Elite (Empire High, #2)(88)

“Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay. I kissed your brother because he convinced me it was a good idea somehow. And I still have feelings for Felix and Matt.” And Miller. Damn it, where was Miller? I needed him to get me out of here.

“Hey, take a deep breath,” Rob said.

It felt like the air I breathed in wasn’t reaching my lungs. “Everyone’s so mad at me.”

“No one’s mad at you.”

That was a lie. I gasped for air.

“Take a deep breath, Brooklyn. I think you’re having a panic attack.”

“Isabella’s going to kill me.”

Rob pulled me against his chest. “She’s not going to kill you.”

“She is…”

“She’s not. Breathe, Brooklyn.”

I tried to.

“Just breathe. In and out. Just breathe.”

“I want to take it all back,” I said. “I want to un-kiss James. And unlike Felix. And unlove Matt. I want to undo all of it.”

“Breathe in,” Rob said. “And breath out. Just breathe.”

There was something calming about his voice in my ear with all the chaos around us.

“Breathe.”

I tried to focus on taking deep breaths.

And I wasn’t sure how long we stood like that in the middle of the dance floor. Just breathing. I knew there were a few changes of songs. I knew they weren’t slow ones and I knew we looked ridiculous. I was surprised Mr. Hill wasn’t back measuring us apart.

I pulled away from him. “How did you know how to fix that?”

He shrugged. “I’m used to taking care of people.”

I knew he was used to taking care of James. Did James get panic attacks? Or was Rob just used to picking up the pieces after James’ drunk and high escapades? “I’m sorry.”

“Why? You didn’t pull me into your hot mess,” he said with a laugh. “I’m practically the only person here that you haven’t kissed.”

I laughed, even though it still felt like my lungs weren’t quite working right.

“Will you help me find Kennedy?” I still needed to leave. The sooner the better.

He raised both eyebrows. “Thinking about kissing her next? If so, I’ll definitely help you find her.”

“No,” I said with a laugh. “I just think maybe I’ve had enough homecoming for the rest of my life.”

He smiled. “Luckily for you, she’s right behind you. And if you do decide that you want tonight to get even crazier…kissing her really would do the trick. You might even get people to forget about that fight you caused.”

“I’m not kissing Kennedy.”

“I don’t know…you still owe me that favor…”

“Rob. You need to reserve that favor for the prank we’re going to pull on Isabella.”

“Nah. Pretty sure you’re down for that prank anyway. I’ll hold on to my favor for now. I’m sad you’re bouncing though. Things were just getting fun.” He gave me a wink and dropped his hands from my waist just as Kennedy threw her arms around me.

“Best. Homecoming. Ever!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

I heard Rob laugh. And a few other students cheered around us.

“Are you going to hook up with Robert Hunter too?” she asked. Her words were slightly slurred. “I can’t believe you just came into town and you’re already going to hook up with every single one of the Untouchables. What is your life? A fairytale?”

Hardly. Unless it was one of those real fairytales where everyone died terrible, gruesome deaths. Maybe I was living one of those. “I promise I’m not going to hook up with all of them,” I said. “Do you mind if we leave early? I have a really bad feeling. Isabella’s planning something, I know she is.”

“What can she do here? We’re in the middle of a dance! Back to the topic of Rob real quick.”

“Kennedy, I really think we should get going…”

“Can I have Rob then if you don’t want him?” She removed herself from my embrace. “I’m going to go ask him for a kiss. Wish me luck.”

Oh my God, Kennedy, no! I’d made plenty of bad decisions tonight. But it didn’t mean she had to too. I tried to grab her wrist but she was already twirling over to him.

“Kennedy!” I hissed as I ran after her.

But she didn’t listen. And her long legs were faster than mine even when she was twirling instead of running. She twirled between a couple, preventing Mr. Hill from having to put a ruler between them. She zig-zagged away from me and started twirling in the opposite direction.

“Kennedy get back here!”

But she was like a freaking dancing ninja. I couldn’t catch up with her. Twirling, ducking, and…jumping? Did she just jump over that girl that was bent over in front of that guy? Why wasn’t Kennedy on the track and field team?

“Kennedy!” But she’d already reached Rob on the dance floor. I pushed past a couple dancing very inappropriately, just in time to witness the horror that was this moment.

Kennedy tapped her hip into Rob’s in some weird dance move I’d never seen in my life. “Hey, tiger,” she said. And then she made a rawring noise.