Operation Prom Date (Tactics in Flirting, #1)(6)

When I relayed how I felt to Amber over the phone, she told me she understood, and since they were semi-horrible to her, too, we agreed to break off on our own again. Only the next week at school, she pretended I didn’t exist and stuck with Paris and her crew, making it clear she’d picked them and the promise of popularity over me. It hurt, and it didn’t help that without her to hang out with, my mind had more time to dwell on how much I missed my dad and how empty my house was with Mom working all the time. But it was about a year ago, so I was mostly over it. I wasn’t sure if I missed who she used to be more, or if I just missed having a close friend.

No use crying over spilled friendships. Especially not today.

Last night I’d thought about it, and in addition to putting a little more effort into my clothing—but not so much effort I came across as too serious or high-maintenance—I was going to talk to Mick. Even if it was a simple hi. I had to start somewhere, right?

I spotted Cooper’s head above the crowd, his blond waves messy as usual, and thought about going to ask him about my wardrobe choice and for help with possible conversation topics. After all, it’d be awesome if my “hi” to Mick turned into more. But he was laughing with a group of people, a junior girl on the fringe hanging on his every word, and the risk of someone overhearing was way too high. No reason to turn my already difficult mission into a suicide mission.

Besides, my first class of the day was in the other direction, and I couldn’t be late. Just the thought made my heart pick up its pace.

Hugging my books to my chest, I wove my way down the hall.

Mick was coming up, a couple of his boys around him.

Okay, this is it. Give him a flirty smile.

Say hi.

I licked my lips, my courage floundering. The non-flavored lip-gloss didn’t help, either. Sparkly was cool and all, but could they not make it taste like…well, grossness?

Then again, there was that time back in elementary school when I ate an entire stick of banana Lip Smacker. I got super sick and couldn’t stand artificial banana flavor to this day.

O-M-G, focus, Kate! He’s almost past you! Just do something…

I cleared my throat. Yeah, apparently my knee-jerk reaction is to make a sound like an old person clearing phlegm. Ugh, seriously, why were all my internal thoughts dwelling on disgusting things today?

For the briefest moment, Mick’s gaze flickered my way. I started to lift my hand in a wave, but then my books slipped, and I had to concentrate on keeping them from falling. Yes, our only conversation involved him picking up my dropped notebook, but if I went around doing that all the time he’d only think I was a klutz, and that was hardly the impression I wanted to make on him.

Still, the movement must’ve caught his eye, and I swear his attention lingered. On me!

I opened my mouth, because this was my chance to cross talking to him off my list. A strand of hair fell in my face and stuck to that extra coat of lip-gloss I’d slicked on. I quickly swiped at it, trying to pull it off as more of a sexy hair-flip, and went for try two of making words.

“Hey, Kate!” Isaiah, one of the guys in my AP Calculus class, approached. “Did you do the bonus problems for calc? I wanted to see if we got the same answer.”

Oliver Queen, I totally understand the struggle now. Secret identities are really hard to keep up. Okay, so mine might be slightly less detrimental to my continuing to be alive and stuff, but with Mick now headed away from me, all the air in my lungs stuck in there, making it hard to breathe.

I’d never ignore someone who’d been a real friend to me, though, so I shot Isaiah the smile I’d been preparing for Mick. “Yeah, I did them all. What did you get?”

As he pulled out his homework, I tried to tell myself that some problems took more work to get right.

I’d try again.

But my brain hated me, because a countdown flashed through it, and I wondered how I’d ever land Mick as my prom date when I couldn’t even manage a simple hello.





Chapter Five


Cooper


I leaned against the sun-warmed hood of my truck after school as I waited for Kate. I checked the time on my phone again. What was taking her so long? I wanted to get out on the lake so badly I’d practically sprinted through the double doors.

Finally I spotted her trailing out with the other people who were clearly not in a hurry to leave the place, mostly thanks to the orange shirt that stood out in the crowd. I waved and she started over to me. The sun glinted off her necklace and she squinted at me, putting a hand over her eyes to shield them.

“Operation Prom Date did not go so well today,” she said with a sigh.

“You asked him to prom?” I’d thought we were going to build up to that.

“No! Do you think I’m crazy?”

“You probably don’t want me to answer that.”

She smacked me. She seemed to do that a lot, especially considering we were two for two in as many days.

I opened the door for her, partly because I liked to think I could be a gentleman sometimes, but mostly because I was in a hurry and wanted her to get her butt in my truck so we could leave already.

As soon as she was seated, I rushed around the front, climbed in, and fired up the engine. I glanced over at Kate as I turned out of the parking lot and headed toward Massabesic Lake. “Sometimes Jaden and I drive into Manchester and practice with the Central Crew Club on the Merrimack River, but I think it’ll be better to start you in the lake.”