He let out a frustrated
groan. "One day," he
said, "one day you'll
realize you're taking me
for granted. And you’ll
fall helplessly in love
with me."
"I highly doubt that." I
looked out the window.
That would never
happen, I kept telling
myself, it would never
happen.
----
When Kyla Evans was
dumped by her best
friend-slash-boyfriend,
Cedric, she was
devastated. Convinced
that her whole life
came tumbling down,
she promised that she
would definitely get
back at him, seeking
nothing but revenge.
She abandoned her
glasses and
sweatshirts,
determined to make
Cedric regret ever
dumping her. What she
wants: Revenge. How
she’s planning to get it:
By going out with the
school’s biggest player;
the person her ex-
boyfriend loathes the
most—
Seth Everett.
---
HEY! I'm new (sort
of), and I'm not sure
about this, but I'm
posting anyway.
Here. Hope
somebody reads it.
And just to be clear,
this is just the PLOT
(or summary, or
synopsis, or
storyline, or
whatever else you
call this), not the
prologue or first
chapter.
Okay. Peace out.

Prologue
If I could fly in any
direction, where would
it be? Would I be headed
in one direction? Would I
be fixing my gaze and
limiting my focus on
one, straight line? Would
I be following that
straight line, enjoying
the way the wind
would rush to meet me,
the way the clouds
would softly dissipate
as I pass them, the
way my eyes would
automatically flutter
close?
Or would I let the wind
take me anywhere?
Would I go north, south,
east, west, or a mix of
all these directions—
going nowhere in
particular? Would I let
time pass me by as I
glide effortlessly
through the limitless
sky? Would I close my
eyes, feel every little
thing in the world—the
soft hum of the wind,
the coldness of the sky
enveloping me as I took
flight, the way my mind
would release itself
from my consciousness
—and feel as light as a
feather carried by the
wind in midair? Would I
slip into an endless
flight, never fixing my
gaze on a straight line,
never giving myself
limitations and
restrictions?
I would probably choose
the second one. To let
every little worry
completely slip off of
my mind. I would
probably take flight and
get carried away. Flight
means freedom. It has
no restrictions. It has
no limitations. It allows
you to feel like leaving
your worries far below
you. Flight must be a
wonderful thing.
But I could never fly.
Ever. Not in the way I’d
want to. I could never
soar through the skies,
not now, not ever. But
that’s okay. I don’t
have to fly, because I
found something
better. Something else.
Something way better
than flying.

Chapter One
I hated Cedric.
Every little piece of him
—from his gorgeous
brown eyes, his
adorable geeky smile,
and the way he would
look when he was
solving a difficult
Calculus problems,
eyebrows slightly
furrowed in
concentration.
Of course, I hadn’t
always hated pieces of
him. In fact, they used
to be the things that
kept me on my toes,
the things that never
failed to make my heart
thump, sending
butterflies to my
stomach.
But then he broke my
heart.
And the worst part?
There was no way I
could've seen it coming.
It was his birthday.
Seventeenth of June, in
the middle of summer.
We’ve been spending
more and more time
together. Sometimes
we’d read in his room,
listening to some music,
occasionally taking a
break and making out.
We started going out
two years ago. He was
my first boyfriend, first
kiss, first date—and I
really believed that he’d
be my last. At that
point, it didn't seem
possible that we would
ever end up the way
we did.
The funny thing was
that everything was
sailing smoothly. I was
in love with him, and I
was falling deeper
everyday. I would wake
up to thoughts of him
and fall asleep with the
memory of his voice in
my head. I thought it
was the same for him.
Apparently not.
“Wow. You really
overdid yourself,” Hail
said as she gazed at
my birthday present for
Cedric.
We were in my room,
both of us seated on
my bed as we tried to
decide what I should
wear for my date with
Cedric later. We agreed
to meet on the beach a
few towns over later
at six in the evening. I
couldn't decide which
dress to wear. I'd gone
shopping, something I
didn't normally do, but
ended up buying three
dresses. I called Hail to
help me choose. The
moment she walked
into my room, she saw
the guitar and her face
lit up.
“You think he’d like it?” I
asked her, looking at
the corner of my room,
where I had placed the
guitar case, propped
against the wall.

