Project Popularity

Chapter Two

Thank you all so much for the reads, comments and votes! I'm not one of those authors that wait for a certain number of votes or comments before I update, but it's nice to receive them just the same so I know there are people out there reading this story:) This chapter is dedicated to Springgirl101 for promoting this story to her fans. Check out her stories! They're awesome.

Chapter Two

Luke Archer

“Where do I drop you off?” she asked, climbing into the driver’s seat. The guys and I usually grab a bite to eat after school at Crusty’s Pizza, but today I didn’t really feel like doing shit.

After hearing Summer’s theatrical announcement, I took the rest of the day off, not wanting to see the pity or scornfulness on people’s faces. Paul and some of the guys had the nerve to call me after I stormed out of the cafeteria, but since the last thing I wanted to do was talk, I turned my phone off for the rest of the day.

“Just drive around, will you? I’ll tell you when to stop.”

The girl turned to look at me with a frown that questioned my sanity then returned her gaze back to the road.

“Cool truck,” I said, eyeing the interior of her red Buick. She was probably the only girl in this town that drove a truck like this.

She glowered at me, catching the sarcasm laced with my tone. “You know, not all of us can afford shiny Convertibles and Harley-Davidsons.” 

I chuckled. This girl wasn’t afraid to talk back. Nice.

 “So why were you wandering in the streets on foot when you have all sorts of fancy rides sitting in your garage?” she asked, hitting the brakes all of a sudden when she spotted a squirrel crossing the street three yards away. Great, so she can see something as tiny as a squirrel while she’s driving but she almost ran me over.

“I’m funny like that,” I said. What I didn’t tell her was that I spent the entire afternoon thinking of ways to get even with Summer and Paul, and I was so pissed that I left my bike at the rivercourt after getting some liquor from the store and had forgotten its existence when I took off. “So what school do you go to?” She looked to be around my age, but since I’d never seen her at school, I assumed she went to a private school in the city. Just like Summer used to.

Like I had just said something funny, she suppressed a smile. “Roseville High.”

“No kidding. I go there, too!” I said, raising my eyebrow as I scrutinized her. Straight chestnut- brown hair that nearly fell to her waist, rosy complexion, and round, green eyes that reminded me of my five-year-old cousin Mia’s… Nope. Never seen this girl before in my life. I wanted to ask her if she was sure she went to Roseville High, then I realized the question sounded mental so I kept my thought to myself.

“Are you new around here?” Roseville High was a big school, but I knew most of the upperclassmen. She had to be a transfer student; that would explain why I’d never seen her before.

“Nope. I’ve lived here since I was old enough to walk,” she said, clenching her slightly shaky fingers tightly around the steering wheel as she kept her eyes zeroed on the road. It was easy to perceive that she was a nervous and a horrible driver.

“Huh. Then we must have had no classes together,” I frowned, a little puzzled. I’d lived in Roseville all my life and there I was thinking I knew everyone in town. Where the hell did this girl come from? And what had she been doing up until today? Hiding under a rock?

Her next sentence took me by surprise. She didn’t sound pissed, or exasperated. She just said it like she was stating a fact. “I’ve been in your History class since freshman year.” History. What do I do in History classes? Ah, yes. Piss the teacher off with Bryce Anderson for putting us in the front row every year. I guess I never took the time to see who was in that class with me. Or any of my classes, for that matter.