Taking The Reins (The Rosewoods Book 1) (12 page)

My heart began to pound as we pulled up to the Westwood driveway. My objective for the evening had just done a one-eighty. I was no longer eager to see Willmont Davidson again; I was desperate to avoid him at all costs.

T
he good thing about being in panic mode? Adrenaline floods your body and your extreme exhaustion gives way to a kind of hysterical mania. The good news: I no longer felt like I was dying of fatigue. The bad news: my fight or flight response had been engaged and I wanted nothing more than to run the five miles or so back to Rosewood. In heels.

But with my friends gathered close, that wasn’t going to happen, so the best I could hope for was damage control.

The bus pulled up to the front doors of Westwood, but before we could get off, the dean boarded and gave us a big lecture about being on our best behavior. We were warned not to go into boys’ rooms or darkened hallways and that any lewd or inappropriate behavior (Chelly made a gesture, shoving her left thumb into the cup of her right hand, making us all giggle) would get us removed from the dance and returned to Rosewood immediately. She also threatened us with a call home if that happened, which did cause a few straightened backs among my fellow students.

It was a moot point for me, so I wasn’t worried.

As we all poured off the bus, most of the girls eager to get into Westwood as quickly as possible despite the dean’s prohibitive warnings, I hung back with Kaylee, moving slowly to allow all the rest of the girls to get into the gym first. I figured my best plan of attack was to hang out in the bathroom for a few minutes and let everyone get situated before I made my entrance. Best to approach a scene like this with caution.

“You okay?” Kaylee asked quietly.

I looked over and gave her a half smile. “Yeah. It’s just...weird, I guess.”

She held the front door of the Westwood main building open for me, nodding me through. “You really had no idea?”

“None. I never would have gone on about him...” I rubbed my right temple as we walked, noting that Westwood looked a lot like Rosewood: lots of marble and rich wood, though it smelled different, more masculine. Even just an hour before, I would have been drawn to it, but now, it was like the smell of impending disaster.

“God, Kaylee, I feel like such an idiot.”

“If you didn’t know, it’s not your fault.” She lowered her voice. “He is just about the hottest guy here, so there’s no faulting your taste.”

I gave her a look. “You, too?”

She shrugged. “I’m not after him or anything, but come on, he’s the whole package, right?”

I wasn’t about to argue. And I’d known a guy like that had to be taken already; foolish to think for a second that he might have been interested in me. I looked around. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“This way.” Kaylee’s hand landed on my shoulder as she guided me away from the crowd we were following and down a quiet hallway. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll blow over. Emmie’s not the jealous type, and it’s not like anything happened with him. Right?” She looked at me pointedly, like she was waiting for me to agree with her.

“Of course not! He just helped me with my stuff. He was really nice, just like I said. That’s all. I guess...I don’t know. Maybe at the time I thought there was more to it. I don’t have a lot of experience with boys, obviously.”

Kaylee nodded and pushed through the door into the ladies’ restroom. “You’re not alone. I’m not too popular at these things, either.”

Kaylee was shy and quiet—definitely a bookworm, but she was pretty and really funny once you got to know her. I hooked my arm through hers. “It’s you and me, girlfriend. Let’s make a pact: we will both slow dance with at least one hot guy tonight.”

She looked at me like she was going to be ill. “I don’t know, Brooklyn. It’s a miracle I’m even here. I don’t think I’m up for anything like that.”

I frowned. “What does that mean? Is this about what Celia was talking about on the bus?

She looked under the stall doors, and when she made sure we were alone, she leaned against the sink counter and crossed her arms. “You didn’t hear about what happened last year.” It wasn’t a question. I shook my head anyway. “What happened?”

Avoiding my eyes, she fidgeted her hands.

“Kaylee?”

She looked up at me. “It’s so humiliating.”

I couldn’t even imagine what had happened to Kaylee, but whatever it was, it was making her blush and fidget just by thinking about it. I wasn’t about to push her, but I could tell she wanted to tell me.

She swallowed. “I barfed.”

“What?”