Ok.

k.

Too long

I had been saving for
months to buy Cedric a
new electric guitar. I
took a part-time job at
a little boutique in town
and saved most of my
allowance so I could
come up with enough
money to buy it.
“He’d love it!” Hail told
me, her eyes shining
bright. “You guys are
the cutest couple in the
world. It's really
amazing how you
started off as best
friends before going
out. Pretty soon you’d
marry each other and I’ll
be your maid of honor.
Then you’d be having
babies and—”
“Oh, my god, stop it,” I
told her, fighting the
urge to blush.
Of course that was
exactly how I
envisioned it. I thought
there was no way we
wouldn't eventually get
there.
That night, I didn't mind
dressing up, which was
saying a lot. I was the
type of girl who
preferred comfort over
appearance, choosing to
wear a sweatshirt over
a cute blouse. But I
wanted to make
Cedric's birthday special,
so Hail helped me curl
my brown locks. I
applied some makeup,
something I wasn't
exactly quite fond of.
We ended up choosing
the plain white
sundress that looked
surprisingly good on me.
I brought the guitar
with me, nestled in its
case. I used the straps
of the case and carried
it like a backpack,
underestimating the
guitar's weight.
So I stood there in the
cold, summer night with
my sundress on and a
guitar case slung over
my back, waiting for
Cedric to show up. At
some point, I set the
guitar down, propping it
carefully against the
sand. He was
uncharacteristically late.
It had been two hours
and he wasn't picking
up any of my phone
calls. I was starting to
get worried.
“Hey, babe. You play?”
At first I thought it
was some sort of
weird, out-of-character
joke from Cedric, but
when I looked up, it
wasn’t. In fact, it was
Seth Everett.
He stood in front of me
with his hands shoved
deep in his jean
pockets, his sandy
brown hair strewn over
his forehead.
If I didn't know any
better, I would have
been flattered. I'd seen
him in school and have
heard rumors about him
and the way he'd move
on from one girl to
another without
hesitation. If that
wasn't enough for me
not to like him, there
was also the fact that
Cedric, for some reason,
didn't like Seth.
“What?” I asked him.
My throat felt dry,
making me realize how
long I’d been standing
there.
“I asked, do you play?”
He nodded at the guitar.
A small smile was
playing across his lips,
the smile that
effectively made half
the female population
at our school swoon.
The same smile that he
used when he was
hitting on another poor,
pathetic girl.
Was it possible that he
was hitting on me? I
had never really been
under his radar, seeing
as I was practically
invisible at school. Not
that I would complain.
I raised an eyebrow at
him. “Um, no.” I looked
sideways, hoping he’d
get the picture and
leave when he figures
out I wasn't interested.
I doubted that he even
knew we go to the
same school.
I saw him open his
mouth to say
something, but as if on
cue, Cedric arrived,
looking almost out of
breath when he saw
me. He eyed Seth coldly
before dragging me
away, leaving Seth
standing there with the
same cold look on his
face.
I tore my eyes away
from Seth and looked
back at Cedric. I was
too relieved to see he
was fine that I'd
forgotten about being
mad at him for being
late. “Happy birthday,” I
said.
He glanced at me. My
heart did this weird,
little dance when I saw
him look me over,
checking me out—
appreciating the fact
that I dressed up. But
the look on his face
was replaced by
something serious. My
smile shifted into a
slight frown.
“There’s something I
have to tell you,” he
told me, his voice
serious.

