Home > All the Pretty Lies(2)

All the Pretty Lies(2)
Author: Melissa Toppen

“Prance by him in a barely-there bikini with all your best assets on display and there’s no doubt in my mind that he won’t only see you, but he won’t be able to take his eyes off of you,” Camila promises.

“You really think so?” I ask doubtful.

“I know so.” She nods. “Come on, P, what do you have to lose?”

“Nothing, I guess.” I shrug.

“Exactly!” She smacks the table. “Then it’s settled. We are going to find you the sexiest damn wardrobe for next week. And by the end of the trip, you might find yourself with your first official boyfriend.”

I know she’s only trying to help, but pointing out that I’ve never had a real boyfriend doesn’t really do a whole lot for my self-esteem. Sure, I’ve had opportunities to date, but I’ve yet to find anyone that I was really interested in. I did go to Junior Prom with Kyle Parker last year, but when he kissed me during a subpar rendition of Truly, Madly, Deeply, I didn’t feel a blimp of excitement. I think it’s safe to say I friend zoned him pretty quickly. I’m just not one of those girls that dates so I can say I have a boyfriend. I’d rather hold out for someone special. Someone who takes my breath away.

My gaze slides back to Ethan before a loud laugh causes me to look a little further to the left. I roll my eyes when I see Callum Hanson sitting on the edge of the table, looking out over the cafeteria like he owns it, with Sarah Norton leaning against his leg, looking up at him as if he hung the moon. Figures...

Don’t get me wrong, he’s gorgeous. Tall, broad shoulders, dark hair that he keeps styled away from his face, giving the perfect view of his brilliant green eyes. I swear not one girl in this school is immune to that man’s charms. Then again, what girl wouldn’t want the attention of the football team’s star wide receiver and one of the most popular guys in school? Well, except for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived next door to him nearly my entire life and have seen firsthand the kind of guy he is. Or maybe it’s because once upon a time we used to be friends, until he became too cool to be seen with his less popular next door neighbor. The transition was swift. One day he was coming over to my house to study Algebra, and the next he had more important things to do. I still don’t think I’ve fully wrapped my head around how quickly our friendship deteriorated. It’s been nearly four years, and while he may nod at me from time to time if he sees me in the yard, I swear it’s like I don’t even exist.

I vaguely wonder how Annika would feel if she were to see her friend hanging all over her boyfriend like that, but I quickly decide I really don’t care.

“This is going to be so much fun, girls,” April sings excitedly next to me, drawing my focus back to her. “The three of us, a week at the lake.”

“Pretty sure it’s going to be a lot more than the three of us,” Camila grins.

“Yeah, like ninety percent of the senior class,” I grumble, wishing that half of them would come down with a case of the flu and not be able to make it.

That’s mean, I know. And while I get along with most everyone, there’s definitely some people I wouldn’t mind excluding if I could.

The senior class goes on this trip every year. Well, the ones whose parents will let them since it’s not a school sponsored function. I’m honestly not even sure how the tradition started, only that every senior class before ours has done it over the week of spring break.

Usually, most people go. There’s a cluster of cabins down by Harrison Lake that we rent out. The plus side to paying for your own lodging is that you get to pick who you stay with. Camila, April, and I will be bunking together.

Our senior year is almost over, and with college looming in the background, I want to spend as much time as I can with them while I’m still here. I’ve already been accepted to Trinity, which is only about two hours west of here, but two hours is a long drive when you’re working and juggling classes, so I don’t expect to make it back here that often.

“Oh hush.” April nudges me with her elbow. “We’re going to have so much fun.”

“And with any luck,” Camila smiles, “you’ll be hugged up with a certain someone most of the time.”

“Yeah, not likely.” I blow out a hard breath.

“Well, not with that attitude you won’t,” April scolds.

“Okay, so bathing suit shopping today after school. You in?” Camila asks.

“I am,” April says.

“Yeah, I guess,” I reluctantly agree, doubting that a swimsuit will be the ticket to finally getting Ethan to notice me.

“Perfect.” Camila claps her hands together. “Meet me at my car after seventh. I’ll drive.”

 

 

“HEY, POPPY.” I LOOK up, heat flooding my face when I see Ethan slide into the desk next to me at the back of the room. It’s where he sits every day, yet for some reason I’m surprised every time he plops down beside me.

“Hey.” I smile, trying to seem completely at ease when I feel anything but.

“You ready for the trip this coming week?” he asks.

“Um yeah, why do you ask?” I blurt, fearing that maybe one of my big mouthed friends let something slip. Not that they would, but still, that’s just where my head tends to go.

“Just curious I guess.” He shrugs.

“Oh, well yeah, it should be fun.”

“You staying with Camila and April?”

“Yep. You?”

“I’m crashing with Brock, Tripp, and Callum.”

“Callum?” I crinkle my nose.

“You got a problem with him?” He grins, giving me the perfect view of his matching dimples.

“You could say that,” I murmur. “I didn’t realize you two were close.” Obviously, I know they’ve played football together the past two seasons, and they run in the same crowd, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of them talking to each other before. And trust me, I would’ve noticed. Mainly because staring at Ethan Ripley when he’s not looking is my favorite thing to do.

“We’re not super tight, but we’re cool. He needed a place to crash after what happened with Annika.”

“Wait, what happened with Annika?” I ask out of sheer curiosity and not because I care.

“You didn’t hear?” He cocks a brow. “Apparently, he walked in on her making out with Blake at Grover’s party last weekend.”

“Blake. As in Callum’s friend, Blake?”

“That would be the one.”

“Wow. I didn’t even know they broke up. That didn’t last long.”

“Does that surprise you?” He chuckles. “I don’t think he’s dated anyone longer than a couple of months.”

“This is true,” I agree, deciding to keep to myself how many different girls I’ve seen come and go from Callum’s house over the last few years.

I open my mouth to say something else, eager to keep talking to Ethan, but at that moment Mrs. Waters clears her throat and instructs the class to settle down. I blow out a hard breath, disappointment settling in my chest.

This is the only time of the day I get to talk to Ethan, and of course, it’s during the one period where the teacher is a stickler for starting class on time. Any other class and I’d have at least two or three more minutes in heaven before I was ripped back down to earth.

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