“At last year’s holiday dance, right before Christmas. I had the flu but didn’t know it. I was dancing with the girls during a fast song and Phillip was there with us. I think maybe he had been interested, too. Next thing I knew, I got super hot; I thought it was from the dancing, but no.”

“Oh God,” I said sympathetically.

“Yeah. The worst part is I did it right there on the dance floor. Some of it even hit Phillip’s pants. I almost died.”

“Oh, Kaylee, I’m so sorry.”

She shrugged. “I haven’t been to a dance since. The girls say everyone’s over it, but I don’t know. I...” she exhaled loudly.

I gave her a hug then pulled away, still holding her shoulders. “Okay, look. We’re obviously a couple of social misfits who are going to be kind of under the microscope at this dance tonight. We’ll stick together, but I still think we should do that pact thing. We both need to cleanse our palates with some cute guys.”

She looked unsure. “I don’t know, Brooklyn.”

“I do,” I said, exuding a confidence that I didn’t really feel but figured I could fake my way through. “Come on. We’ll get through this together.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

K
aylee and I walked into the gym together, though I’m not sure which one of us was more nervous. I gave her a smile, which she returned.

Sort of. Okay, maybe
she
was more nervous.

I looked around to try to find our friends, which wasn’t easy among the loud music and dim lights punctuated by moving spots and strobes.

“Over there,” Kaylee said, pointing to the right side of the room that had been decorated with streamers and posters of our schools’ crests. Not the most fun decorations, but the music was good, and as we walked over to our friends, I saw most people were smiling and laughing, so that was what really mattered.

And it didn’t appear Will...
Dave
was with Emmie, so that was a plus. I scanned around just to make sure, but the look on her face as she bit her lip anxiously and did a room scan of her own, told me he wasn’t there. I felt bad for her, but relieved nonetheless

Her face brightened as we approached. “There you two are! We were getting worried you’d gone back to Rosewood.”

“Nope,” I said.
Even though the thought
had
occurred to me
, I didn’t say.

“Just a little bio break,” Kaylee explained.

“So...” I began, hoping someone would fill us in on the lay of the land so far.

“Dave’s not here yet,” Emmie said. “That’s the problem with the dance being at their campus; they wander down when they feel like it. He was supposed to be here by now.” She clucked her tongue; I couldn’t tell if she was angry or nervous. Maybe a bit of both.

I looked around and realized the Rosewood girls probably made up something like eighty percent of the bodies in the room.

“Don’t worry,” Celia said. “Once they realize we’re here, they’ll come down. They are boys, after all. Come on, let’s get a soda,” she grabbed my arm and led Kaylee and I over to the ‘bar’, set up with sodas and juices. There were also plenty of snacks, which my empty stomach appreciated, since I’d skipped supper.

And then, just as I reached for a bag of Doritos, I heard Chelly announce the boys had arrived, her voice an almost inaudible purr over the music.

“They’re here.”

As one, we turned and looked at the dozen or so boys that headed the pack. Perhaps we seemed predatory, but in fairness, our interest was matched by that of the new arrivals as they looked around, taking us in.

And, I had to admit, they deserved our attention, because they all looked good in their suits, complete with fancy pocket squares in various colors. They were clean, their hair brushed and styled, and I imagined they probably took as much care in getting ready for this dance as we had. Actually, in my case, probably more.

We were all on display for each other.

“This is like a weird social experiment,” I said to Kaylee.

She nodded, keeping her gaze on her soda.

“What does Phillip look like?” I asked.

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“You’re going to dance with him, right?”

She gave me a terrified look. “Oh I don’t think so. I can’t dance with
him
.”

“Yes you can. It was a long time ago. And it’s just a dance. What does he look like?”

She took a sip of her soda and discreetly looked around. “There. On the right in that group with four other guys. He’s the second tallest one with the dark hair and glasses.”

I followed her gaze to the group of boys and pinpointed him easily. He was obviously the leader of his group, talking and laughing exuberantly while the boys around him seemed to hang on his every word. It was immediately obvious why Kaylee was into him: she saw him as everything she wasn’t. Charismatic, confident, popular. I knew the type.

