Wallflower by Cookie O'Gorman (first color ebook reader .TXT) 📗

if I were being honest, I didn't feel the same as I had when I'd made that confession.  After eating lunch with Ty the past week, I realized I hadn't actually known him at all.  He wasn't the dream guy I'd built him up to be in my head.  Except for the nice part.  He was definitely that.  But now, he struck me more as friendship material.

And who would want to date me anyway?

Idea #3) Fake my own death.

That would show him, I thought.  Granted it was a little out there, could even be the title of a Lifetime movie…but nah.  Too dramatic.

Plus, I'd never do that to my parents.  They weren't perfect (obviously).  But I loved them.

Didn't mean I was giving up on my revenge.

I'd jotted down a few other notes, but none were right.

The plan hinged on me somehow convincing Dad that driving/being friends with Dare was a mistake, had resulted in an unforeseen and undesirable outcome.  That much was obvious.  I reached deep inside to find my inner Slytherin.  Maybe I was quiet and introverted—but I was also cunning.  Tapping the paper with my pen a couple times, my eyes narrowed.  It felt like I was just on the cusp of a breakthrough…

If this were a rom com, right about now I'd be having some kind of epiphany.

"Hey!"  A female voice startled me.  Glancing to the left, I saw Estelle, whose smile grew as she saw my face.  She trotted over with Ingrid Pinsky and two other cheerleaders I didn't know, stopping a few feet away.  "Hey Viola, I thought that was you.  How's it going, girl?"

"Hi," I said.  Noticing their matching bows, I put two and two together.  "Ah, I didn't know you cheered."

"Just wanted to try, thought it might be fun."  Estelle lowered her voice.  "Though besides being bubbly—according to Jovonte—and too loud—Mom calls me that all the time— I'm like the anti-cheerleader.  I love the color black, and I'm more into dance than cheer.  Shh," she added with a wink, "don't tell the others."

I gave a half-smile.  "Your secret's safe with me."

"You're Viola Kent," Ingrid observed.

I didn't bother answering.  It wasn't a question.  We'd gone to school together for years.

She kept studying me, and while I liked Estelle, I wished they'd all go away.  With Ingrid here, Whitney couldn't be too far behind.  The girls were BFFs.

"Were you watching soccer practice?" Ingrid asked.

"Yes," I said slowly.

She nodded.  "Because you like Tyson."

My brow furrowed.  Her comment came out of nowhere.  "No," I said.  "I'm giving Dare a ride home.  Tyson's not even here."

She tsked and put her hands on her hips.  "But you do like him, right?  I was just wondering because it really seems like you do."

"I have no idea why you'd think that."

"Well, after what happened, I figured you had a major crush."

I looked at her blankly, but then she said, "Your confession, silly.  I heard the whole thing."

My heart dropped to my toes.

"You…heard?" I said.

"Yeah, I wasn't trying to listen."  Ingrid frowned.  "I just forgot something in the locker room and overheard as I was coming back out."

My pulse started to pound.  Forgot something?  Yeah, right.  Ingrid was literally the worst gossip in the whole school.  It was a wonder the news hadn't leaked already.

"That was private," I breathed.

"I know.  It's kind of why I didn't tell anyone."

Until now when she outed me to Estelle and these other girls.  Ugh.

"We should get back," Estelle said, and I threw her a grateful look.  "Whitney will blow her lid if we take too long."

But Ingrid waved her off.

"Oh, she'll be fine," she said then turned her attention back to me.  "It was awful how he turned you down like that, Viola.  But seriously, what did you expect?  Tyson's one of the hottest, most popular guys in school.  Did you think he'd want to be your boyfriend or something?"

No, I thought he was moving across the world.

I didn't know what it was, the sympathy on Estelle's face, the feigned pity on Ingrid's, or the way the other two tittered after one of them coughed "As if," but something set me off.

"Actually, I already have a boyfriend," I said.

I knew the words were a mistake the second they left my lips, but it was too late.

"You do?"  Ingrid crossed her arms.  "But you said you were in love with Tyson."

"I thought I was," I said.

She hmphed.  "It's been less than two weeks," she said.  "This guy must be something if you got over Ty so quickly."

I nodded.  "Oh yeah, he is.  So thoughtful, smart and funny, too," I said, gushing like I hadn't a care in the world.  "He made it easy to get over my little crush."

"Good for you, girl," Estelle said and clapped her hands.  "I can't wait to meet him!  Ooh, you and your man could go on a double-date with me and Jovonte!  Wouldn't that be awesome?"

Yeah, I thought, that'll be tough since he's technically imaginary.

But I just said, "Yeah, maybe someday."

"Is he hot?" Ingrid asked.

"Absolutely stunning."

I didn't know where I was coming up with this stuff, but the look of surprise on her face was worth it.

For about five seconds.

"What's his name?" she said.

I blinked.  "Sorry, what?"

"His name," Ingrid repeated as I struggled to come up with a believable story.  "Does he go here?  I know all the hot guys at Durham."

Of course, she did.

"So…" she pressed, gesturing for me to answer.  "You can't just say all that and then not tell us.  Who was the guy that helped you get over Tyson?"

"Well," I said, stalling for time, "it's really new, and he's kind of shy.  I'm not sure if he'd want me putting our relationship out