*Continuation*
“What is it?" I pushed
past the lump in my
throat and tried to push
the queasy feeling in
my stomach away.
“Kyla." He ran his fingers
through his hair and
looked into my eyes
before averting his gaze
and taking a deep
breath. "I think we
should break up.”
I blinked, shaking my
head. "What?"
The guitar felt heavier,
the wind seemed
colder, I suddenly felt
so bare and exposed--
vulnerable.
"I'm sorry," he said,
looking down, his voice
strained.
“Break up?” I asked
him, fumbling for the
right words to say.
"You're joking, right?
Right?"
He shook his head, ever
so slightly. I felt as if all
the air was knocked out
of me, like somebody
had just punched me in
the gut. I was shaking
my head, trying to
make sense of
whatever was
happening.
"What are you talking
about? What--what's
wrong?" I searched his
face for any clue, but all
I could see were his
brown eyes, apologetic
and pained. "Why?"
He just shook his head,
looking down. "I'm
sorry."
"We can--we can talk
this out," I tried again,
reaching for him, but he
took a step back and
pursed his lips together
in a pained grimace.
I felt like he had just
slapped me. I opened
my mouth to say
something, but closed it
when I realized I
couldn't. It was hard to
summon my voice,
impossible to find any
words.
I looked at him one last
time, waiting for the
punch line, waiting for
him to take back what
he just said, waiting fot
anything. His eyes held
mine for the longest
time and it almost
seemed like he was
going to reach for me.
But he just dropped his
gaze and repeated the
words "I'm sorry."
My eyes started to
water. I shook my
head, taking quick,
shallow breaths as I
waited for something
more, but nothing came.
I took a step back,
feeling as if somebody
had just ripped my
heart out.
And the worst part
was that it was Cedric
who did it.
I took another step
back and before the
tears could fall, I turned
around and started to
walk away, fighting the
urge to run, hoping he
would call me, ask me
to stop and turn around.
Hoping he'd catch up to
me and stop me from
leaving.
I will not cry. I fought
the tears from falling. I
will not cry.
When I walked by the
juice bar, some guys
who were hanging out
there had whistled. I
turned to them. One of
them smiled while the
rest stared. At me. I
was being hit on. Again.
When I looked back,
Cedric was still there.
What nerve, I thought.
Showing up two hours
late without
explanation and
breaking up with me.
What freaking nerve. I
wiped the unshed tears
from my eyes, careful
not to ruin my makeup.
I knew Cedric was still
watching me. I knew he
was looking. That was
probably why I stepped
towards the juice bar
and approached the guy
who was smiling at me.
“Enjoying the view?” I
asked him.
He looked me up and
down before looking
back into my eyes.
“Very much so.”
I looked at Cedric again,
and I could see how
surprised he was. I
could see it, his eyes
wide, his mouth agape.
Was he hurting? Was he
starting to regret his
decision? Did he even
care? I looked back at
the the stranger in
front of me.
“I’d take that as a
compliment,” I told him.

*Continuation*
“You’re welcome. Want
a drink?” he asked me.
The guys almost
automatically scooted
to make space for me.
When I realized what I
was doing, I almost
stepped back,
wondering what on
earth had gone into me.
I would have left,
pretending none of that
ever happened, if I
hadn't caught sight of
my reflection on the
glass surface of the
Juice Bar's fridge. I
looked different. I
looked like I wasn't as
broken outside as I was
inside.
So I looked at the guy
again. “Why not?”
That was the end of
my relationship with
Cedric.
The guy from that
night? He was my
second kiss. With
tongue. Which, to me,
back then was pretty
much screamed
marriage and
commitment. Of course
it wasn’t. It was just a
one-night make out
session. In a juice bar.
With all his friends
there.
With Cedric watching in
the distance, frozen in
shock.
The name of that guy?
I had no idea.
Ironic, really, how the
end was also somehow
the beginning of
something else. That
was how I began
plotting my revenge.
That was how I began
coming to the
realization that in all
this—
I hated Cedric.

