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I deliberate for a couple of minutes, then finally reply.
Auden:Boring but okay so far
As soon as I send it, a shadow falls over the table. I glance up to see a blond boy who—shockingly—looks to be close to my age, picking up the pen I set down to reply to Lana. His lips are moving, so I pull out my earbuds during the bellowing chorus of “Hello”.
“What?” I ask him. Rather rudely, but I’m having a crappy day.
He seems unbothered by my brisk tone. He’s cute, and that often comes with confidence.
“I was asking if I could borrow your pen,” the guy informs me, spinning the overpriced writing utensil between two long fingers. “We’ve got a bunch of posters to put up and one of these idiots messed up the time on them all.”
He jerks a thumb back, indicating one of the two guys hovering a few feet behind him. One has ash blond hair and is holding a thick stack of papers as he stares out the window at the street, while the other guy, who has reddish-brown hair, is typing something on his phone. All three of them are dressed casually in athletic shorts and t-shirts.
“Oh. Uh, sure,” I reply, caught off guard by the unexpected request. At the sound of my voice, the two other guys shift their attention to me.
The one with reddish hair grins with obvious interest, while the blond looks at the papers spread out on the table.
“You’re doing homework?” the blond asks.
“Summer work,” I reply. “My high school doesn’t understand the concept of time off.” Do Canadians call it high school? I have no clue, honestly. My knowledge of the country I’m currently visiting begins and ends with prime minister memes and maple leaves.
“You’re American?” the redhead questions.
“Yep,” I confirm, surprised he can tell.
“Well, if you need a tour guide…we’re available.” The guy holding my pen grins at me. “I’m Josh, and these two fools are Oliver”—he nods to the blond—“and Lucas.” Lucas has the auburn hair. If he was being as friendly as Josh, I’d compliment him on the vibrant hue. I’ve always thought my own dark shade of brown is boring.
“Nice to meet you guys,” I respond. “I’m Auden.” I don’t reply to his offer to show me around. Would it be nice to have something to do and someone to hang out with? Absolutely. But I can’t recall the last time I was around guys who haven’t attended the same private school I have since kindergarten. It takes me time to warm up to people, and I’ll be gone in ten days. At least getting these school assignments finished means I can lounge at the beach for the rest of the summer once I get back home.
Josh opens his mouth to say something, but a new voice speaks before he can. “Seriously? How long does it take to put up a piece of paper, eh?”
I glance up…and my mind promptly becomes a mushy glop of half-formed sentences. There’s a fourth guy standing by my table now. The three others are all cute. Tall. Muscular. Cheeky smiles. The same could be said about the latest arrival, but there’s something different about him.
I’ve never justlookedat someone and immediately known they have something special to offer the world. Until now.
This guy’s presence changes the energy around me, like he’s surrounded by a force field that won’t allow you to ignore it. Oliver and Lucas move out of his way as he approaches, suggesting he’s the leader of their group.
“What took you so long?” Josh asks him as he reaches the edge of my table. “Thought you ditched us to go to the lake.”
The new boy runs a hand through his short, dark hair, ruffling the longer strands on top, and the move emphasizes the sharp angles of his cheekbones and jaw. His appearance is the very definition of the word hot, the sort of attractive you see on a stranger and can picture perfectly two years later.
“Notre Dame called,” he replies.
Oliver rolls his eyes at that response. “Jesus, Reid, if I could be you for just one day.”
Lucas laughs. “You’ve got to be the only sixteen-year-old they’ve ever recruited.”
“I am,” the boy says simply.
They begin talking amongst themselves, so I drop my gaze back down to my papers. I risk a glance up a minute later, only to find the new guy—Reid—already looking at me. His eyes are as striking as the rest of his appearance, the most memorable shade of blue-gray I’ve ever seen. They’re the exact color of an ocean wave reflecting a cloudy sky.
The left corner of his mouth curls up when our eyes make contact, and I’m momentarily seared by stormy blue fire. The heat that races through my body catches me completely off guard. Guys don’t typically affect me. Colton Rodgers—generally considered to be the most popular guy at Fairfield Academy—asked me to homecoming last fall. My body couldn’t be bothered to summon a single tingle.
“This is Auden,” Josh says, noticing the new boy’s attention on me. “She offered her writing utensil so we can save Luke’s ass.”
I finally join the conversation. “Offered?” I laugh. “You took it andthenasked for permission.” I keep my focus on Josh. I can still feel the blue-gray eyes on me, and it’s incredibly distracting.
“That sounds like Hawley,” the boy with the ocean-colored gaze states, causing Josh to snort. “I’m Elliot, by the way.”
