How to Seduce a Band Geek (2 page)

It’s risky…beyond risky…but I’m hoping my pajama top joke will make him laugh, and he’ll see I’m totally not a morning monster. Though, everyone else will just think I’m a major doofus, or that maybe there’s some sexual connotation to the words I splashed across the tears in the bottom of the shirt. High school is all about image, who you know, what you do… blah, blah. And I had a reputation before I even got there. No, it wasn’t as Zoe’s little sister, even with the epic mark she left on that place. It was that lovely something my awesome ex-boyfriend bestowed upon me: “Tease.”

I crashed a car so I wouldn’t have to sleep with him, so what? Yeah, I made him think I was ready, when really, I was piss-my-pants scared. I can’t blame him completely, but did he have to tell the whole school every single detail of what we
did
do? Let’s just say, I was thrown right into pariah zone the second I set foot in the hallway.

Zak and Zoe had invited me to their table at lunch a million times last year, but how the hell was I supposed to make friends with people I can’t even understand? Dungeons and Dragons talk may as well be Greek.

I parked my butt in outcast zone the very first day and have been there ever since. Along with Sydney, who told her boyfriend Mitch, she wasn’t going to give him a blowjob after prom. Apparently he thought forking out dough on a limo and a five-star dinner would get him at least that much. Seriously, what is wrong with people? So someone smacked the same label on her, and now we’re the two bitches who don’t put out. Yay for us.

Not everyone is a complete ass turd at my school. We just stick to our cliques. Nerds, jocks, prudes, band geeks, outcasts, and the rich kids who think they rule the place. Which I guess, they do, since they get away with everything.

Then there’s Levi. I don’t think he even has a label. He’s nice to everyone no matter what group they belong to, and everyone seems to like him. He’s got the good looks, so the popular kids give him a pass. He was best buds with Zoe, so the nerds let him chill with them. He plays in the band, he’s smart, he’s not a manslut, but gets invited to all the awesome parties, and pretty much has every single clique covered.

Pretty much perfection.

I hold my breath in my cheeks as I snap the button on my cutoffs. Then I take a quick pic for my Pinterest board.

Maybe today will be the day I sweep Levi off his feet.

Chapter 2

Some days, I’m adorable without even meaning to be.

As punishment for wrecking my sister’s car, I didn’t get one for my sixteenth birthday. Mom and Dad say that, but I know it’s probably more because they can’t afford it. Well, walking is good for ya. My thighs and butt thank my parents’ tight budget.

I get to school way early, since I was up at the butt crack of dawn. Maybe Levi’s already here too, his crazy cute self up at the same time. I practiced how to ask him what the heck he was doing while walking to school, and I’m reciting it in my brain as I look around the student union. What mood is Levi in today? Is he going to be a nerd? A jock? An outcast? Decisions…

There’s one place I avoid looking at, and that’s Kevin’s group. Ex-boyfriend hasn’t gotten creative in the slightest in the two years we’ve been apart, calling me by my label any chance he sees me, and his parade of monkeys squawk their amusement as I walk past. Yes, I may not have taken the wisest way out of sex, but I panicked on the way to his house when his hand slid up the inside of my thigh. He’d always tried to touch me places, and we’d talked about sex, but I wanted to
want
it, not feel like I had to. So I bolted. Into a tree. In Zoe’s car. And when I broke up with him after, he decided to seek revenge by nonstop mockery. It’s old, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

I dig through my backpack, looking for my phone so I have something to do with my hands, but dang it, I think I left it at home. I go for the pack of gum instead, and shove a piece in my mouth, chewing with so much gusto my jaw may break in half. Gosh, I hope I look okay. Levi will be drawn to me like a bug into one of those zapper things. Only I won’t kill him, of course.

The chewing prevents me from blowing up my cheeks, stupid habit I picked up from Zoe, so at least I won’t look like a blowfish.

The student union fills up slowly, groups going to their designated areas. My eyes scan every face. My stomach leaps when I find someone who looks like Levi, but then drops when I realize it’s not. Grr… what is taking him so long?

“Hey, Livingston!”