Chapter 2
Wow. Is there not a
limit as to how much a
guy could actually be
such an egotistical,
bigheaded, cocky jerk?
Well, with Mr. I-Have-
Nice-Biceps-Right? guy, I
guess there isn’t. And
frankly? He disgusted
me to death. Especially
since 1) he had
absolitely no idea how
drunk he was, 2) he
wasxin love with his
biceps, 3) and he
practically wanted to
kiss me the moment he
saw me.
He smiled at me. “Well,
Karla—”
“It’s Kyla,” I corrected
him.
He looked around the
room. “Where?” he
asked, and I fought the
urge to slap him. He
didn't even know my
name. So as he looked
around the room with
all these swaying,
sober, half-drunk, really
drunk party people
dancing to the lame
Super Bass song, I tried
my best not to hit
Biceps Guy where it
hurt.
I could do that. I could
kick him right there—
he’d probably swear,
most likely cause a big
ruckus that would
attract the attention of
the room, and end up
crying like the big baby
he was—and I'd just
act all childish-like and
innocent, tell him I
didn’t mean to, kiss
him, and he’ll forget it.
As easy as one-two-
three.
Fortunately, though, I
didn’t do that. Not
because I could actually
control my temper
(trust me, I have anger
management issues),
and especially not
because I was nice and
I didn’t want him to cry
like a baby in the middle
of a high school party
where half the student
body could see him. No.
In fact, it was because
of this: I didn’t want to
end up kissing him.
Period.
I mean, did he even
brush his teeth? Those
yellow—yellow
unidentified objects
stuck to his gums were
just repulsing. There
was simply no way I
would kiss him.
So I stood up from his
lap, where I somehow
ended up five minutes
ago when he pulled me
down with him.
“Where’re you going?”
he asked me.
I gave him my best
look, batting my
eyelashes at him, and
bent down to whisper
something into his ear.
By the way his whole
body tensed, I knew he
was turned on. Way
turned on.
“So, I’ll just wait for
you upstairs. I think the
bedrooms are
available,” he whispered
back—huskily, I might
add. While some people
could be sexy with the
whole husky voice, he
simply sounded like a
drunk pervert.
“Sure. I’ll be there in a
minute,” I said and
winked at him.
He jumped out of his
seat, clearly excited. I
sighed and watched as
he disappeared into the
crowd of dancing
people, up the stairs,
while I stood there and
paused, before turning
to the door to leave.
The party was a dump.
There were hardly any
cute guys. And besides,
Cedric wasn’t there, so
what was the point?
When I walked out the
door, I never planned on
staying back. I had no
plans of going to the
room where Biceps Guy,
most likely undressed,
would be waiting for
me.
No Cedric, no thanks.
“Yo, Evans.”
I looked to my side. Only
one person ever called
me that. Excluding my
teachers, but I really
didn't expect to find
them standing in the
middle of a high school
party where students
are getting drunk,
getting laid, or getting
stupid. So despite the
lack of light, I knew
who it was.
Seth Everett.
“Need a drink?” he
asked me.
“Nah. I'm leaving,” I said
and eyed the skanky girl
draped all over him. By
the way her lipstick
was smudged, I was
guessing they were in
the middle of
something. And by the
way her blue eyes sent
cold glares in my
direction, it was a no-
brainer that she did not
like the interruption.

