. It'll be fine.'
'If you say so . . .'
'So, Lee and Elle,' said Tyrone, head of the school council, calling the meeting to order with a simple clap of his big hands. He sat at the head of the table, with Gen next to him, pen and paper ready to take minutes. She took her role as the school council's secretary very seriously. Everybody looked up at Tyrone, falling silent instantly. 'I hear you've finally got a booth.'
'Yup,' we said unanimously.
'A kissing booth.'
'Uh-huh,' we chorused.
He gave us a wary look. 'Don't you think that's a bit . . . a bit risky?'
'What? How is it risky? So we just say you can't come to the kissing booth if you've got a head cold. No big deal.'
'No, I mean . . . Well, don't you think it's a bit seedy?' he said. 'Some people aren't too happy about it—'
'But we started the banner!' Lee cried angrily. 'We have kissers to do the kissing booth! Everyone loves the idea!'
'Tyrone,' I said calmly, elbowing Lee sharply. 'Nobody's going to see it that way. Plus, loads of carnivals have a kissing booth. We can always set up a couple of rules. Kind of like height restrictions on a rollercoaster. We can set an age limit if that's what you're worried about.'
'It's a couple of the teachers who're not happy with it,' he said. 'I think it's a great idea. I'm just not entirely sure about it . . .'
'It'll be fine,' I promised him, flashing a big grin.
'Well, if you've got it all sorted out, you really need to get working on your booth. The carnival's next Saturday. It must all be ready by next Friday.'
'Yeah, we know. It'll be ready,' Lee said.
'Awesome. Moving on – Kaitlin, do you have the number for the cotton candy company with you?'
'Remind me to ask your brother if he'll stop by the booth,' I whispered to Lee. 'The girls haven't stopped going on and on and on at me about it.'
'You know he'll say no.'
'Yeah, but I have to ask anyway.'
'What did I tell you Shelly?' Lee smiled, flicking my nose, and making me scrunch up my face. 'You're just too nice.'
Lee had to go run to the grocery store and pick up a couple of things for his mom, so he dropped me outside his house since we were going to work on a playlist of songs for the kissing booth. I was planning to get a head start on finding some love songs, so I headed on inside.
The door was already unlocked; I saw Noah's car, the one he'd fixed up himself, on the driveway.
'Mom said you need to get some more milk – we're all out,' I heard him call.
'He's already gone,' I called back. 'It's me.'
I walked into the kitchen just as Noah was heading out of it – straight into me; he spilled a glass of water all down my top. It didn't help that it was ice cold, and I gasped, jumping back a mile.
'Noah!' I yelled, plucking at my top. My blouse was plastered to my skin, and it probably didn't help that I'd worn a pink bra today since all my white ones were in the laundry. I sighed. Just my luck . . .
I glared at him. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and his brow knitted together.
'What? What's that look for?' I asked, my temper sparking. When he didn't say anything, I barged past, and stormed into the kitchen to get myself a drink.
'Hey, what's that on your arm?'
I didn't answer him.
'Is it true you got a date with some kid?'
I set the empty glass down on the counter. 'Jeez, Noah! What does it matter? I already heard from Lee I'm too nice – you don't need to be on my case too!'
'You didn't answer my question.'
'You didn't answer mine either.'
'I asked first, Rochelle.'
Oh, dear. He used my full name. Uh-oh. I turned around to face him. 'Yeah, I have a date – with Cody. He's a nice guy.'
'A nice guy?' Noah scowled. 'Elle, are you serious? Do you even know the guy? I mean, really know him?'
'Well – well, no, not really. But that's why I'm going on a date. To get to know him better. That's what people tend to do, you know? Oh wait – no, sorry, you wouldn't know, Mr. Player. You just screw girls and ditch them the next morning. So long as you know their name it's all okay.'
Yeah, he was making me angry. Usually I wouldn't have dared say those things, especially since I didn't know if they were actually true. But he was really, really making my blood boil. Plus, I was still mad at him for warning guys off me like that. I told myself it was anger making my heart race like this.
'He just wants to get in your pants.'
'Since when?' I cried, throwing out my hands. 'How would you know, anyway? You don't even know him?'
'Cody Kennedy. Concert pianist. Takes some AP classes.'
I blinked. Okay, so maybe he did know him.