I hear Adam, but I don’t see him. He’s about a foot shorter than everybody in my high school, automatically putting him in the outcast group with me and Sydney. When the D&D crowd thins, I spot his reddish-brown hair bouncing up to me, his glasses inching down his long nose.

“Ripping your clothes again?” He shakes his head at my shirt.

“Does it look okay?” I ask, tugging at the hem.

“Always does.” He hikes up his backpack and gives me a huge grin. “So, guess what?”

“What?” I ask, letting my eyes wander back to the swarm of high school bodies.

“That dude you have a thing for? He just pulled up on a moped.”

Okay…“So?”

“So, he’s not driving that sweet Range Rover
anymore. Wonder what possessed him to downgrade?”

“Maybe he’s thinking about the environment.” I’m just spouting off crap, and I can’t believe it didn’t even enter my mind that Levi was driving something other than his Rover. I was more worried about him seeing me in my glasses I guess.

“Hmm. Well, I’m bummed. I would’ve bought that car off him in a second.”

I snort, letting my eyes fall onto my friend. “Yeah right! Like you could afford that.”

“One can dream.”

Laughing, I go back to my sexy man search. “You said he just got here?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. You don’t look obvious at all.”

I wrinkle my nose at him, and finally catch Levi coming through the main doors. My feet can’t move fast enough.

“I’ll see you in Chem Lab,” I call over my shoulder to Adam, before getting lost in a sea of people. If only I could pull a Moses or something, wave a stick and make them all move out of my way.

Levi’s plowing through the crowd like a wide receiver at the Super Bowl. And he’s moving at a pace there is no way I can catch up to, especially after the bell rings and everyone starts to shuffle to first period. I stop in the middle of the hall, watching him get farther and farther away. Guess I’ll have to be satisfied with seeing him in Debate… three hours away.

***

Third seat from the back, second row. That’s my seat in almost every class. It’s far enough away from the bitches in the corner who like to stick gum in people’s hair like we’re in second grade, and close enough to the white board that I don’t have to squint to see it. I guess I need new contacts too. I’ll try to remember to ask Mom when they get back from vacation today, and hope they don’t mind spending the money on another eye exam.

But when I walk into the debate room, our desks have been reorganized into a large square, a space slicing it right in half. There’s a sign on the far side of the room that says, “Affirmative” while the other side says, “Negative.” The subject on the board is titled “Vending machines in schools.” The Affirmative side is already packed, leaving only one seat open. I want to jet my way right into it only because I don’t want to argue with these people who are obviously passionate about their daily dose of candy and soda, but I get halfway across the room and spot Levi sitting in the negative section. He’s bent over, tying his shoe, a small black case sitting next to his foot. His blond hair has fallen in front of his eyes, almost hitting his khaki shorts.

Forget joining the affirmative side. I nearly fall as my feet change direction.

Okay…do I sit next to him, or give him some breathing room? I’m wearing a kickass outfit designed from our run-in from this morning, and my dark hair is curled to perfection. I smell like green apples—according to my body wash label—so what other reason besides the fact I’m hecka nervous do I have not to sit next to him?

He straightens, and pushes his gorgeous locks from his eyes. When he catches me standing in front of the negative side having my own internal debate, he melts my limbs as he laughs and mouths the words I painted across my abdomen:
NOT A MORNING PERSON
.

Then he totally pats the desk next to him.

Oh how I want to dance to that seat, but I totally keep my cool and do the sexy-sashay-butt-wiggle thing the whole way there.

“Sorry about this morning,” he says through those beautiful lips of his. “I’m still not used to how loud the motor is on the moped.”

My smile is so big I’m sure he can see all my teeth. “Oh, it’s totally no big deal. It wasn’t all you. Zoe and Zak were too noisy in the next room so I was a bit on edge already. Then you came along, and the buzzing was like, ‘AGH! Bees in my brain!’ But it really is no big deal. I sort of like the noise of mopeds, and I don’t care if you drive by my house that early. What were you doing up at four anyway? Oh, you so don’t have to answer that if you don’t want, and I’m not trying to complain about it…obviously, this outfit totally means I’m joking about it. I mean it’s not like you should avoid the road by my house just because of me, you know? So totally cool, and I’m sorry for squawking at you. I think I was mostly awake anyway so no big deal.”

