Page 43 of The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad

Without saying a word, Colton pressed a button and music filled the car. It was a song I’d never heard, sounded like an indie rock band, and I found myself beginning to relax right away. Music really did make things better.

“You good with this?” he said.

“Yeah, thanks,” I said. “I’ve never heard this song before, but I like it.”

“What do you like about it?”

Hmm, I thought for a minute. “The lyrics and the singer’s voice are nice, and that bass is killing it. It sounds kind of like The Killers meets Bruce Springsteen”

Colton chuckled. “Glad I have your approval.”

I glanced at him. “So…where are we going?”

“Eric’s parents are out of town, so he’s throwing a party tonight,” he said. “I thought we’d go crash it. Get that one done and maybe a few other list items while we’re there.”

I swallowed thickly. “You mean, Eric Greene?”

“Yeah, and don’t worry, Sadie,” he added, shooting a grin my way. “Eric’s parties never end at twelve o’clock. That’s usually when the fun starts.”

Oh, I’d heard all about Eric Greene’s infamous parties.Everyonein school knew about them. I had no idea where they went, but it seemed like his parents were always gone, traveling to one place or another. This left Eric free to do whatever he wanted, and all he seemed to want to do was party. The last time I’d been to his house I’d been there to pick up my drunk best friend, who by night’s end had puked on me. Thank you for that, Kyle. Ugh. Even the word “party” made my eye twitch, but I wanted to experience a real high school party at least once before I graduated which was why I’d written it on my list.

“Awesome,” I said, though I didn’t mean it.

“Don’t sound so excited,” he said on a laugh.

“I guess it’s a good thing I learned how to drive stick,” I said. “In case you get drunk, I can drive your car home.”

Colton’s laughter dried up quick after that. “No way,” he said. “You’re never driving my car again, Sadie. And for the record, I’ve only been drunk once in my life.”

“Seriously?” I asked.

“I’ll try not to feel insulted by your tone of surprise.”

“Sorry, I just thought…” I trailed off because what I’d been about to say would’ve been an insult. I had thought Colton was one of those party boys, like Eric, who loved to get wasted on the weekends. He went to so many parties. It was a valid assumption.

“It only took me one hangover to know that drinking to excess wasn’t for me. Not everybody goes to parties to get drunk,” he said. “Though a lot of them do, so watch your back. Drunk guys’ll hit on anything that moves.”

I sniffed. “I’ll try not to feel insulted by that.”

“Don’t,” Colton said. “Despite the hair and your clothes, you’re not too bad to look at.”

I could feel myself blushing. Was that his way of saying I was pretty? If so, there was only one appropriate response.

“That was the worst compliment I’ve ever heard,” I said, trying to play it off. “I don’t get it. Do girls really fall for that, Colton?”

“Only when I want them to” was his response.

I turned up the volume, and we listened to a few more songs without speaking. They were just as good as the first one, and I found myself trying to memorize the lyrics, so I could look them up later. I also tried not to think about how Colton’s crappy compliment was still running through my head. How pathetic was that?

“We’re here,” Colton said a few minutes later.

We’re not the only ones, I thought, noticing all the cars. They were parked up and down the street and driveway, several people standing outside, some in bathing suits—and was that a slip n’ slide on the front lawn? Geez.

Getting out of the car, I was nearly nailed with a water balloon. It sailed mere inches above my head and landed with a splat somewhere on the street. The game was fierce, balloons flying everywhere. To get out of the line of fire, I met Colton at the front of his car, and we walked up to the front door.

“It’ll be okay, Sadie,” he said. “There’s no need to look so freaked.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “I’m fine.”

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