""Where am I?" I look around curiously, my eyes locking on every boy in the room.
Everett steps forward, a slight smile on his face. "You're in hell."
I stare at him for a moment before shaking my head, "No, seriously..."
"No, seriously," Everett...
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THE GYM IS alive as people scream, all excited for homecoming tomorrow night. "Who's going to beat Westlake!?" Our principle screams, his vein popping out across his bald head. I swear, my school takes football way too seriously.
"The Stingrays!" The whole school chants back. I pump my fists in the air to show I'm supportive, but really, I could care less. The only reason I am pumping my fist is because Lucas is on the football team. He sits across the gym in the designated spot for football players, the entire bleachers taken up by our football teams broad shoulders. They all hoot like owls before stomping their feet on the bleachers, something that is a school tradition.
"Stampede!" Abby cheers before banging her legs across the bleachers. The whole thing rumbles beneath me as if a dragon awakening. The room fills with the constant sound of feet clattering against metal until the principal gets satisfied with our noise. He calms us by setting his hand out.
"And after our amazing game, we are going to have an amazing night because of--"
He gets cut off by excited students. "Homecoming!" My ears feel like someone grinds a knife on them from the total loudness of everyone screaming. I even notice Lucas wincing. Ryder moves beside me--something he insisted on. He wanted to sit beside me for this stupid pep rally, something that always happens before homecoming or a big football game. It pumps everyone up for the night about to come. I'm just sort of freaked out about homecoming. I'm suddenly self-conscious of my dress. What if it doesn't fit Lucas's standards? Or what if it looks slutty compared to others? I mean, Yasmine's last year was so tight that I could see her underwear line, but that is not the point. I'm not a slut and I'm not fond of looking like one.
"Why is it so loud here?" Ryder moves so his lips are almost against my ear to speak over the rumbling of students. My insides warm as his soft lips brush against my earlobe. His breath moves my hair. I turn my head quickly, our lips almost brushing. Almost.
"People are excited, duh," I tell him, moving so that my lips are almost touching his ear. As I finish, I linger by his head. He smells so good. I slowly move back, but apparently, too slow. Ryder turns his head to look at me, but our lips end up brushing. Fire spreads across my lips before moving down my throat where it coils around itself in my stomach. Ryder and I just stare at each other before a smooth smile slides across his face.
"Sorry."
"Its totally okay."
It is totally not okay. I need to get my mind back on Dean, or at least remember who my boyfriend is. Ugh, I'm such a horrible girlfriend.
Abby on the other side of me elbows my side making me look over at her. "Did you and Ryder just kiss?"
"It was an accident," I instantly shut down her scream. I'm sure if she screamed right now it would get blocked out by the stomping of feet and the conversations of about a thousand obnoxious kids.
