Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 48601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“Um, no?” I say meekly.
“No?!”
I shake my head.
“So, Jamison paint-bombed his own car?” she sneers.
I force a sympathetic smile to my face. “I mean, he is kind of insane.”
Melissa rolls her eyes.
“When I find out it was you—not if, when—my father is going to sue the fuck out of you.”
She turns sharply on her heel and starts to march off. And I know I should just let it go, but I can’t.
“For what? Painting your hair?”
Melissa comes to a sudden halt and whirls back at me.
“Excuse me?!”
“Melissa, I’m just saying it was a thing, but you’re okay, right? What would you sue me for? You know, if it’d been me, I mean,” I add quickly.
She glares at me, her eyes narrowing to slits.
“You want an enemy, Ramona Weiss? Well, you’ve got one!”
“Wait, Melissa, I’m just—”
“Nope!” She screeches, her face bright red. “It’s too late now!” She jabs finger at me. “This is war.”
She whirls, leaving me speechless as she storms away. I let my breath out slowly and my shoulder slump, my face burning as the people around us raise eyebrows at me before walking away.
“You weren’t planning on getting into politics, were you?”
I grind my teeth as I turn to see Jamison, of course.
“Because that was a terrible idea. I mean, you’re already in the prank war of the century. Did you seriously just open a second front with Melissa Cruz?”
My eyes narrow at him. “Do you just lurk over my shoulder waiting to surprise me like that?”
“Yes.”
“Creepy much?”
He grins. “Aww, but you’re my favorite person to creep on, Moaner.”
I roll my eyes and whirl, storming away from him before I either slap him again or kiss him. And honestly, I’m not even remotely sure which choice I’d land on right now. I also don’t even know which one sounds worse.
“So now you’re in a prank war with me and a real war with Melissa Cruz?”
He sighs and makes a tsking sound.
“Politics might not be your forte.”
“I have to get to class,” I snap. “You should try it sometimes.”
“You think so little of me.”
“Now see, I heard that the rumor around the girls’ locker room was that there was really just a ‘little’ of you to think about?”
If I’m looking for him to take the bait though, he doesn’t bite. In fact, he just grins a sort of supremely confident smile that melts over me, making me tighten my lips as my stomach knots.
He sighs.
“Moaner, I mean, if you want to see, you just need to ask. There’s no need for these childish stories about locker room rumors.”
I frown. “See what?”
He answers my question by grinning a lopsided, cocky grin as his hands drop to his fly, and my face goes red.
“Stop that!” I hiss as he chuckles and pulls his fly back up.
“Rain check?”
“Never check,” I mutter, my face brimming with heat as glance around us to see if anyone saw Jamison’s threat to take his… his dick out.
“Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
“Unfortunately.”
He grins, and damnit if I don’t grin back. There’s a flash of something hot between us, something that sizzles through me. And instantly, all I’m thinking about is that kiss. That one, short, mind-bendingly hot kiss.
“Well, some of us need to get to class, Ramona. If you’ll excuse me.”
I roll my eyes. “Model student, now are we?”
“Just taking a page from your book,” he winks. “Been thinking about joining the debate team, too. What do you think?”
I glare at him. “Don’t you dare.”
Jamison laughs. “What, don’t think I have what it takes?”
“I just don’t think you’d last very long having to abide by rules of any kind.”
His grin spreads wide across his face, his perfect lips curling at the corners.
“Oh, Moaner, trust me,” he purrs, leaning close and making my breath catch.
“I might have a laundry list of issues, but lasting isn’t one of them.”
My face burns hot as he winks at me salaciously before turning away and hoisting his bag over one shoulder. And I’m still speechless as he starts to stroll away.
“Eyes open, Moaner,” he tosses back over his shoulder. “You never know what I might be planning.”
I watch him as he slides his way through the crowd of students in the hallway before he disappears around a corner. My face is still hot, and goddamnit if I don’t have a stupid, silly grin on my face.
Fuck, were we just flirting?
I frown, chewing at my bottom lip as the flush teases through me. Flirting with Jamison Scott. What is wrong with me?
****
I make it the whole day.
Nothing happens to me.
Nothing falls out of my locker, nothing gross is on my clarinet—my friend Zara checks for me. In fact, there’s nothing weird, or surprising, or off all day. No pranks to be found. And honestly, by the end of the school day, I’m almost disappointed.