Page 24 of The Kissing Booth
‘Here.’ He uncapped a biro with his teeth, and grabbed my arm, turning it over. He was pretty skilled to write his number all the way down from my elbow upside-down, I had to admit.
‘You could’ve just put it in my phone.’
‘But there’s no fun in that.’
I laughed.
Meanwhile the teacher had come in. ‘All right, everybody, shut up and settle down. We’ve got a lot of work today. Now open the textbooks to page one hundred and thirty-seven. Last lesson we looked at the production of ethanol and its commercial uses and social implications...’
‘Yeah,’ some boy – I think it was Oliver – called out jokingly. ‘Making Elle strip!’
I blushed, and retorted, ‘What would you know? You were passed out by that point, you lightweight!’
‘Nice.’ Cody laughed appreciatively; the others started jeering at him, but I gave him a smile.
Lee wouldn’t mind when I told him I had a date with Cody. He knew Cody a little better than I did, too. It was Noah I worried about.
‘Hey,’ Cody said, once the bell had gone and I was about to rush out for my meeting about the carnival.
‘Yeah?’ I said.
‘Call me.’ He winked, laughing.
I smiled. ‘Bye, Cody.’
I arrived at the meeting at the same time as Lee. ‘Hey, you’ll never guess what just happened in my chemistry class.’
‘You got asked on a date?’
My grin fell away into a pout. ‘How’d you know?’
‘Dixon texted me. He said there was someone risking their neck. Cody, right?’
‘Yeah,’ I said with a big smile. ‘Can’t you be more excited for me, Lee?’ I pushed at his arm playfully. ‘I’ve got a date! Can’t you be happy for me?’
Lee laughed. ‘I am, Shelly!’ He gave me a hug, but that might’ve been just to stop me bouncing about excitedly. ‘Cody’s a nice guy. I’m just wondering what my brother will say when someone tells him about it.’
I laughed. ‘Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.’
‘If you say so...’
‘So, Lee and Elle,’ said Tyrone, head of the school council, calling the meeting to order with a simple clap of his big hands. He sat at the head of the table, with Gen next to him, pen and paper ready to take minutes. She took her role as the school council’s secretary very seriously. Everybody looked up at Tyrone, falling silent instantly. ‘I hear you’ve finally got a booth.’
‘Yup,’ we said unanimously.
‘A kissing booth.’
‘Uh-huh,’ we chorused.
He gave us a wary look. ‘Don’t you think that’s a bit... a bit risky?’
‘What? How is it risky? So we just say you can’t come to the kissing booth if you’ve got a head cold. No big deal.’
‘No, I mean... Well, don’t you think it’s a bit seedy?’ he said. ‘Some people aren’t too happy about it—’
‘But we started the banner!’ Lee cried angrily. ‘We have kissers to do the kissing booth! Everyone loves the idea!’
‘Tyrone,’ I said calmly, elbowing Lee sharply. ‘Nobody’s going to see it that way. Plus, loads of carnivals have a kissing booth. We can always set up a couple of rules. Kind of like height restrictions on a rollercoaster. We can set an age limit if that’s what you’re worried about.’
