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His nonchalancehi that out there And it works

He slides ht Well, like I know since I don’t go to school anymore" Stupidest answer ever Everyone knohen school starts

"Why don’t you?"

I didn’t expect hiured he really didn’t care "I can’t afford it and I wasn’t set a scholarship" Like I could waste my tiet I used to have a fulltio I put in asat both La Salle’s and at another tiny Mexican restaurant not too far fro They only callinaccount thanks to Dreill ease some of that burden, at least for a little while I didn’t put it in the account I share with my mom because I know the second she realizes that much money’s in there, she’ll blow it

I can’t take that chance

"Hoe hts I wish he would take the initiative and coest because it sounds so trashy and I figure the only reason he’s bringingit to his uppity family "You caht the moment our eyes met"

He sends me a look that calls bullshit and I s up this story, I’ out there

There is no roouys useall of his attention on et that no one really cares

The second it’s over, it’s like I snap out ofand I feel cheap Dirty All those clichés you read about in books and see on TV orcliché

I’m also the town slut whose not as slutty as everyone thinks she is--again, another cliché And I’irl you want to take ho special aboutme home to impress his mama Or more accurately, freak his mama out I’m sure I’m that rich bitch’s (now I sound like Owen, froht to flip

"I’ ht?" I need confir to think it and be okay with it I need to face the facts head on and deal with the repercussions later Like how this ht screith my head despite how much I need that rim line "My mom is dead"

Oh "I’m sorry" I feel like a jerk

"You didn’t know She died when I o" He shrugs "I know my dad will love you"

The way he says it kind of freaks me out Like his dad is probably a creeper and that’s why he’ll love me

"It’s just your dad and you then?"

"No There’s Adele" His lips virtually disappear when he says that na where exactly they went "She’s my stepive two shits what she thinks"

The tension radiates off hi on between hi his ree on "Have any brothers or sisters?"

He shakes his head "Nope"

"Oh" His lack of communication skills could be a real proble week "I have a brother"

"How old?"

"Thirteen" I sigh "Owen’s in the eighth grade He gets in trouble a lot"

"It’s a tough age Junior high sucks"

"Did you get in trouble a lot when you were thirteen?" I couldn’t i my suspicions in a heartbeat "I wasn’t allowed"

"What do you mean?" I frown His answer makes no sense

"My dad would kick ain He does that a lot, but I like it because it reminds me that he has those delicious broad shoulders If I’ our fake relationship over the next seven days I’ll lean ainst the soft fabric of his shirt and secretly breathe in his scent He set up close and really inhale him

Sappiness is ready to overtake me and for once in my cynical, no room for fairy tales life, I’m ready to let it happen After all, I need to be the best actress on the planet, right?

"Isn’t that what all dads say they’re going to do when their kids step out of line?" I ask

"Yeah, but mine meant it Besides, it was easier to do what I’et distracted I lose myself in the mindless stuff, you know?"

"And what are you supposed to do?" I add air quotes like those annoying sorority girls who coirls and how they flip their hair and laugh too loud and say the stupidest things They literally bat their fake eyelashes at the guys and everything It’s pathetic, what attention whores they are