Page 40 of Wallflower

"I never used that word." Though I'd definitely thought it enough times. I shrugged. "Think of it as karma."

Dare had the nerve to laugh. "No way."

"What?" I said. "Why not? You already agreed to do it!"

"That was before I knew all the details," Dare said with a brow raised. "I couldn't do that to Coach Kent. I actually like the guy."

I sniffed. "I thought we were friends. Aren't we supposed to help each other?"

It was the first card I played, but Dare didn't fold.

"I am," he said. "But this plan is crazy, Viola."

"I'll bring you extra Pop Tarts every day you're my fake boyfriend," I said.

Dare put a hand over his chest. "You think you can bribe me with food? Low blow, flower," he said, but I could tell he wasn't serious. His eyes were still laughing. "Sorry. Not even delicious baked goods can sway me on this."

I crossed my arms and gave him my best glare, deciding to try a different approach.

"You owe me," I said. "You stole my first kiss."

Dare's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Didn't you just thank me for that?" he said.

I couldn't stop the blush if I tried.

"Also, you kissed me back. Even went in for seconds if I remember correctly."

He was right. Darn it.

"Okay, I didn't want to have to do this, but…" I took a deep breath, then brought out the big guns. "If you refuse, word may get around to my father about who pulled that prank freshman year with his old Ford Mustang."

Dare's eyes flashed.

"You wouldn't," he said.

"Disassembling the car in the dead of night when youthoughtno one was watching, moving it into his office, and putting it back together must've taken a lot of skill," I said. "It's too bad the people who brought it back out did such a crappy job. The car never ran the same. Dad was devastated."

I saw Dare slowly shaking his head out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm sure he'd love to know who was responsible," I went on. "He still talks about that car. Even now."

"Wow," Dare said. "Just wow."

I held onto to his gaze even though all I wanted to do was look away.

"Blackmail, flower?" he said. "Who knew you could be so ruthless."

"I know. I'm just full of surprises," I said back. "Now, does this mean you'll help? Come on, Dare, you've already done it once. I just need you to get caught with me a couple times, so that when I tell my dad I have feelings for you, he'll believe it."

Dare just kept staring. "Coach is going to hate me."

"Not when I tell him the truth," I said. "I'll explain how I duped you into this and that none of it was real."

"And you're really going to hold the prank over my head as collateral?"

He ran a hand along his jaw, but I couldn't read the expression on his face.

"I'm strangely impressed right now," he said.

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