I saw Dare slowly shaking his head out of the corner of my eye.
"I'm sure he'd love to know who was responsible," I went on. "He still talks about that car. Even now."
"Wow," Dare said. "Just wow."
I held onto to his gaze even though all I wanted to do was look away.
"Blackmail, flower?" he said. "Who knew you could be so ruthless."
"I know. I'm just full of surprises," I said back. "Now, does this mean you'll help? Come on, Dare, you've already done it once. I just need you to get caught with me a couple times, so that when I tell my dad I have feelings for you, he'll believe it."
Dare just kept staring. "Coach is going to hate me."
"Not when I tell him the truth," I said. "I'll explain how I duped you into this and that none of it was real."
"And you're really going to hold the prank over my head as collateral?"
He ran a hand along his jaw, but I couldn't read the expression on his face.
"I'm strangely impressed right now," he said.
And then he murmured as if to himself, "Can't believe I'm actually doing this."
"So, you will?" I asked. Even I could hear the hopeful note in my voice. "You'll be my fake boyfriend?"
"Yeah," Dare said with a shrug. "Why not? I'll do it."
"Really?" I squeaked.
"Did you expect me to say no after all that?" he said then pointed his finger at my face. "But just remember, if Coach ends up killing me for fooling around with his daughter, it's all your fault."
I nodded. "If it happens, I'll be sure to give you an awesome eulogy."
CHAPTER 8
I met Dare at the front of the car, trying to hide how giddy I was. He'd actually agreed! It had taken some persuasion, of course. But that was only to be expected. I'd held onto the information about Dare's prank for years, never knowing it would one day be useful. Pretend boyfriends were something I'd only heard about in books and movies. But now, I had one.
And he was currently staring at me with a frown.
"No need to look so pleased with yourself," Dare said.
Pleased? More like ecstatic, I thought, but I managed to tamp down my enthusiasm.
"Thank you, Dare," I said in my most serious voice. "You won't regret this."
He scoffed. "I already do."
Even his bad attitude couldn't bring me down. This plan was going to work brilliantly. Now, I just had to figure out my next move.
"Are you ready?" Dare asked.
"For what?" I said.
He cocked a brow. "To go inside. School's about to start."
"I know. I'll come find you later."
"Okay, flower, you just spent all that time talking about your crazy schemes—"
"Hey!" I tried to cut in, but he kept going.
"—even went so far as to use guilt, bribery, and blackmail, and now you don't want to be seen with me?"
Dare shook his head.
"No one will believe we're together unless we're together," he finished.
I had to admit, he made a good point.
"Okay," I said, "but I have to stop by the band room first and drop something off."
Dare nodded. "I've noticed you do that. Lead the way. I'll follow you."
"Fine," I mumbled, opening the back door on my side, grabbing what I needed and then meeting him back in front of Buttercup. "Let's go."
"Hold up," Dare said, his brows furrowed as he looked at what I was carrying. "What's that?"
I glanced over my shoulder then back up at him. "My cello case. Why?"
He blinked. "You play the cello?"
"Yes, obviously," I said.
"I didn't even know our school had an orchestra."
"They don't," I replied. "I get private lessons from a lady who comes in to work with me. It still counts as my fine arts credit."
Dare continued to stare at the instrument with concern. "That thing looks pretty heavy," he said.
I shrugged, feeling the movement jostle my backpack-style case. "You get used to it."
Before I could say more, he'd bent down, smoothly slipped the strap off my shoulder and scooped the case right out of my hands. I could do nothing but stare open-mouthed.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Carrying your cello," he said while adjusting it onto his own back. The "duh" was left unsaid but definitely implied.
"Dare, I do this every day. I don't need you to carry it for me."
"I know." Dare gave me a look. "But that was before you were my girlfriend—well, fake girlfriend. My girl doesn't lift heavy stuff when I'm around."
Two times in one sentence. He'd called me his girlfriend twice, and both times it made my chest tighten a bit. And why did it have to suddenly expand when he said "my girl" like that? Jeez, calm down, heart. Don't be so easily moved.
"Well…thanks, I guess. Come on," I said then led him to the band room. Luckily, we didn't pass many people on the way, so we didn't have to deal with the strange looks I knew Dare and I would receive if seen together—especially with him carting around my instrument. Which looked decidedly not-so-heavy strapped across his broad frame.
Dare was smiling, and I stopped outside the door, crossed my arms.
"What?" I demanded.
"Nothing," he said then laughed when he saw my face.
"Dare."
"Okay, okay," he said. "I can just tell you're impressed right now."
I forced a laugh. "Yeah, right," I said.
He shook his head. "Your face reads like an open book, flower."
Did it? I'd definitely have to work on that for Operation Revenge to be successful. Trying to make my expression blank, I frowned.
"Oh yeah, what am thinking now?" I asked.
As he took a step closer and reached
