Unmaking Hunter Kennedy (31 page)

And I’m pretty sure this is Curtis Wishford flirting with me!

Curtis Wishford leaned in. His bubble gum breath moved the wisps of hair that covered her ear. She stared at his lips, but not in a kiss sort of way—she was waiting for him to chew.

Jeez. I think he did swallow that gum!

“I’m scared to death of looking like a total fool in here,” he said.

Vere leaned back and looked directly into his eyes. She could feel her cheeks and the tops of her ears tingling hot again, but didn’t care. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest in thirty different directions.

Again, this felt nothing like one of her anxiety moments!

This feeling had to be coming from butterflies. That or she’d swallowed a tiny grenade and it had exploded.

“Now you. One secret,” he whispered, keeping his face close his eyes scanning her gaze.

“I’m scared to death this moment might be a dream,” she whispered back.

“It’s not.” Curtis grinned, his expression sort of expectant. He glanced over her shoulder and made a face. “Hmm. Dream or nightmare...for me. I hate having to compete for your attention.”

“Ha. As if you ever would.” Vere blinked at him. The world crashed back in so fast it disoriented her.

Curtis turned and motioned to the far end of the stage. “Your entourage has arrived. I should have known they would be in here. Why did I think I would have you all to myself?”

Dustin McHugh had entered front and center doing ‘the walk’. Vere could make out Jenna’s light blonde head bobbing right behind. Dustin carved a path right through the center of the kids sitting on stage.

It was like the parting of the red sea as people moved away from him. Cringed away from him, actually. Avoiding all eye contact and everything!

He greeted each and every person who accidently gave him half a glance using his new plastic and metal dork smile, and a loud: “Hey. I’m Dussttthhin.”

Priceless.

From the way most kids were acting, Vere could tell the disguise was working better than fine.

Jenna, oblivious always to other people’s scorn, and to the fact that she was hanging with
THE Hunter Kennedy
, skipped along, chattering away happily.

Aww. They must have bonded.

“Charlie told me all about the new kid. Heard he’s a menace. As for Jenna Riley, when will she give up those goofy braids?”

Vere glanced sideways at Curtis.

What did he mean? Why would he say such a thing?

“I love those braids. And Dustin’s awesome. You’ll see.” She defended her friends, waving so they would see her. She couldn’t wait to get Dustin and Jenna alone so she could tell them everything Curtis had said to her! With class about to start, she had to get their attention. “Dustin. Jenna! Over here!” She waved her arms. Dustin nodded, held up his index finger for her to wait, and then pointed toward Mrs. VanDeWirth.

When she acknowledged him with her best eye roll, he countered with the retainer flash.

Vere couldn’t help but giggle.

“Shit. Did you see that smile. Charlie also mentioned he’s hideous.” Curtis groaned.

“Yeah. Poor guy,” Vere said, trying to sound somber as she pictured Dustin’s real smile. She wanted to laugh out loud. “He’s super nice though. And Nan’s nephew so we’ve got to include him,” she added gleefully. “What else did Charlie say?”

“None of us can mess with him because your brother feels sorry for him.”

“Come on! We’re good friends already. He’s not that bad.”

Curtis grimaced. “Yes he
is
that bad. Look at him. The dude’s lucky you and Charlie have him under guard because there’s something about him. Something that sort of makes me want to kick his ass.”

Vere frowned. “I didn’t know you had such a weird sense of humor.”

“I don’t,” Curtis said as he looked away from Dustin and trapped her in a sea of his green-eyed heaven. “Wonder what he’s doing in here?”

“Maybe he signed up for this class!” Vere knew her voice sounded too excited, but she couldn’t help it. If he were going to be in here, then he’d be around to help keep her calm if she needed him.

Dustin had gone over with Jenna in tow to greet Mrs. VanDeWirth who checked her list and nodded.

Curtis sighed. “Looks like he did.”

Dustin was shaking Mrs. VanDeWirth’s hand wildly. The poor lady looked a little sketched out because of that move.

Vere giggled again. How she wished she could hear what Dustin was saying.

“He’s going for teacher’s pet. Does he have to be so goofy and friendly?”

“I guess it’s just his personality.”

“What’s his deal? Does he act?”

Vere glanced at Curtis. His expression seemed mild enough but she wondered why he sounded so annoyed.

“Not sure,” Vere evaded. “He told me he hates drama, and things like drama club so it is a surprise to see him.”

“Is it now,” Curtis said with an unreadable look. He brushed the side of his index finger across her left cheek. “Well, maybe he has the same idea I have.”

Vere’s stomach did a flip. “Impossible. We’re just friends. And besides.” She tossed Dustin a glance. “He’s got no chance compared to you.”

“Aww. You’re sweet.” Curtis smiled.

Vere smiled back. She tried to concentrate on Curtis but she couldn’t stop herself from tracking Dustin’s progress.

Curtis tugged at one of her escaped bits of hair and frowned when she scooted to the side so she could see Dustin better. There was no way to explain to the now scowling Curtis that she just had to watch her protégée do his nerd walk again.

Someday she would be able to tell it all to him. Someday they would laugh about this. Curtis was almost acting like he was jealous.

Imagine.

And imagine she did: Homecoming, cheering at football games, Winter Formal, somewhere in there her first kiss, and of course...if it all went well, Prom!

Jenna and I will be eating chips before all school dances after all. I’ll make Curtis find her dates, or I won’t go!

Vere hugged herself.

Maybe she should calm down. She still had to somehow convince him to really like her first. It was a rocky road traversing the ‘friends’ stage. There was still the huge chance ‘the incident’ would sneak up again. He could change his mind about this.

