Cupid's Match | Wattpad Books Edition

Chapter 6

I get up early the next morning, ready for pancakes with Dad, and head downstairs to an empty kitchen. I call him, put the dirty plates littering the counter into the sink, and line up the batter ingredients.

Then I make myself an instant coffee in the chipped You BOWL Me Over mug Mom got Dad, before sitting at the table. As I sip the black liquid my disappointment grows.

Dad's not coming down. He's forgotten. Again.

I glance at the time on the microwave.

I consider waking him—there's still time. But then I exhale, gulp down the rest of my coffee, and get to my feet.

Whatever. It's no big deal. I wanted to catch up with Charlie before class anyway.

I grab my leather jacket from the coat stand in the hallway then head out to wait for the bus to school.

When I get there, I head straight to the IT classroom that doubles as the school's online newspaper office. Charlie's not here yet, and the space is empty except for a petite junior named Laura, who's huddled with two of her friends around one of the computers.

They're talking in hushed tones as I wheel a chair to Charlie's usual spot. It's facing a window overlooking the school courtyard, which is filled with flowers and picnic benches. She told me once that she can see everything that's going on from here—who's getting kissed, who's getting ignored, and who's worn the same outfit three days in a row. Her bright-pink notepad and an empty paper cup are already on the table by her keyboard. She must have gone to one of the vending machines.

"He's hardly even spoken to me before," Laura says, adjusting her mousey brown ponytail. "Not since he called me a nerd in fourth grade. And now he's leaving cards, flowers, chocolates . . . it makes no sense."

"I think it's sweet!" says her friend Lisa, eyes glinting beneath her dark bangs.

"Creepy, more like . . ." Rachel, her other friend, disagrees as she picks at a loose thread on her sleeve.

I pull out my phone and fiddle with it, realizing I'm oddly nervous at the prospect of Cupid starting at my school, even though I'm still not entirely convinced that this isn't part of some weird reality show.

I have a boyfriend anyway, I remind myself. So who cares if he does start?

Suddenly, the door bursts open. I turn to see Charlie hurtling past the computers, her jet-black hair flying behind her.

"Hot . . . there's . . . a . . . hot . . ." She stops to pant, bending over slightly with her hands on her knees as she composes herself. "Hot guy . . . starts today," she finally gasps before collapsing into the chair beside me. "I saw him . . . in the registration office . . . when I was getting . . . a breakfast bar . . ." She looks exceedingly pleased with herself for passing on this knowledge.

My stomach plummets. Cupid? It must be.

I feign a smile. "And you ran all the way from the vending machine to tell me this?"

She grins while switching on the computer monitor, and the school's student-run blog materializes. There's a tapping sound as her fingers dance across the keyboard. The words Hot Guy Starts Today! appear at the top of the blank article.

"To tell everyone about this!" she corrects.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, Mr. Butler's going to love that . . ."

"Just giving the people what they want, Lila," she says.

I laugh. "How long do you think before he deletes this one?