Pranking The Prankster

Chapter 13

Song
Tape Machines — No Sugarcoated Love

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A crush, according to the teen magazines, is a one-way love affair. The guy you're crushing on invades your thoughts, your dreams, your heart. You imagine a thousand different ways you can be together, and he's always the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night. That's the way I feel. It's been hours since that kiss, but I still can't stop thinking about it. And Josh — God, he's everything I've wanted in a boyfriend, all manliness and cuteness and quirkiness perfectly balanced in a way I could only dream of. I want to kiss him again, to touch him like I did before, and even though I hate myself for thinking about it I can't help myself. I am going insane.

I plug my earphones into my iPod to distract myself, cranking music up high enough to burst my eardrums and spreading out on my bed like a starfish, trying to concentrate on the lyrics thrumming in my ears.

"Anna?"

I yank my earphones from my ears and look up to see Charlie standing in the doorway of my room. "Yes, Char?"

"Mom wanted me to tell you that she's going out with Tony. She said we have to make Reese and Andrea feel at home while they're gone," Charlie says.

I groan inwardly. "Fine. I'll be down in a minute," I murmur. Charlie leaves, leaving the door open. I put away my CD player and follow him downstairs. Andrea and Reese are in the living room, seated on the sofa. Reese doesn't even acknowledge my presence when I walk in; his eyes are glued to his phone. He's sitting cross legged on the sofa with a pair of headphones rammed on his head. Andrea glances up at me when I perch on the seat and fingers the hem of her dress awkwardly.

"Hello," I say. She smiles shyly back at me. "Hi," She says in her babyish soprano voice. "Do you want to watch to watch some TV?" I go on, gesturing at the flat screen. She takes a moment and nods quietly. I hand her the remote and give her complete charge of the television. She finds some Disney movie and settles down to watch in contentment.

I watch with them for a while, but then I get bored. Thankfully, the doorbell rings just then and I hurry to answer the door. It's Luke. "Hey, Anna," He says. "Do you have time to talk?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on in." I let him in and shut the door. Luke perches awkwardly on the bed and watches me, his eyes slightly narrowed. "So . . . what did you want to talk about?"

Luke just pulls out his phone and shows me the screen. I flinch. "Delete that!" I hiss.

"Keep your hair on, I will. It's just . . .wow."

I slump onto the bed, burying my face in my hands. "I never thought you'd be one to get all hot and heavy with Miller. This looks like it should belong in a X–rated movie," He muses, looking at the picture again.

"It was my moment of weakness," I say through my hands.

"I feel so bad for you," Luke says.

"What? Why?"

"Veronica Reed? His girlfriend?"

"She's not his girlfriend," I say crossly.

Luke shrugs. "Well, she says she is, and that's about as good as anything. She'll make your life miserable."

"You're not helping, you know," I point out.

"Sorry."

Downstairs, the front door bangs shut. A few seconds later, Brad clomps up the stairs, hollering for me. Sighing wearily, I poke my head out of the door. "I'm right here, you don't have to yell like a lunatic," I yell back. Brad rolls his eyes.