Page 76 of The Kissing Booth
‘Theory?’ I repeated. Jaime nodded, and Candice leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. Casually, like my pulse wasn’t racing wildly, I picked up a forkful of my pasta salad.
‘We think Flynn’s got some mystery girlfriend.’
I very nearly dropped my fork. I only just kept from dropping my jaw too.
Samantha snorted. ‘I doubt it. This is Flynn we’re talking about. He’s such a player, Icannotpicture him going long-term with anyone...’
‘Well, maybe if he met the right girl,’ Karen laughed, pointing to herself.
‘Think about it though,’ Candice went on. ‘I haven’t seen him with anybody – and I meananybody– in weeks. Usually you’ll see him making out with some lucky girl at parties, but—’
‘Ohmigosh!’ Tamara squealed. ‘You’re so right! There hasn’t been any girl with him for weeks. But you all saw that hickey he had a couple of weeks ago, right?’
‘Who could miss it?’ Olivia laughed.
I was trying so hard not to blush or look too guilty or worried. These girls noticed more than I gave them credit for.
‘Have you seen him with anyone, Elle? You know when you’re around his place, hanging out with Lee?’
I shook my head. ‘No, I haven’t seen him with anyone.’
‘I wonder who it is...’
‘Ifthere is anyone,’ Faith put in.
Then I said, oh so very casually, ‘Maybe he’s gay.’
There was silence for a little while, and I carried on calmly eating my pasta salad. Everyone was gawking at me.
‘No way.’
‘He can’t be.’
‘You don’t think hereallyis, do you?’
‘No, there’s no way!’
I couldn’t hold it back any longer; I burst out laughing. ‘I’m kidding! You should’ve seen your faces just then... I wish I’d had a camera...’
Candice swatted my arm, scowling. ‘That wasn’t very nice, Elle.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I giggled. ‘I couldn’t resist.’
But it had distracted them from the subject of Noah Flynn’s supposed mystery girlfriend, andIwas completely off the radar. I breathed an inaudible sigh of relief, listening to them discussing boys. I heard enough Flynn-related gossip when I wasn’t involved in it; I don’t know how I’d ever survive if they found out that innocent little Rochelle had been fooling around with bad-ass Flynn.
Hell, that would be about as believable as if I told them I’d gone out and bought a motorbike.
Chapter 17
WAY TOO SOON, it was the middle of May.
As if I wasn’t already preoccupied enough with everything going on in my life – not to mention finals coming up – I had the school council to deal with, too.
‘Well, the Summer Dance is going to be at the beginning of June,’ Tyrone announced to us.
‘What? But that gives us hardly any time!’ someone protested loudly.
Tyrone threw his hands up in surrender, and everyone hushed up. ‘I don’t choose the date, sorry. This is the only time we could get the ballroom at the Royale.’
