Isaiah places his hands on the top of my car and leans over so that his head is level with mine. The strong scent of dark spices tickles my nose and I inhale deeply. A brief calm washes through me and somehow I know Isaiah will get me out of this.
I'll tell you what … if you want wild – if you want a kiss that breaks the rules, I'll give you one, but not here, not now.
Our teacher [Ms. Whitlock] assesses me, then continues to summarise our syllabus.
I've got you. I promise.
Noah's smile gave me flutters.
Will you shut up?! God, I can't get you guys to say crap half the time I try to actually say something worth saying, one of you interrupts me. So shut up!
I glance left, then to the right. Disoriented. Lost. Not knowing which way is home. But that's been the problem since the beginning. The root of all my evils.
I walk with my head high, shoulders squared. I'm better than them. No matter the whispers and taunts they throw out. Fuck them. Fuck them all.
I [Pigpen] grew up in their clubhouse. I understand you because I am you. I also learned to crawl on the sticky floors of where guys made their oaths. But here's the difference, I grew up watching people make stupid mistakes in the name of revenge.
Lincoln's so efficient, especially for a guy who "bends rules".
Yesterday Allison bought me nail polish in the annoying shade of mauve. How can anyone look at me and think mauve?
Have you thought of doing it? Being a cattle farmer? If that's what it's called? I think we should do that, but replace cattle with bunnies and then we don't milk or eat the bunnies. We just let them multiply. Then we'll take over the world. Me the queen. You the king. Our bunnies the army nobody can defeat.
It's what I've been trained to do. It's what's expected of me. To be responsible. To follow the rules. To make logical decisions and to use this precious brain, but Razor's teaching me there's more to me than logic- there's also a ton of passion.
I moaned and he moaned and my mind and soul and body stood on the edge of pure ecstasy.
Noah's experienced reputation walked down the hallway before he did.
Emotions is evil. People who make me feel are worse. I take comfort in the stone inside of me. If I don't feel, I don't hurt.
Why is it when people are proud of me that my life sucks?
Pigpen's been tearing through the cabin, the yard, the clubhouse like a toddler on the warpath.
God, I wish I was free. I wish I was a bird floating in the breeze.
The offers of friendship, the smiles, the nice words – all games. Deep down I always knew it, but part of me hoped for more. I allowed hope. Stupid Beth making another stupid mistake. Story of my life.
The answering call causes my ears to ring. Pigpen stares at me, unblinking as the mantra is repeated three more times followed by over a hundred men howling into the night.
Pigpen is in his late twenties and thinks he's all handsome with his blonde hair and big muscles. Because he was a Navy SEAL or Army Ranger or something outrageous like that, he also thinks he's awesome, but he doesn't impress.
Here's the thing- I love you and I love her, but I swear to God I'll kick your ass if you hurt her.
The moment Noah came up behind me and kissed the side of my neck, I was torn between leaning into him and skirting away. Every muscle in my body screamed to fall into him.
I can't give you the world, Rachel, but I'll give you all I got.
Sometimes a good girl needs to be bad.
She looks happy to me when she's beside you.
I love you enough to never make you choose.
I love you, I whisper. I can't remember a time when I haven't loved you.
How can I believe you?
Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls.
Your mom should be taking care of you. Not the other way around.
Pigpen taught me how to upload code from the internet and how to get it on people's computers and phones so I have a back door to their network.
Ashley waddled back into the room and dropped into the seat next to me. "What did i miss?" I'd honestly forgotten she existed. Oh, if only dad would, too.
Pigpen walks by, fist bumps me and asks, You out?
Rachel wiggles in my hold. You're strong.
Chris owns a grin that melts the hearts of all girls, including the ones with boyfriends.
Noah freezes, sort of like he went into shock. The right side of my mouth twitches. Mark the date, world. I stunned the great Noah Hutchins.
I added a fucked-up thought to another fucked-up thought and I created a pile of shit.
He brought up that game like it was yesterday. For me, it was eons ago. Those memories belonged to a boy who died alongside his parents in a house fire.
Pigpen assesses Razor with a half-sarcastic grin. Now, that's how we work. Razor calls this clean, so I'll drive Kyle home to Mom and Dad myself.
They say be a good girl, get good grades, be popular. They know nothing about me.
People laugh as I pass. They're judging me and their judgment is spot on. I don't belong here. I never have.
Two years older than me, but he's [Dust] one of those guys who you known is an old soul the moment you meet him.
I love how you smell," he whispered as he suckled my earlobe. "I love how beautiful you are.
I like you. I. Like. You. I'll admit you're annoying. Sometimes you agitate me to the brink of insanity, but you can throw it back at me like no one else. When you laugh, I want to laugh. When you smile, I want to smile. Hell, I want to be the one to make you smile.
A warm, tickling touch crashed me back to earth. Maybe it sent me straight to heaven. Either way, it dragged me out of hell.
After a half hour, Antonio lured her away by throwing around words like technique and shading. I planned on joining her in the kitchen when the game ended, but decided against it when she grabbed a pencil and spoke rapidly as she sketched. I'd wanted her to be comfortable and I'd wanted to hang with my friends. Somehow, I got both my wishes.
Not sure how this whole social media thing is supposed to be fun. It's like being back in elementary school and waiting to be picked for kickball.