*continues*
“Really.” Seth cocked his
head to one side and
smiled. In the darkness
of the lawn, he seemed
almost mysterious. “So
you finally abandoned
Biceps Guy.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, you know. That
guy with the yellow
teeth and all.”
Now I was impressed.
He actually noticed
that? “Yeah. I did. And
why do you care?” I
made myself sound
flirty. Why not? After
all, he was still talking
to me. About Biceps
Guy. Which meant he
actually noticed me in
the party while he was
in the middle of a make
out session with
another girl.
"I don’t,” he said, his
head still cocked on that
side. “Aren’t you quite
the heartbreaker?”
I laughed. “That,
sweetheart, is the
understatement of the
century.”
One corner of his mouth
rose. “Ain’t that right.”
And with that, I left.
I wasn't really the
heartless bitch I
seemed like. If I was, I
wouldn’t have stayed
up all night after that
party, thinking of all the
things that could have
gone differently had I
not made Biceps Guy
wait in vain. Thinking of
that hollowness in the
pit of my stomach
because there I was
again, with a guy
whose name I didn't
even know, a guy who
wasn't Cedric.
If I really didn’t have a
heart, then why did it
still hurt so badly
whenever I thought of
Cedric?
I've tried. I've tried and
tried, over and over
again. But the truth
was, I haven’t, not
even once, moved on to
forget about him. He
was still there, in my
mind, in my heart, in my
existence.
I might have easily
walked away the night
we broke up. I might
have made out with a
random guy on a juice
bar, but that was just
because I didn’t want
to seem like the
brokenhearted girl I
knew I was. Because I
wanted Cedric to walk
to the juice bar to pry
me off of that guy and
take his words back.
He didn't.
No one, not a soul, saw
me walk away from
those guys in the juice
bar that night to cry in
the comfort room. No
one saw me wipe my
eyes as frantically as I
could. And no one, not
one of those guys,
came to check in on me
in the bathroom while I
did. I don’t think anyone
even noticed that I had
already ran off.
No one saw me break.
I wanted it to stay that
way. So a week after
of our breakup, I
promised I wouldn't cry
over him again. I
wouldn't let myself be
weak again. I changed
myself, covering my
broken heart with some
makeup and a new
wardrobe. I started
going to parties and
flirted with other guys.
At one point, Cedric
began going to parties
too, and that was
when I started to make
out with guys, making
sure he was watching.
Sometimes, though, the
pain would hit me so
hard I can't help but feel
like everything was
pressing down on me,
missing him so badly it
hurt. I missed holding
his hand, I missed the
feel of his arms around
me, I missed the way
he would always,
always trace my lower
lips with his thumb
before leaning in to kiss
me, I missed the smile
that sent my heart
skyrocketing to the
moon.
Like on nights like this,
that pang of hurt would
just come and all I could
do is lie in the dark, in
my room, buried under
the covers of my bed,
close my eyes, and
think of him, him, him.
---
“Heads up!” somebody
yelled.
I looked up, to see a
football rocketing
towards me. I dodged
only a second too late
and BAM! It hit me on
the forehead and I
almost fell back if
somebody hadn’t
caught me from behind.

*continues*
“Hey, watch it!” came
the voice from behind
me, and I recognized it
immediately. I looked up
to see Seth Everett. He
wasn’t looking at me,
though. He was looking
at whoever had thrown
that football in my
direction.
To my surprise, it was
Cedric. Cedric, who had
never played football.
At least not that I
knew of. He ran
towards me and I
wanted to run off as
far away as possible
before he could actually
get near, but I was
rooted to the ground.
Seth had a firm grip on
my shoulders, and I
would’ve have looked
like he still affected me
if I did run away.
So I stayed there.
Seth did not pick up the
ball. Neither did I. So
when he came, he
picked it up and looked
up at me.
In the morning light, his
brown eyes seemed
amber and I realized,
really, how tan he had
become. It wasn't a
deep tan, but it was
enough for me to
notice. I also noticed
how much longer his
black hair was.
So he wasn’t just
Football-Playing Cedric.
I wondered, for a
second, how much he
had changed.
“We’d appreciate it if
you don’t try hitting
people with your lousy
throw,” Seth told him.
I pursed my lips
together, trying not to
defend Cedric, not to
spat at Seth for being
such an ass. It was
almost a reflex, for me
to feel protective of
him.
So we stood there,
Seth behind me with his
arms on my shoulders,
and Cedric in front of
me, at arm’s length, in
the middle of the
grassy courtyard of the
school. A lot of people
passed us by, some
going to the peach-
colored building to my
right, some going out,
changing classes or
having break.
But in that moment, it
felt like it was the just
three of us.
“I don’t have a lousy
throw," Cedric said
through gritted teeth
before looking at me.
“I'm sorry. Are you
okay?” I heard the oh-
so-slight, softening of
his voice as he turned
to me.
I held my head high and
stepped back until my
back could feel the
warmth of Seth’s
chest. I made the
gesture obvious, and
even held one Seth’s
hands on my shoulders.
“I'm fine,” I said and
smiled sweetly at him,
“it was just a lousy
throw after all, wasn’t
it?” I cocked my head to
the side, still smiling,
thinking, Do you regret
breaking up with me?
Are you hurting? Are
you jealous?
But really, the only
question that ever
really mattered was—
Will you take me back?
“Of course,” he said.
I was almost startled,
wondering, if by some
chance, he had
answered my question
with an “of course,”
before realizing he
couldn’t have heard the
question. And he
wouldn’t want me back
anyway.
Besides, I realized he
was talking about his
throw when he added,
“I’ll work on it, and next
time, I’ll try hitting you
again to see if it
improved.”
"Why not?” I asked him,
shrugging. “I’ll probably
be twenty seven by
then.”
Seth snorted and
Cedric’s face darkened.
Seth slid his hand so
that he was half-
hugging me, one arm
draped across my
shoulder, as he let his
other hand slip away.
He put it in his pocket
and looked at me. “Let's
go.”
The two of us went
off, leaving Cedric
standing there.
Seth kept his arm over
my shoulder, even as
we walked into the
school.

