Page 98 of Wallflower

"I'll give you two after you answer," he said.

Ugh. "Okay, okay," I said. "So, I thought I had a crush on Tyson. So what? I've had crushes on tons of people."

"Oh really? Name one, besides Ty."

"Well…you. At one point. But that was a long time ago," I hastily added.

Dare grinned. "Oh flower, please tell me more."

"Don't look so smug," I said, wishing I'd never brought it up at all. "It was in the fifth grade. I was young and impressionable. I barely even knew you then."

"But what you knew you obviously liked."

There was no way I could tell him that I liked him even more now. That in knowing him better, it had only increased my affection for him.

Dare was still looking at me, and I turned my face away. "Can you please stop staring? You're making me even more embarrassed."

"It's okay," he said. "If it helps, I used to have a crush on you, too."

My eyes snapped to his. "No way," I said. "When?"

"Hmm, let's see," Dare said. "Well, there was the time in elementary when I first moved here. I thought you were nice and liked your hair. That was all it took back then."

I could hardly breathe.

"The second time was in the seventh grade when you saved that puppy they found outside the art room. I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing you were."

"Second?" I breathed.

"And I think the third was between ninth and tenth when I learned you were Coach's daughter," he said and shot me a smile. "Though I think that had more to do with him than you if I'm being honest."

I shoved him for that, and he laughed.

"What? There was just something about you being off-limits."

My brow furrowed. "Because you're one of my dad's players?"

"Yeah," he said with a shrug. "But it's cool. Just saying we both had crushes, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Oh yeah, sure," I said.

But inside, I was reeling. Dare freaking Frost had liked me. He'd had a crush—no,multiplecrushes on me. Me! Viola loner-dog-girl-awkward-nerdy-hopeless-romantic Kent! I just couldn't believe it. And I hadn't told Dare this, because I'd probably die if I did, but…my crush on him? It had actually been a reoccurring thing over the years. It hadn't ended in the fifth grade. I'd actually always liked him—except for when he was a jerk in the ninth grade. But in my head, Tyson had been the better match because he'd seemed more…safe.

Speaking of which, this conversation was getting dangerous.

Time to steer us back on track.

"So, dogs or cats?" I asked.

"Going for the easy stuff now." Dare laughed but said, "Dogs. Definitely."

I brought up Dare possibly adopting Snape one day, and he got this odd look on his face.

"You think he'd want to live with me?" he said.

"Of course!" I threw him a smile. "He loves you."

"Hm, I wouldn't go that far."

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