Page 96 of Ensnared
He did dozens of impressive tricks on his skateboard.
He vaped behind the school sometimes. I knew it was unhealthy and gross, but I was also a little bit in awe of his diffidence to authority and rules.
He was also really, really hot.
I told my best friend that I liked him. She told her best friend. Isn’t it funny how the person who’s closest to us sometimes is closer to someone else?
Funny. Or is it sad?
Potato, tomato.
After Nat found out I liked him, he became absolutely insufferable. He’d walk by and make rude comments. He’d say things like, ‘Hey, you.’
I’d spin around and smile. ‘Me?’
But he’d look past me, and make it clear he was talking to someone else. When my face would fall, he’d look back and laugh.
Nat was cool. He was good-looking.
And he was a jerk.
Gideon was my best friend already, and he hated him. The third or fourth time Nat pulled a stunt like that, Gideon dragged him across the hall by his collar, shoved him against the wall, and broke his nose. Nat never looked my way again. No one else laughed at me after that, either. Everyone in the school was terrified of Gideon. Except for me, of course.
But while he was in detention for breaking Nat’s nose, I joined the chess club. It was a big mistake. I’ve always been a bit of a blunt instrument, mentally. Trying to see patterns and work out things that will happen several moves ahead was never my strong suit. The smartest kid in our school also happened to be the chess club president, and Jacob Wong spent a lot of time that week trying to teach me the basics.
On the day before Gideon was due to return, after school, I lost a chess game in six moves. Six. “I quit,” I said.
“You don’t really seem to be getting better.” Jacob pushed his glasses up his nose. “Maybe it’s not your thing.”
I sighed. “I’m just a dumb jock, I guess.”
“Some of us would love to be jocks,” Jacob said. “I tried to do soccer last year, and after I broke two pairs of glasses, my mom made me quit.”
That made me laugh. “But you’re so smart. I think that’s better.”
“Only because I study all the time.” He started putting the pieces away. He’d stuck around after the normal chess club practice to try and help me every single day this week, but clearly it was a waste of time. I hadn’t improved. If anything, I’d worsened.
“Sorry for wasting your time.” I reached for the same piece as he did, and our hands touched.
My heart sped up, and my breath caught in my throat. “Oh, sorry.”
He bit his lip, shoved the chessboard over, and moved his chair closer to mine. “It’s fine.” His eyes, through the large round lenses of his glasses, were open wider than usual.
I licked my lips, and I watched as his eyes dropped to my mouth.
“Um, would you—I mean.” He cleared his throat.
“Yes,” I said. “You can.”
He blinked several times, and then he scooted even closer. He tilted his head and leaned toward me, but then he decided it was the wrong angle and tilted the other way, his hands kind of floating at his side. “Um, I’ve never.”
“Me either.” I took pity on him then, grabbed his jaw, and pulled it against my face, our lips smashing together.
“What the heck!”
When Jacob and I leapt apart, Gideon was standing in the doorway. His scowl was deep and angry. Jacob jumped up from the chair so fast that he knocked the chessboard over, scattering pieces everywhere. He ran around the room twice before darting out and disappearing down the hall.
Gideon’s hand was clenched at his side. “Really, Chadwick?”