*continues*
“So, catch you at
lunch?” he asked me.
I thought about it.
Thought about the way
Cedric used to rant
about Seth. About the
way Cedric hated him.
I smiled. “Why not?”
---
Oh my gosh! I can't
believe somebody
even read this!
Thanks a lot and I'm
so, so happy about
everything! Thanks
so much! Hope you
enjoyed Chapter
Two!

Chapter 3
One thing was official:
Seth Everett wanted
me.
I saw it in the way he
kept casting glances at
me all through lunch, in
his barely there smiles
and the way he cocks
his head to the right
when I talk. He wanted
me, which is exactly
what I needed at the
moment.
So when class ended
the same day, I wasn’t
surprised when he
stopped and leaned on
the locker next to mine.
I was just depositing
my stuff when the
words “Missed me
yet?” made me look up.
“Everett,” I said, my
voice dropping a tone
lower—the voice I
always used to keep a
guy hooked—and
leaned a little into him,
“you’re the last thing I'd
miss.”
“Well, that can’t be
right.” He cocked his
head to the right and
gave me his barely
there smile. I almost
rolled my eyes at him.
He took a step closer,
so that his lips were
almost touching my ear,
his breath tickling me a
little. “You’re sure you
didn’t miss me at all?”
I pretended to think
about it, squinting my
eyes, then shrugged.
“Pretty sure.” I gave
him a smile, blinking
slowly once, and
slammed my locker
shut. “See you around.”
I walked ahead, leaving
him rooted to that
place.
He laughed. “Aren’t you
something.” I could feel
him shift behind me.
“Hah.” I turned around,
and found him staring
at me. “How so?”
He shrugged. “Party at
my house on Friday. See
you there.”
I laughed at his face.
“You think I, Kyla Evans,
would go to your party?
I mean, who’re you?
You’re just Seth
Everett.”
He raised an eyebrow,
still smiling. “Oh, so
you’re not coming to
my, ‘just’ Seth
Everett’s, party?”
I lifted a shoulder in
response, and just like
that, I flashed him one
last smile before
turning to walk away
completely.
I never knew Seth
Everett was so easy.
---
The music was too loud
when I got to the
party, some lousy rap
music. Ugh. Could Seth
have worse music
preferences?
I felt cold in my blouse
and skirt. I think my
boots were the only
things I'd worn that
actually offered some
warmth, so at least my
feet weren’t cold. But
seriously? Some
gentleman offering me
his jacket would
probably make me love
him for life at the
moment.
Looking around from
the lawn, I surveyed
the people, looking for
signs of Cedric. Of
course, though, he
wasn’t here. I mean, he
couldn’t be in Seth’s
party. I still had no idea
why he hates Seth, but
I was pretty sure he’d
never come to his party.
And the thing is, I
wasn’t even supposed
to come, exactly
because of that reason.
Because Cedric won’t be
coming, there was
simply no reason for me
to show up.
But somehow, I found
myself going anyway,
because if Seth wanted
me, then I better be
sure he’d keep wanting
me.
And maybe… just
maybe, I was a little
intrigued with whatever
he had up his sleeves.
I hovered by the
entrance, though, partly
unsure whether this
was actually a good
idea or not. But hey, I
was already there, so I
realized I should just
get on with this.
“You’re late.” The
whisper was directly in
my ear and I
instinctively cringed
away. I didn’t know
whether or not guys
knew this, but my ears
were ticklish.
I turned to see Seth, he
was smiling weirdly at
me. “Are you freaking
kidding me? Your ears
are ticklish?”
Shoot me now. I forced
a smile out. “You better
not use that against
me someday.