She had to figure out a way to make him really like her, as in for real. Like a girlfriend. And one who would last for more than his usual two-month trial period.

The whole idea was kind of making her head hurt.

In the meantime, she just had to watch Dustin. How could she not? She had her
BGF
to thank for everything she’d been able to say to Curtis today.

Her heart burst with pride for herself and for Dustin’s success. She could tell Dustin was looking directly at her as he crossed the rest of the stage. Because of the low lighting his glasses were only a light grey tint. She could see his eyes twinkling behind the glass with their shared secret.

He seemed to be almost cracking up.

Vere beamed at him, wondering if she’d ever felt this happy.

A++ with bonus extra credit for both of them.

She turned her sunniest smile back onto Curtis, mostly to check if he was really still sitting there.

Jeez. He is.
Crisscross applesauce and popping in a fresh new piece of that neon-yellow gum! I will have to tell him it’s not a good idea to swallow the stuff.

Dustin clambered up to them.

His work boots made more noise on the stage than an elephant stampede. He clumped way too close and stood there acting all helpless and confused. He held all his stuff in a disorganized lump in front of him.

Jenna followed close behind, squeezing in next to Vere. She dashed look toward Curtis and bugged out her eyes when she realized who Vere had been sitting with this whole time. She met Vere’s gaze with the silent ‘
what-the-heck!
’ look.

Vere promptly flicked her subtle,
half-eye-roll
plus the quick left-sided grin. Translation: ‘
I know. And OH.MY.GOD!
’

Dustin dropped all his stuff in the center of their small circle and took the spot on the other side of Vere closing up the space between her and Curtis. “You must be Curttisth Witsthford,” he said. “Vere’s told me all about you.”

Vere gasped and had to bite her lip.

God. Did Dustin not know when to quit?

She almost exploded into a giggle attack. She held it together long enough to recover and watch as Curtis threw Dustin a disgusted look. She couldn’t even could blame the guy. Curtis had been buried Dustin’s loose papers and Tough Mountain weirdness. It was as if Dustin had dropped everything on top of Curtis on purpose.

Curtis shoved Dustin’s backpack off his legs. “Well, Charlie’s told me all about you. And apparently, he wasn’t lying,” Curtis said, shooting Dustin a cryptic, snide laugh.

“Oh! Thanksssthh. Charlie’stth been sttho cool.”

Vere bit back another huge belly laugh, because she’d caught Dustin’s gaze through his lenses. She could tell he was wondering what Charlie had said about him, exactly.

Dustin was absolutely glorious right now. Solidifying his permanent, publicly-played dork-status, all while grinning like a fool. He scooted away from Curtis on his knees, muttering “Sorry, so sorry,” to everyone around him as he collected his things. She could tell by his voice that Dustin was also trying not to laugh.

Curtis captured Vere’s gaze by tugging on her arm and pulling her back in next to him. He leaned in too, scooting as close as he could and hit her with his gorgeous smile.

Forgetting about Dustin, she suppressed a sigh and smiled back into his eyes.

Yes!

25: BGF is better than nothing

Dustin

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Hang in there.

Going on one full week without you and regretting ever letting you board that plane. Sorry for the delayed contact on my part. It’s been nuts. As for getting you out, it’s in the works. Can’t seem to get an appointment with the judge. Not so easy to track him down from the NY side.

Once the band’s settled I’ll head back to LA to lock it down.

I hoped your mom would be more help.

Cheers,

Martin

He threw the phone onto his night stand in disgust.

No way in hell was he going to email Martin back. That bastard needed to call
him
.

He sprang up from the bed and pulled apart his curtains to check for Vere’s car. She’d promised to come take him hiking. Apparently, there was a place tucked into a neighborhood close by with a trail Vere was
dying
to show him.

One that had a monopoly on ‘
cool-shaped rocks’
.

Actually, she’d touted the neighborhood as having, “the best, most awesome, stockpile of heart-shaped rocks in the whole world!”

He thought of her wide grin as she’d gone on and on about the rocks, while he’d only half-listened, wondering how many neighborhoods in Colorado boasted their own hiking trails. Did the real-estate developers not understand the open spaces were perfectly, good, saleable lots?

Double for the lot that owns the heart-shaped rock mine.

He laughed quietly to himself. This place was so strange compared to Los Angeles, New York, Paris, the whole, real world.

Of course he couldn’t tell her he didn’t want to go.

Because, after her descriptions—and despite the fact he’d have to take another long hike—he really wanted to see Vere skipping around, flipping out, and gushing over rocks.

Who wouldn’t want to be there for that?

He cracked the window a few inches so he could hear her honk when she showed. Flopping back down on his bed, he sighed, contemplating how quickly his days here had passed.

The email from Martin had felt like a hard slap in the face. It reminded him of his real life. His old life.

He’d almost forgotten everything in just a few short days.

He’d even forgotten himself. Completely.

And I’m going to stay forgotten.

Right now, I don’t want to be anything, or anyone else, other than a kid who’s waiting for his best friend.

That’s it. And that’s me.

He also admitted he liked school. Milling around the lunchroom and the school courtyard packed with hundreds and hundreds of kids—kids who didn’t scream or swarm around him—was kind of cool.

The classes with the desks lined up, full of more kids had also been a novelty. Drama class was now his top favorite.

Not because he liked watching the scenes and the skits; but because he loved watching Vere
LOVE
her drama class.

The auditorium was obviously a drug for her. The backstage area seemed a place where she could let herself shine with complete confidence. Just like the lights she loved placing on stage to make things brighter, the whole environment lit Vere in the same way. Inside and out. Of course, this fact made her even more beautiful than she normally was.