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I do, however, become a hit with the other guys at school, Kevin Bailey included. When I turn them down, it earns me the title of slut, easy, and cocktease. The insults are endless. The girls are the worst.
So when summer comes around, all I can think about is spending time with my best friend Savanna. Away from all reminders of the first and likely last high school party, I will ever attend. Beach days and no school bullies for a whole summer sounds pretty good.
“Breeeeee!” Savanna shouts as she bolts toward me. I barely get out of the car before she throws her arms around my neck. It’s been a tradition for our families to spend the holidays together at her parents’ home in Florida. It’s a stunning beach house, a stone throw from a private beach. Savanna, or Anna, and I became inseparable because our parents were good friends.
“Anna, oh, God, I missed you.” I hug my friend tightly.
“I have so much to tell you,” she jumps up and down like a jack-in-a-box.
“I know, so do I.” I hold her hands.
“But first the beach.” She is like a ray of sunshine, platinum blonde hair and all—the bluest of eyes. We have always been such a contrast, her light to my dark. I have blue-black hair like my mother, green eyes like my father, and where Savanna is petite, I’m curvaceous. She always says she would kill for my figure, but I sort of like the vulnerability of the way she looks.
We change into our bathing suits, grab towels, and hit the beach.
“It feels like it’s been years,” she tells me as she soaks in the sunshine while I sit under an umbrella. My mother is Latina, so I don’t need the extra color. “And you haven’t been calling enough,” she complains.
“Gosh, I know, I’ve had a crap few months at school. I’m sorry.”
She pushes her shades up and turns toward me. “What happened at that party?”
“Nothing that should be discussed on this beautiful day. I was stupid, got into a stupid situation. I promise to tell you everything, but right now, I just want to enjoy sitting here with you,” I heave a breath. “Besides, I need to hear about this guy you met online.”
“Firstly, he’s on his way here,” she squeals.
“Argh, but this is our time,” I pout.
“He’s cool, like really cool, and he is dying to meet my boo bear.”
“Is that what you told him my name is?” I laugh so hard I have to hold my stomach.
She looks like she’s bursting to tell me more. “Go on.” I smile.
“So this is the weird part. He’s in your school,” she grins like a Cheshire cat.
“What? God, please don’t tell me he’s a jock because they’re all assholes.” I sit up in my deck chair.
“No, relax, he’s not a jock. He’s the total opposite, actually. He’s sweet and smart, and he’s just...perfect,” she says.
“Tell me his name already, or I swear to God I’ll tickle the shit outta you.” I reach for her, and she moves away.
“His name is Denton.” She has that puppy love look on her face when she says it, cheeks flushed, eyes glazed over.
My eyes widen, and I feel my face fall. “Denton Duke?”
“Yeah,” she grabs my hands in hers. “Do you know him?”
“Not really,” I lie, feeling a twist in my gut. My best friends are in love. Anna is in love with Denton.My broody, asshole Denton.How the hell did that happen?
“So he’s going to be spending part of the summer with us.”
I plaster on my fakest smile. It’s not that I’m unhappy for Anna. I just don’t know how I feel about being around Denton anymore. How are we going to spend this summer pretending that the kiss didn’t happen? I am so glad my parents never met him. That would be super awkward, especially after the lie I just told Savanna. The first lie of many I would tell her that summer.
“You’re both going to love each other,” she shrieks and hugs me again.I think I do love him.
“Oh, boo bear, I am so happy, so damn happy.”
When Savannah told me she was online dating, I was apprehensive. The worst of the worst lurk behind screens and keyboards. Three months ago, she started telling me about this mystery guy; they hadn’t exchanged names or numbers. Still, they apparently connected like she never had with any guy she dated before. I was ready to tell her parents until she finally told me that they’d video called and he was everything she imagined.