*continues*
He laughed, the sound
deep and somehow able
to stand out against
the loud music and
shouting and noise.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
He shrugged before
sending me a glance.
“Not yet.”
I groaned, and it must
have been half-true.
Ticklish parts are like
weaknesses. I’ve had
enough with living a life
full of weaknesses, so I
wasn’t comfortable
with the fact that Seth
—or any other person
for that matter—knew
about my ticklish ears.
I know this probably
doesn’t matter to
others, but it does to
me.
“So." He said, leaning me
through the crowd. "You
look great.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You’ve probably said
that to every girl you’re
trying to seduce, which,
probably, means pretty
much every girl here.”
He laughed. “Okay, ouch.
You make me sound like
a manwhore.”
“You said that
yourself.” I smiled at
him. “But anyways, care
to tell me something
original this time?
Something you haven’t
told anyone else yet?”
“Something I’ve never
told anyone else yet…”
He thought—or at least
seemed to have—
about it before saying,
“You should smile more.
Makes you look angelic.”
My smile faltered for a
second, together with
my façade. I stared at
him, completely
dumbfounded.
“But of course, with so
many hearts you’ve
broken so far—you
probably aren’t that
angelic,” he quickly
added. I was thankful
that he did, because it
helped me recover from
my trance.
“You don’t know that,”
I said, “I’m actually
really angelic.”
“I bet you are.” He
nodded.
That was when it
happened. It might have
been some spilled beer
or a foot or a wire or
something—it could
have been anything,
really—but the next
thing I knew, I was
falling down, the floor
coming closer and
closer.
But he grabbed my hand
just in time, pulled me
up and locking me in his
embrace instead. He
pulled back, giving just
enough space for us to
look at each other.
“Whoa. Hey. You okay?”
I blinked, trying to
compose myself.
"Perfectly fine."
“Okay.” When he
released me, I knew my
cheeks were flushed
because of my near-
falling-down-the-floor-
and-making-a-fool-of-
myself experience. “So,
how about some
drinks?”
Thinking about beer and
the fact that I was
supposed to drive
home, I bit my lower lip.
Maybe I could take a
cup or something, just
so he can’t say I'm a
bore, but I wouldn’t
really drink it.
“Are you driving home?”
he asked me.
“Sort of,” I replied. “But
maybe I can get a cup
or—”
“No.” His voice was
hard. Firm. Completely
different from his usual
breezy, cool self. I
couldn't help but flinch
back, surprised. “I have
some non-alcoholic
drinks somewhere. You
can have those
tonight.” And just like
that, he was back.
He hadn’t apologized for
the sudden change, the
sudden harshness. He
hadn’t even
acknowledged it. It was
if it never happened.
So Seth Everett had
secrets too. Somehow,
this surprised me a lot.
“Come on. The drinks
are by the counter.”
I followed suit.
“I knew you would
come,” he told me over
the music as we made
our way through the
crowd.