She was going to have her work cut out for her, getting close to him.

And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emmie rush to the doorway. That could only mean one thing: Dave.

I made a point of turning my back on them, which was stupid, but I didn’t want her to think I was watching for him.

“Oh God,” Kaylee said.

My heart started thudding in my chest, but I forced myself not to turn. “What?”

“I think she’s getting Dave to go talk to Phillip.”

Whew
. “That’s
good
, Kaylee.”

“I don’t know. He’s so good looking and popular...Oh my God, he’s looking over here. They both are. Brooklyn, what do I do?”

It was tempting to laugh, but more out of my own nervousness than thinking she was being ridiculous. “Stay cool. Keep talking to me. Conjugate some French verbs for me.”

She looked into my eyes and swallowed, but she understood.

“
Je suis, tu es
...”

“Good,” I said, nodding. Hoping she’d lose the wild-eyed look. “Keep going.”

“
Nous sommes, vous êtes
. Oh my God, Brooklyn. They’re coming over here.
Ils sont
.....”

“You can stop doing French. Just be cool.”

“Right. Uh, so, where did you get your dress?”

“Emmie’s closet. Do you like it?”

She never got the chance to answer because at that second, our cozy group of two became a bloated and awkward group of eight.

“Hi girls,” Emmie said sort of woodenly.

“Phillip, this is Brooklyn and you remember Kaylee.”

I imagined Phillip
couldn’t help
but remember the girl who vomited on him, but he smiled politely at both of us.

“Nice to meet you,” he said to me and gave Kaylee a nod. A good sign.

“And Dave,” Emmie said, “This is my roommate Brooklyn, but I think you’ve met. Though she thought your name was Will.” She laughed, but the humor in her voice was like velvet over steel. She wasn’t over it and I needed to tread lightly or it was going to be the worst year ever, stuck with a roommate who hated me.

“Hi,” I said to him, looking somewhere over his shoulder. “Sorry, I thought...”

He waved me off. “It’s okay. It technically is my name. I understand we’re going to be working together on the student liaison.”

Right. Suddenly the laundry was starting to look like the good option.

“Yes,” I said, my brain pretty much stalling out.

“Wait,” he said, his brow furrowing. “
You’re
Emmeline’s roommate?”

I nodded, looking at Emmie, but she just shrugged. Was this some sort of problem?

He glanced over at one of the boys standing just outside the group and gave him some sort of pointed look. The boy, who seemed older with his perma-stubble look and long hair pulled back into a ponytail gave him a microscopic nod, but I still caught it.

Like I wasn’t already vibrating with nerves? What did
this
mean?

“What’s going on?” Emmie demanded.

Will...
Dave
...looked down at her and gave one of his smirky smiles. “Nothing, Em. We thought someone else was your roommate this year, that’s all.” And whatever it was, was suddenly forgotten as she rolled her eyes and then smiled back. I fought a sigh, secretly wishing I’d been on the receiving end of that smile.

Emmie changed gears. “You and Brooklyn will get to coordinate the Halloween dance and, more importantly, the Thanksgiving food drive together,” she said and I could hear her disappointment.

It was suddenly too much.

Despite the audience, I turned to her. “You know what? That is so much more your thing. I’m going to go back to the dean and change our assignments back.”

She went wide-eyed. “No. I made this commitment, I want you to do it.”

It made no sense. Why would she want to deny herself what was basically her dream assignment with
her boyfriend
?

“Emmie,” I said, but she cut me off.

“No, Brooklyn, this is not negotiable.”

I leaned in close. “It’s weird.”

She shook her head. “It’s not weird. Seriously, I promise.”

She was kidding herself. I stole a quick look at Dave; he was watching us with a slight frown on his face. A glance at the other guys told me they were wrapped up in their own conversation, leaving poor Kaylee on the outside, basically standing by herself, sipping her soda.

“Excuse us,” I said to Dave and pulled Emmie away toward Kaylee.

“Emmie,” I whispered. “I can’t do this. I don’t want you to always think there’s something going on.”