Guilty Pleasure

4. No Big Deal

Monday mornings were never good.

And they were even worse when I could see an indignant-looking Annie stalking toward me with determination even before the first bell had rung.

Seeing the look on her face, I desperately tried to see if there was somebody else she could be heading toward – or, even better, a place where I could hide until the bell rang. I wouldn’t have to face her until lunch.

To my dismay, the only place to hide would be inside my locker, and the hallway was void of any other possible candidates for her wrath – unless she was for some reason out to kill Dylan Reed, a gangly freshman who scooted to the side as Annie brushed past him, all the while training her eyes on me.

“Elle Grayson.”

I tried acting normal. “Oh, hey, Annie. How was the rest of your weekend?”

She narrowed her eyes the slightest bit. “Nothing much happened. I think the important question here is how was your weekend?”

Crap. “Uh–“

I jumped at the noise, and I silently thanked God. Saved by the bell. Literally.

“I’ll catch you later, all right, Annie? I gotta go!”

“Elle!”

I hurried off, ducking into first period English. I knew Annie wasn’t really mad, but I wasn’t looking forward to her scolding me about how I should tell her these things immediately and how yes, of course it was a big deal. After that would come the endless stream of questions and absurd interpretations of everything that had happened.

To my dismay, I wasn’t completely saved from any interrogation. I had forgotten that Mark was in my English class, and he would also be eager to know whether or not Ben and I had hooked up.

“Good night on Saturday, right?” He winked and grinned at me as I slid into my seat beside him.

I pretended not to notice what he was implying. “It wasn’t bad. I’ve definitely had better nights, though.”

“I guess the party was so boring that you had to go seek entertainment outside, huh?”

Oh dear. “I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, Mark.”

“Do I have to spell it out for you? Come on, Elle. Spill it. What exactly went on between you and Ben on Saturday?”

“Nothing went on.”

He leaned toward me. “The two of you were going outside together, by yourselves, and you didn’t come back in for like an hour. There is no way that is nothing.”

“What, were you stalking me all night and waiting for me to come back in?” He shot me a look that clearly said that he was not amused and raised his eyebrows, prompting me to go on. “All right, fine.All we did was go outside, talk for a while, and go back inside. That’s it.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You talked? Hmm.”

“In the literal sense, Mark. Two people having a conversation just like you and I are having right now. Got it?”

“And you’re sure nothing went on apart from you two talking. Are you sure your conversation didn’t involve a little bit of kissing?”

Well, we did sort of talk about relationships. “Completely sure.”

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

I sighed. “Yes. And that’s why I am telling you all there is to tell.”