'Yeah,' Noah said, kind of smugly. 'I know who I'm talking about. And you know something else? He just wants in your pants, like any other guy.'
'So you're telling me that there's not one respectable boy in school who doesn't just want a girl for sex? Or maybe you're trying to say that's all I'd be good for? Do I really have no personality, Noah?'
'I didn't say that. But they're all the same.'
'How would you know? You're the reason I haven't had a date in my entire life! Why would you even do that?'
'You trust people way too easily,' he snapped, interrupting me. 'A guy would just have to tell you he loved you and he wouldn't be waiting on you much longer.'
I glared. 'Do you really think I'm that easy?'
Noah glared right back at me before he punched the kitchen door. It slammed shut and bounced back off the doorframe.
'Damn it, can't you just listen to me for once in your life? I'm trying to look out for you here!'
'I don't need looking out for!' I shouted back at him. 'Can't you just stay out of my life? I think I can handle going on one date, Noah!'
'How would you know? Guys are always checking you out and saying how hot you are – have you never noticed? If one idiot thinks he can date you and then hurt you, he's got another think coming.'
I screamed in frustration. 'Just stay out of my life!'
'You'll end up getting hurt.'
'I won't. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself.'
'Which is why you were stripping off in front of everybody on Saturday?'
'I was drunk!'
'And who got stuck looking after you?' he retorted.
'I didn't ask you to! I didn't ask you to tell boys to stay away from me either!' I went to barge past him again, intending to shut myself away in Lee's room.
Noah grabbed my arm, saying, 'Hey! We're not finished here, Rochelle!'
I spun around and pushed at his chest as hard as I could, though it didn't budge him.
'Whoa!' yelled a new voice – Lee. We both looked and saw him standing in the doorway. 'Why are you guys killing each other? What did I miss?'
Neither Noah nor I responded; we were still glaring at each other.
'Nothing,' I said eventually. 'I'll see you upstairs, Lee.'
I heard them both talking quietly in the kitchen. I sighed. Noah was just so . . . so infuriating! Sure, he was incredibly attractive. But hell, why did he have to interfere? How could he just automatically assume a boy couldn't possibly want a date with me because he genuinely liked me?
I threw myself down on Lee's bed and screamed into the pillow, letting all my anger out.
By the time Lee came up to work on the music for the booth, I had calmed down and was already surfing his iTunes library for music.
He didn't ask me any questions except for, 'Found anything yet?
That is why I loved Lee so much.
He waited until we were digging into a Chinese takeaway in the lounge to ask me.
'So what went down with you and Noah?'
'I yelled at him for being so overprotective. He yelled at me, trying to say he was only looking out for me. I yelled at him some more. You walked in.'
'He has good reasons though,' Lee said carefully after a moment. 'I tried telling you . . .'
'Yeah, I know you did, Lee. But that's different. I mean, you're my best friend.'
Lee smirked a little. 'Mm . . . yeah, but – but Noah has a point. Not every guy is a nice guy.'
'Yeah, but . . . but I'm not stupid enough to fall for that.'
'I'm looking out for you, Shelly.' He put his hand on my knee and I smiled back at him. See – when Lee put it like that, it was nice. When Noah had said it, I just got mad at him.
'I know you are. It's just Noah I have a problem with. He's just taken it to the extreme. I can survive a date with Cody. You know what Cody's like. He wouldn't try anything like that.'
'Yeah, I know.'
'Noah obviously doesn't.'
'You two were scary earlier, you know. I'm serious.'
'Yeah, I know you are.' But I still had to bite back a laugh.
'Just . . . at least be careful?'
'Oh for God's sake. Hundreds of people go on dates, Lee. You go on dates. It's not like you try and molest a girl on a first date.'
Lee laughed at that. 'Third date, maybe.'
'And that's why Karen wouldn't go to the movies with you.'
He laughed again, since we were just kidding around, but when we both sobered up he said gravely, 'Seriously though, Elle. We don't want you getting hurt.'
'I know.'
'Just be careful.'
'I will. Chill out.'
'Promise?'
'Pinky promise,' I said, wrapping my pinky finger through his and smiling. Lee's protectiveness I could handle. I quite liked it, actually. I didn't mind if Noah was going to act all big-brother and be protective too – but what I didn't like was that he seemed so against me having any dates at all.
What a jerk.