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“I’m not sure what I want to do,” I said, my voice getting quiet. My gaze shifted back and forth between them. “I’m only used to taking chances in the virtual world. In the real world, my armor...isn’t as strong as it looks.”
It was a confession that took every ounce of my strength. I clenched my hands together in my hoodie pocket, fighting the instant desire to add something snarky, throwing a layer of defense between me and the most vulnerable side of myself I’d ever let myself be with my two best friends. Their expressions softened and they both came in for a hug.
“We’ll be your armor,” Lexi murmured against the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
“Agreed,” Charlotte said on the other side.
I squeezed them both, feeling a bit of relief. No matter what happened with Gabriel, at least I had them. That was enough.
“So, what do I do now?” I asked, chewing on my inner cheek.
“Well...maybe you need the next best thing to a marquee,” Lexi said, her brow arching as mischief entered her eyes.
I chuckled. It was hilarious to see her plotting face. “Like what?”
“Well, we all agree there’s no way he could know about the catfish thing, right?” she asked. Charlotte and I nodded. She’d been right. Outside of this room, no one had a clue. I’d been freaking out about the wrong thing. “Well, maybe your online character just needs to ask some of the right questions...”
The blood drained from my face as I realized what she meant. “You want me to ask him as CurrerBFighting if he likes me?”
She jumped with excitement. “Exactly!”
“No! No way.” I waved my hands in front of my torso. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’d probably give myself away.”
“Well, Lexi and I can be there to help,” Charlotte jumped in.
I shot her a flat look. “You can’t seriously be in favor of this.”
She grinned. “I’m all in. And we’ll be there to help every step of the way. Trust us, Beth. We’ll get you all of the answers you need.”
Doubt and suspicion clouded my head, but it was pushed aside by yet another vision of Gabriel leaning in to kiss me only days ago. I seriously couldn’t get rid of it. And yet, seeing that memory again only made me want to know more. Did he really like me? There was only one way to find out and as much as I hated to admit it, Lexi was right.
“Fine.” I grabbed my backpack I’d abandoned in the shadows and flung it over my shoulder. With a warning glare in each of their directions, I turned toward the exit. “We’re doing this. But whatever happens is on you, so I hope you’re ready for this.”
I didn’t miss their high-pitched squeals of excitement as I exited the rear stage. All I could do was shake my head and hope I hadn’t just given myself over into the hands of two masters of mayhem.
Whatever happened tonight, I wasn’t going
to let it change me or my goals.
I still had a game to win.
Chapter Thirteen
“Guys, I don’t know about this.”
I stared at my computer screen, my palms suddenly getting sweaty. Gabriel hadn’t logged in yet. We’d both agreed to be there ten minutes before the game started to make sure we didn’t repeat the near miss of the first round. We were up against a sophomore and a junior from Rock Valley. While both had decent stats, I was confident that we could take them down. What I wasn’t sure about was whether I wanted to continue with this crazy plan of interrogating Gabriel about me.
“Come on, Beth, he won’t suspect a thing.” Lexi sat perched on the desk next to my laptop, wearing a cream mini skirt and yellow tights. She was chewing on a pen and practically vibrating with excitement. “You can trust us.”
Riiiiiight. I seriously doubted whether Lexi had the same kind of concern for my self-preservation as I did. She lived for the match. She’d practically thrown Charlotte and Hunter together last summer. I’d seen her matchmaking styles. They were haphazard, at best.
“If he likes you, maybe he’ll ask you to the winter ball,” Charlotte said excitedly, her gaze scanning the screen.
“Ooooh, good idea, Char.” Lexi squealed and rubbed her hands together. “Triple date. Perfection.”
I rolled my eyes. That was so far from anything on my current list of fears and anxieties. We didn’t need to add a high school dance to the mix. Where would I find a dress this late in the game? Did I even know how to dance? And was Gabriel the school dance type?
Ugh—I didn’t even know for sure if he liked me and already I was worried about it. This was getting ridiculous. That’s what I got for hanging out with two girly girls all of the time.