*continues*
“Really.”
He nodded. “The girls
always come.”
I snorted. “Of course
that’s what you think.
I'm only here because
I'm meeting someone,”
I tried, sizing his
reaction up.
“Let me guess. By
someone, you mean the
usual make-out.” He
cocked his head to the
side.
“No.” I smiled at him,
the smile I’ve always
used when my prey
was exactly at that
point. I stepped closer
to him, pressing my
body against his. "But I
guess you're good
enough.”
What the freaking hell
was wrong with me?
Cedric wasn’t here, so
why did I make such a
move? Damn it.
Unlike any other guy,
however, he didn’t have
the reaction I expected.
He wasn’t turned on, he
wasn’t even partly
seduced. He laughed.
Laughed. I was
practically shouting
Let’s freaking get to
third base! but there he
was, laughing.
“What?” I stepped
back, offended and
embarrassed. Shit, shit,
shit. I should never have
done that. Cedric wasn't
even here in the first
place. Damn it. That
never happened before.
I was blushing from the
rejection.
“Oh, Evans, it’s your
turn to tell me
something you don’t
usually say.” He flashed
his smirk. “You made
me do it.”
I scowled at him. “I
don’t say that to other
guys at all!” I whined—
which was a big
mistake, partly because
I sounded stupid and
because it only made
him chuckle again.
“Come on. Say
something different.”
I pressed my lips
together.
“See?” he asked me.
“Aren’t you more of a
player than I am? You
can’t even think of a
line you haven’t told
another guy yet—”
“I'm a virgin.” I looked
straight into his eyes,
daring him, challenging
him. “There. I haven’t
told anybody else about
that, and it also proves
I am so much better
than Seth Everett, you
sex-crazed guy.”
“Okay. Whoa.” He let
out a sharp breath.
“You’re a virgin?”
He looked so surprised
that I swear I could
have taken a picture.
“Holy shit, Evans. You’re
a freaking vir—”
“Okay, shut up.” I
covered his mouth
quickly. “My virginity
isn’t exactly a secret,
but that doesn’t mean
I’m comfortable with
you shouting it out to
the whole student
body.”
He blinked. “Why have I
never known this
before? If this isn’t a
secret, I swear I would
have known about
this.”
“It’s not a secret.
Nobody just asks me.” I
shrugged. “So it
basically never came up.
People assume things,
Everett. Most times?
Those assumptions are
really just messed up.
Everyone thinks I sleep
around. What do they
know?”
He let out a soft
whistle. “Hot damn,
Evans.” He shook his
head, smiling almost to
himself as he scratched
the back of his neck.
“At this rate, I can’t
really assure you your
virginity.”
My mouth dropped
open, but I was smiling.
“What makes you think
I’m ever going to do it
with you, of all people? I
love myself, I don’t
want to get an STD
from you.”
He laughed. “I do not
have an STD.”
“Oh, but that’s only
what you think,” I said,
“do you really know?”
“You better shut it.
Right now, I'm torn
between wanting to
get myself checked and
wanting to spend the
rest of the night with
you.” I raised my
eyebrows at this and
he matched it with a
smirk. “In the most
innocent way possible.”

*continues*
“And the most innocent
way possible there is
is…?”
“Just this.” He made a
vague gesture wuth his
hand. “Hanging around.”
I almost laughed at him.
I never knew he could
be so lame. Who, in their
right minds, would just
hang out, nothing more?
But at least I didn’t
have to make out with
him—or with anyone
for that matter. I didn’t
like making out with
other people if Cedric
wasn’t around. This,
just “hanging out,” was
actually a good thing for
the night. So I played
along.
“Well, I’m yours for the
night,” I said, opening
my arms in a gesture
that said I’m all yours. I
leaned closer and in a
lower voice, I said, “In
the most innocent way
possible.”
He tensed, pupils
dilating. I knew I finally
succeeded in seducing
the school’s player.
Satisfied, I walked
ahead of him and asked
him with the most
innocent smile I could
come up with, “Well,
what are you waiting
for? Let’s hang out.”
“Damn it,” he said.
“How can you look so...
innocent and be so
brutal?”
I laughed, rolling my
eyes. “It’s a gift.”
We finally reached the
bar and counter, and he
handed me my drink. He
got himself a beer and
we just hung out for a
while.
I was actually, and
surprisingly, having a
good time when the
most unexpected thing
happened. Something
that was enough to
suddenly have all my
walls up in a split-
second.
Cedric showed up.
---