Ella's Twisted Senior Year(41)

“Maybe I can help.” I lean over and draw another shark on top of theirs, making it big enough to cover the terrifying blob in the center of the poster. After a few minutes, I shade in the rest and use a black marker to give it more definition and some eyes and gills.

I lean back and wrinkle my nose at my creation.

“It’s perfect!” April says.

Ella beams and throws her arms around me. “Thank you thank you thank you.”

I sneak a quick kiss on her cheek. “Anytime.”

April watches us with a weird expression on her face. “Oh my god, you guys are totally in love,” she says, shaking her head like she just can’t believe it. “Kennedy can S-T-F-U if you know what I mean.”

A lump rises in my throat. These last few minutes made me forget about the whole Kennedy thing but now the anger and humiliation from her post is back full force.

“It was bad enough before the penis remark,” I say, shaking my head.

“The what?” Ella says. She and April exchange a confused look.

“I guess you haven’t seen it,” I say, leaning my head back against the wall as I stare at the ceiling tiles. “Trust me, you will soon enough.”

Ella’s brow creases as she grabs her phone. A few seconds later, April mutters, “Whoa.”

Ella chuckles. “Yeah, this ends now.”

“What do you mean by that? I’m not posting a picture of my thing to dispute her.”

Ella shakes her head, her jaw clenching. She looks me dead in the eye and I shiver. Whatever sweet girl she’d been a minute ago has been replaced with an evil villain who looks just like her. “Nope, this ends now, Ethan.” Her eyes sparkle under the fluorescent lights and the tone of her voice sends a chill up my spine. “If Kennedy Price wants a war, I’ll give her one.”





Chapter 22





Despite Kennedy’s well-laid plans to destroy us, my first day of eating lunch with Ethan actually goes pretty well. He’d stayed true to his promise to April and brought a friend. Toby is also a football player, but he’s a running back, whatever that means. He’s kind of thin for a football player, and I’d actually assumed he did something like track until Ethan mentioned their recent football practice.

Either way, April seems impressed with him. I wish I had her carefree, lack of fear approach to dating. The girl knows exactly what she wants—a date to prom, and she’s going to find a way to get it.

I’m sitting next to Ethan on one of the picnic tables lining the quad just outside of the cafeteria. Though I told him not to worry about it, he bought my lunch for me so I don’t swat his hand away when he grabs one of my fries.

April nibbles on her slice of cheese pizza and turns her attention to Toby. “It was nice of you to join us for lunch,” she says.

“It’s no problem. I love sitting outside.” Toby uncaps his Dr. Pepper and takes a long drink. “Plus, Ethan said you were cool so I had to come see for myself.”

He grins and April pretends to look offended. “You mean you didn’t trust him instantly? Surely my reputation lets you know that I’m a nice girl.”

Toby shakes his head. “You don’t have a reputation.”

She points at him, a coy look in her eyes. “Exactly.”

I turn to Ethan. “Looks like they’re getting along well.”

“I knew they would,” he says, looking at his friend. “Toby is a cool guy and he’s desperately single.”

I take Ethan’s hand and turn it over to check the time on his watch. He uses the opportunity of having his hand to close to me and squeezes my thigh. I shove him away. “Not here, you horn dog.”

He grins and leans in, slipping his arm around my waist. “I’m really glad we’re eating lunch together.”

I rest my head on his shoulder, feeling more comfortable with all of this PDA each time I do it. “We have five minutes of lunch left. Kennedy hasn’t tried sabotaging us yet, so that’s a good thing.”

Ethan’s chest rises and falls under my head. “That’s because she’s done enough damage for today.”

“Man, screw that bitch,” Toby says, joining our conversation. He slams his drink bottle down on the table and points to Ethan, his eyes serious. “I’ve been telling everyone you’ve got the biggest dick I’ve ever seen.”

Ethan’s arm tenses around my back. He laughs but I can tell it’s not genuine. “Dude, you’ve never seen it.”

Toby shrugs. “I don’t care. I’m gonna stick up for my boy no matter what.”

April’s eyes are lost in this dreamy, swoony way and although she’s only known Toby for twenty-five minutes, I can already imagine the ten million phone calls and texts she’s going to shoot my way, all swoony and going gaga over him.

“So, Toby,” I say, turning my face up to the warm sun for a second. “Do you have a date for prom?”

“I’m flattered Ella, but I think your boyfriend wants to take you.”

I throw a fry at him. “I’m talking about this beautiful girl sitting next to you. She needs a date.”

“I know who you’re talking about,” Toby says, throwing a coy smile toward my best friend. “But she doesn’t need a date anymore.”