The Bet

Chapter 10 *Luke*

I would have never expected I would talk back to my mom like that. It just made me so mad to see her talking about my friends the way she had been. Stacy and Fuller were nothing like I had expected. They were different from the people I am used to hanging out with. I felt like I could goof off with them. I did not have to worry about making a fool of myself. With Jane and her friends, I feel like I have to watch how I act. I feel as if I'm compelled to act like them, but with Kaden, I do not mind being weird.

I did not go home that night. I knew my mother would yell at me. I was not about to put up with her. At dinner we had discussed how I was not going to go home. Fuller had an older brother with an apartment. Apparently he was in New York, so she said I could stay the night there. I had to sign some random napkin that I promised not to take anything, break anything, or have a party. It was just exclusively for staying the night and nothing else.

The apartment was nice. It was more of a flat instead of a dingy old apartment. The furniture was all leather, and the wood work was amazing. I was really surprised to find mark twain books in a bachelor pad. When I asked Fuller about the books, she said her brother was an English major. I stayed at his apartment three more nights after that. I wanted my mother to know she had no right to talk about my friends like that.

Okay, I admit, I do like the three of them. At first I thought they were going to be the type of girls who killed baby squirrels for fun. At least that is what I thought of Fuller. I thought Stacy was one of the hippy types. She is more hipster than hippy. Kaden is the total opposite from my first impression. I thought she was stuck up and like every other girl at Printon. She is turning out to just be guarding herself. She is against everything those types of girls stand for. She is strong willed, and strong minded.

I started sitting with Kaden and the other two. Jane thinks I am going overboard with the bet thing. She just wants me to get in and get out. I feel like she knows something I don't. Truthfully, I sit with Kaden and her friends because I actually like them and not just for this whole bet.

I have thought about just blowing the bet, but for some reason I cannot do it. I like Kaden. She is different from the others, but I still want to get my chance with Jane. She is impeccably hot. She flaunts it. I honestly rather date a girl with confidence, and she has a lot of it. I have been tempted to just get it over with and just sleep with Jane, but I like to accomplish goals. I don't like to skip to the good part. I need to work up to it. It will make it more satisfying.

"Hey, hot shot. New set of rules." I hear Jane yell from behind me. I jerked around. She was being followed by seven different people. Her two sidekicks were obviously tailing her, then some other faces who's names I did not care to remembered followed after them. "Listen, the date has changed."

"What are you talking about?"

She smiled. "We have decided that anyone can fall for another by the end of the year. So we want to see if you truly are a hot shot. You do this, and the three of us, may make you a happy man." Jane said referring to her minions. "The deadline has changed to January first. Have her in love with you, meaning having her say the words 'I love you' by at least one in the morning on New Year's Day."

I stared at her. "Who came up with these new rules?"

"I did. Frankly I am getting antsy. I want this to be over soon. Then we can have our thing." Jane winked.

"Fine, I should probably move to the next step of my 'process.'" I said with no process in mind. I was still trying to get her to at least like me a little.

Jane smiled and grabbed my butt a little as she walked away. If I was going to get with Jane, who obviously wants my body, I was going to have to hurry things up with Kaden.