His eyes are so round by the time I finish yabbering. I get a rush of panic through my body, and all the breath I’m holding makes my cheeks puffer. He chuckles as my face bursts into flames, and he starts twirling his mechanical pencil between his fingers.

“Glad it was no big deal.”

“No big deal.” Let’s see how many times I can say that before the teacher walks in. I think I’m already up to a million.

“Sorry. I know Zoe’s trying to move, but…”

I nod, my eyes moving to his fingers now curled around his pencil, tracing over words he’s already written in his notebook. “Yeah, she’s still trying to get the money, I think.”

“Money blows.”

“Totally.” Even though I really don’t know about it. I know my parents work their butts off, but I don’t starve or go without electricity. I am going to do my bestest for a scholarship or something, since I don’t want to end up like Zoe, still living with Mom and Dad because I dorked around most of high school.

I lick my lips and set my chin on the heel of my hand, batting my eyes at his loveliness. “So, you have a new ride?” Laying it on thick ‘cause he’s beautiful, and I want to hop on the back of that thing with him ASAP.

He lets out a hollow laugh, and digs his pencil farther into his paper. “Yeah. It’s not the Rover, but it works.”

I open my mouth to ask about having a ride on it sometime, but dang Mrs. Young’s timing. She scoots around the desks, arms full of manila folders, and stops in the center of the room. Her messy red hair is piled on top of her head with about thirty pencils. She pulls one out and immediately starts taking roll.

Cold metal hits my arm, and I jump, eyes turning straight to Levi, who gives me a smile and nudges me with his notebook again.

My heart goes to my ears, punching my eardrums as I read the words there. Levi Mason is passing me notes. The granola bar I had this morning does a little jig in my tummy.

I have an extra helmet. I can take you home after school if you want.

Heck yes, I want!

“Sierra?”

My pencil is out and scribbling my answer on Levi’s notebook. It takes a cough and poke in the shoulder for me to finally answer Mrs. Young.

“Oh…yeah, I’m here.”

A couple people laugh, but
pfft
about them. I’m passing notes old school style with a beautiful boy next to me.

Yes! My feet send their thanks. :)

Hmm…maybe the explanation mark was a little much.

He silent chuckles at my response and starts writing some more. I wonder if he’ll let me keep the paper when we’re done. I can put it in my journal or scan it into my computer. Have it as my desktop background or something. Create a collage with his yummy handwriting and his face and all that.

No…maybe that’s a little obsessive.

I bounce on the balls of my feet, eyes flashing over to his hand every half a second. Gosh, what is he writing that could take him so long to get that paper back to me?

“Okay, before we start today’s debate, our yearly mentorship program is about to start, and the administration of both schools would like a count before the end of the week. I know most of you know how it works, but bear with me as I explain for those of you who don’t.”

I straighten my back and pick at the edge of the desk, turning my attention to Mrs. Young and this mentorship thing. I’ve heard it looks great on college apps.

“Each year we ask a few of you to mentor an eighth grader who will be joining our student body the following year. It’s a good opportunity to make them feel welcome before they get here, but also to answer any questions or concerns they have about high school curriculum. And I’m sorry, seniors, this is only available to juniors and sophomores unless we don’t get enough participants. We’d like them to have their mentor here next year when they join us.”

I inch forward in my seat, waiting for the cue to raise my hand. I’m not seeing a downside to this thing, unless the eighth grader’s a total biotch. And maybe Levi will see how awesome I am by giving my time to a helpless thirteen-year-old.

The notebook slides under my nose again.

Cool program. Did it in 8th. Guy was awesome. You gonna give it a shot?

Hmm…it’s a new sheet of paper (dang, ‘cause I really want that other one) so he must’ve been writing something different before and it wasn’t to me. Oh well. He’s writing to me now.

Mrs. Young is going through the folders she brought in, saying something, but I’m too busy writing Levi back to pay attention anymore.

Thinking about it.

I go to slide it back, but he keeps it on my desk and writes with his arm super close to mine. There’s some sort of magical static that zaps between us. I wonder if he feels it too.