Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Aaron’s brow wrinkled for a moment as he stared at me. Then he spoke in a rush. “I think your charger’s in the dining room.”
“My phone’s at 95%, I think I’ll be—”
“I’ll help you look for it.” To my shock, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the other room. I caught Diego and Cody’s baffled expressions as we passed by.
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said, as soon as we were in the dining room.
“For what?”
“For not being able to go with you today.”
I frowned, not quite getting it. “That’s not your fault. I think it’s cool that you’re on the student council.” And it wasn’t his fault that I had a very awkward history with the guy who was going to be my new partner. I guess it was at least a relief that Diego had no memory of that history.
“Let me make it up to you,” Aaron said, brimming with a kind of nervous energy. “I mean—I’ve got this family thing in Chattanooga next weekend. I was wondering if you’d go with me.”
“To meet your family?” I wasn’t even entirely sure I remembered his last name, so meeting his family seemed like an odd choice.
“No, I’m saying it wrong. It’s my grandparents’ fiftieth anniversary, and they’ve rented this huge reception hall, and all my siblings will be there with their spouses, and I’m always the only guy who's alone, and I just… I was wondering if you’d go with me.”
There was tension on his face, and I wished I could erase it, but I needed to think it through. To be honest, I’d kind of half thought—and maybe more than half hoped—that he’d ask me out at some point. But a big family function wasn’t what I had in mind. And I wasn’t entirely sure if this was about him wanting to go with me—or him not wanting to go alone. Those weren’t the same thing at all.
But either way, he was my friend, and he’d been there for me yesterday.
“Okay.”
“You don’t—really?” His smile transformed his face. “That’s great!” Still smiling, he reached out and tucked a strand of my hair back into the ballerina’s bun. “And I’ll take care of everything, the transportation, everything. If you need any advice about getting a gown, I’ll have one of my sisters call you.”
“Gown?” I echoed, as he grasped my arm and led me back into the living room. “Gown?” As in one of those floor-length formal dresses? Just how fancy was this party going to be? But Aaron looked so pleased that I didn’t have the heart to question him more right now.
Diego looked impatient when we returned. “We have to hurry.” He was doing this for Aaron’s sake, not mine, and it looked like he was eager to get it over with.
That made two of us. “I’m ready.”
I gave Cody a small smile and then followed the others out.
Adventure awaited the ballerina and the referee. But exactly what kind of adventure, I didn’t know.
Aaron wished us luck and parted ways with us at the far end of the quad near the courtyard. There were a couple dozen teams gathered—most in far more elaborate Halloween costumes than we had. But they’d probably had more notice.
Quite a few of the teams were same-sex, likely roommates. I guessed that’s what Diego and I were too, technically.
And then I saw another set of roommates, and my heart sank.
"Oh, crap," I muttered.
Diego, looking oddly authoritative in his referee uniform, raised an eyebrow. "What’s wrong?"
"My friends are over there."
He bit back a laugh. "My god, that’s horrible."
"Stop," I said. "It’s just that... Okay, see that couple over there dressed like Robin Hood and Maid Marian? That’s Tori and Jayden. And Jayden knows every inch of this campus."
Diego studied them. Jayden had on a tunic and green leggings with a bow slung over his shoulder. Tori had on a somewhat old-fashioned looking dress, but it ended above her knee, and she was wearing sneakers. “So that’s the crack team that’s going to beat us?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"They don’t look so tough."
As he said that, Tori looked up—though she couldn’t possibly have heard us—and spotted me. She shrieked, grabbed Jayden’s hand, and pulled him over.
Diego had a pleasant smile on his face as they approached, but suddenly my heart stopped completely, horror filling me.
Tori and Jayden knew who Diego was.
They were the ones who had found me at the party and pulled me off him—otherwise, who knows what might’ve happened.
Panic filled me. They knew he was the guy I made out with.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
Diego noticed my discomfort. "Hey, we’re just here to have fun. Doesn’t matter if they win, or anyone else."
"Yes, you’re right,’ I said stiffly. As if that’s what I’d been worried about.
Then a glint sparked in Diego’s eye. "Although, if you do want to win, I know the perfect strategy."