Page 67 of The Midseason Fakeout

“I’m trying,” I call out. No matter how hard I try, though, I end up spinning like a dog chasing its tail. “It’s more difficult than you think.”

He finishes sending the food into the water on their own little floaties and then places his hands on his hips, cocking a brow as I splash and splash, making no real headway. “Aidan!”

He doubles over, laughing.

“I’m glad you think this is funny!” I’m paddling so fast water splashes me and the raft. If I keep going, I’ll sink this thing.

“I’ve never seen someone so bad at floating in a pool.”

“Well, ifsomeonewas thinking ahead, they would’ve put the snacks in before they shoved the girl onto the floaty and expected her to work miracles.”

“Oh, comments from the peanut gallery. Is that how it’s going to be?”

“Oh, that’s how it’s going to be.”

“Well then…” He backs up away from the pool and eyes the distance between the edge and the float.

“Don’t you dare!” I call out.

He dares.

He runs forward, throwing his hands out like Superman until he lands on the huge float, sliding into the backrest.

I cry out, waiting for him to send both of us into the water, but it doesn’t happen. “You’re crazy!”

He flips over on his back, spreading his arms out wide. He eyes me shyly. “This was supposed to be romantic.”

“It is,” I insist, pressing my lips together to stop my giggles.

“Yeah, a romantic comedy, maybe.”

He scoots closer, maneuvering so he’s seated next to me. He drapes his arm around me like he likes to do, but then he immediately drops his head back.

“What?” I ask.

He points to the side of the pool where blankets and pillows are stacked. I can’t help the giggle that spills out. “Watch it, Angel, or I’ll have you swimming to go get them.”

“We can do this,” I tell him, putting on my serious face. “Now that we’re both here to paddle.”

Since we’re all the way on the side of the pool near the screen, it takes us a minute or two, but eventually, we get to the other side. I’m the closest, so I scoop up as much as I can and throw it in the float before we bounce off the edge and start back out to the middle of the pool.

We spread the pillows out behind us, making a comfortable little spot. Aidan reaches out with the remote—at least he remembered that—and presses Play. On the screen, the beginning credits of a movie start.

He holds me to him, and I take a deep breath, wondering how I went from one extreme to the other. From being around people who treated me as a showpiece; from being at a school where people pretended I didn’t exist; from always being on the outside… to being perfectly happy nestled next to a guy I used to have a crush on.

I don’t think I ever want to leave this place.

Warning bells go off in my head, but I push them away. I can think about the fact that my parents are never letting me stay here another day. Right now, I like being right here. Right where I’m supposed to be.

“Um, Angel?”

“Hmm?”

“I think we’re sinking.”

“What?” I sit up, and the float starts to depress, sending my feet up in the air.

Aidan laughs. “The float is deflating.”

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