Page 104 of Wallflower

"Did Jordan do anything like that?"

"Who?" I said in response, and he laughed.

"Frost!" a voice boomed from down the hall.

We both looked over to see my dad standing there with his hands on his hips. He was all the way at the other end, but I could clearly see his scowl from here.

"My office," he said. "Now."

"You got it, Coach," Dare called back. To me, he said, "Guess I'll see you in a little while, flower."

I nodded. "I'll be praying for you," I said.

Dare placed one last kiss to my hand before releasing me and jogging back down the hall.

I opened my locker, still feeling the imprint of Dare's lips on my skin. It was such a distracting sensation. I didn't realize Tyson had joined me until he spoke.

"Hey," he said. "I was hoping to catch you before first period."

"Hey, Ty." I closed my locker and leaned against it. "What's up?"

"Dare told me," he said.

I shook my head in confusion. "I don't—"

Tyson lowered his voice. "About your fake relationship."

I stopped breathing for a second. "Oh really?" I said once I could take in oxygen again. "When did he tell you that?"

"Last night."

I couldn't believe it. The same night when I'd finally thought we were getting somewhere, and I'd deluded myself into thinking he might return my feelings. Man, I was an idiot.

"It shocked me. I couldn't believe the two of you were pretending all this time. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad to hear it."

"You were?" I said. "Why?"

Ty gave me a smile. "Because now I can ask you out without feeling like a terrible person."

It felt like someone had whacked me over the head with a crowbar. What he'd said was that surprising and discombobulating. And it just got worse as he went on.

"I know I turned you down when you told me your feelings," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But I think I may have made a mistake."

"What are you saying?"

"I want to take you out," he said simply. "To lunch after school, dinner if you'd prefer that instead. And please don't think I'm trying to steal you from Dare because that's definitely not the case."

He laughed.

"Though I guess you're not really together anyway. Right?"

The truth of that statement was like a slap to the face.

"Did you talk to Dare about this?" I asked, my words little more than a whisper.

Tyson shook his head. "No. But we're best friends. I'm sure he'd be cool with it."

I didn't know about that.

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