Ever After (East Raven Academy Book 1)(28)

After I’m all showered after practice, I get a text from Brooks, which makes me smile. We haven’t talked a lot today. I’ve just been so stressed that I haven’t felt like talking to anybody.





BROOKS: Hi.





Why does this one word text make me smile so big? I don’t know. I like him way more than I should.





ME: Hi. So guess what?





BROOKS: You’re transferring to West Raven???





ME: No. But I did make the soccer team. The A team.





BROOKS: Awesome. I will be at your first game.





ME: REALLY?? :)





BROOKS: Yep. Because your first game is against West Raven. You’ll be at my school. (Where you ACTUALLY belong).





I laugh, loving that Brooks wishes I was at his school. Because I wish the same thing about him. If I’d met him before I met all my friends, I would’ve requested a change of schools before I ever even arrived.





ME: That’s awesome. Do you think we will be able to talk?





BROOKS: Absolutely. It’s impossible to see you and not want to talk to you. Which is why I risked getting caught to meet you. It was worth it.





I let out a girly sigh as I read the text.





ME: I’m glad you did.





BROOKS: I’m beginning to think you like me.





ME: Maybe.





BROOKS: Maybe, huh? Well... I kind of like you.





I let out a girly squeal and I’m suddenly glad that Teagan is still in the shower, because, wow. How embarrassing.

My phone vibrates again.





ESTAINE: How long are you going to avoid me?





A long time.

Seriously.

I ignore him and reply to Brooks.





ME: I might kind of like you too. A little bit.





Or a lot.

Definitely a lot.





BROOKS: Will you hang out with me Saturday? I want to spend the day with you.





He wants to hang out.

Hang out, like a date?





ME: YES.

ME: I actually didn’t mean to send all caps.

ME: Okay, I lied. I did mean to send all caps. But I don’t want you to think I’m too excited.





BROOKS: LOL. It’s okay. I’m excited too.

BROOKS: Like, definitely more excited than I should be.





ME: Good.





I set my phone down, smiling at the conversation with Brooks.

I’m pretty sure I have a date on Saturday.

“Ah, crap,” I say out loud.

There is no way that Uncle Matty and Jake are going to let me off campus on Saturday. Like, no freaking way. The only way I could go off campus is if I was dying and needed to go to the hospital, and even then, I wouldn’t be surprised if they brought a surgeon on campus to take care of me.

Okay, so today is not a good day to ask. Obviously, with the attack in Texas, they would say no right off. But, I have until Saturday to get permission. There must be some way that I could get them to agree.

The bathroom door opens up and Teagan walks out in a pair of sweat pants and an old concert t-shirt. Her hair is up in a towel, and I’m not at all surprised that she still looks pretty, even in old clothes.

My phone vibrates again and I look at the screen.





BROOKS: So, I might have taken a nasty hit during football practice because I was thinking about you.





The words make me smile big.

“Are you texting Estaine?” Teagan asks.

I put my phone down without responding. “Why?”

“You’re smiling. I think Estaine likes you. Maybe you like him too. You two were both acting weird during lunch,” she says. “I just figured maybe you two kissed or something and it was awkward.”

“No. No kissing,” I say, but sit up. Teagan probably has a lot of experience with guys. “So… what does it mean if a guy tells you that he likes you and that he wants to hang out?”

“Um... that he likes you and wants to hang out,” she says, as she starts to comb through her long, blonde hair.

“I mean, I don’t want to read too much into it,” I say. “Like, what if I like this guy way more than he likes me?”

“That is just a risk you have to take,” she says, pausing in her hair brushing. She holds her hands on her lap. “Love is... exciting and fun. But it’s also unpredictable. Sometimes, you get your heart broken. Other times, you do the heart breaking. We’re young and we have plenty of time to find Prince Charming. Until then, we should enjoy kissing frogs.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I say, lying back against my pillow.

“Is Estaine who you’re hanging out with?” Teagan asks.

“No. I’m avoiding him,” I say.