Page 137 of Something Rad
I turn away before I can see the look I know she’s giving me (one that could kill), opening the trunk to my Camaro. I duck down, quickly spotting my blue and yellow letterman jacket, and pluck it out. I close the trunk, tossing the jacket in Cooper’s direction. “Here.”
She flinches as it flies towards her, just barely catching it before it falls to the ground. She holds the jacket up with both of her hands, inspecting it, her eyes flicking between it and me. “What is this?” she asks.
“A jacket.”
“But I don’t need a jacket,” she says, insisting on being stubborn.
“Then let’s call it a peace offering.”
“B–but–”
“Cooper, put on the damn jacket.”
Her lips press together, her eyes boring into me for several seconds before she finally resigns, letting out a sigh and turning away from me to shrug on the jacket. She threads her hands under the curtain of her hair, pulling it free from the collar. I watch as it falls naturally down her back, splaying out like flames licking the top of the letters of my last name that are sewn across the back of the jacket.
Something about that sends a strange rush of heat through me. I swallow at the sudden tightness in my throat, my eyes still glued to the mural of red hair andSummerswhen Cooper calls my name.
“Robbie?”
My gaze snaps up, seeing her looking over her shoulder at me with her brows pulled together. “Are you okay?” she asks.
“Yep,” I mutter. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
She opens her mouth to respond, but I don’t give her a chance when I see Michael and Brad’s cars pulling into the lot, along with several others I recognize. “There everyone is,” I say. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Go where?” Cooper questions.
“To socialize, Cooper.”
“But why–”
“Unless you’d rather be alone with me all night,” I cut her off, raising my brows.
I watch her throat bob as she glances between the hoard of Bay View students exiting their cars and me. “Let’s go,” she says, practically taking off jogging.
I huff a laugh, following behind her as she makes her way over to my friends. I find my eyes trailing down and realize that my letterman jacket is big enough on her that her skirt is barely visible from the back. I force my gaze away, shaking my head to push away the unwarranted unholy thoughts that come from that realization. My eyes land on the large screen at the same moment the feature presentation begins, and Cooper skids to a stop before three seconds of the opening to the movie even play out.
“OhMyGosh!” she squeals out, running her words together from how excited she is. “You didn’t tell meDirty Dancingwas playing! It’s been out for almost two months! I figured they had stopped showing it by now! Oh my gosh– I’msoexcited!”
She’s practically jumping up and down as we approach the small mob of Bay View students, half of which are wearing lettermans just like the one Cooper is currently wearing. “You haven’t seen it yet?” I question her, surprised.
“Oh, no, I’ve seen it!” Cooper says, her head swiveling between the screen and me. “Twice!” I let out a chuckle at how excited she is to see a movie (for thethirdtime). “I just love it. So much.”
“More thanTop Gun?”
She turns her head in my direction, continuing to bounce on her heels as she gives me a look like I’m crazy. “Now, don’t be ridiculous.” She looks back at the screen, tilting her head and grinning. “But it’s up there.”
She continues to watch the movie while I watch her, my tongue pushing into the side of my cheek as I wonder if I’ll ever be as passionate about anything as Sara Cooper is about everything she loves.
“Well look what the cat drug in.”
I turn to see Brad with his arm slung around Lisa McDaniel, smirking at me.
I chuckle, returning the fist bump he’s extending my way. “If I’m what the cat drug in, what the hell kinda creature hauled you here?”
“That would be me,” Lisa says, flashing me a grin before turning in Cooper’s direction. “Hey Sara. Congrats on winning president. You totally killed that speech.”
“Oh,” Cooper smiles, a blush spreads across her cheeks. “Thanks, Lisa.”
