Estelle cleared her throat, and I looked over to find her and Jovonte staring at the two of us like they were watching their favorite sitcom. Sitting back in my seat, I tried to act like everything was normal.
"So Dare, I was just telling Viola how much I like her shirt," she said, giving me a grin. "Blue is really her color. Don't you agree?"
Dare took his time answering. "Blue's good," he said finally. "But I'm thinking black might look better against her skin."
My eyes shot to his at that.
So much for not seeing anything, I thought as a blush stole up my neck. I mean sure, I loved wearing black, half my wardrobe was probably black. But Dare was so obviously not referencing any of those clothes. My lacy black bra suddenly felt tighter, my skin feeling hotter, than it had moments before.
My temperature only grew as he threw me a wink.
Definitely not a saint, I thought.
When lunch came, I was ready to kick back and relax, hopefully lose myself in the book I'd brought to school. But before I could even open it, Tyson sat next to me and started talking.
"Hey Viola," Ty said. "I wanted to speak to you."
"Okay," I said.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "This may be hard for you to believe. But I just wanted you to know I had nothing to do with that video. I'd never do something like that, leak our personal business and try to embarrass you."
I nodded. "I know—"
"And I see now that I may have been a little harsh," he went on. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. That wasn't my intention. At all."
"I know, Ty," I said.
"You do?" he asked.
"Yeah." I gave his hand a pat. "I know what kind of person you are. We're okay."
Tyson seemed to exhale for the first time since he sat down.
"Oh good," he said and gave me a smile. "I just didn't want you to think I was a douchebag or something."
"Well, you are friends with Dare," I said.
As I'd intended, Tyson let out a laugh. Dare walked over and sat down a second later.
"What are you two smiling about?" Dare asked suspiciously.
"Nothing," I said as Tyson bit back a grin.
"Sorry you got stuck taking this one"—Tyson hooked his thumb at Dare—"to school every day. He's my best friend, but even I know he can be a handful."
"Hey!" Dare protested, but I spoke over him.
"True. He can be a little much."
Dare looked between the two of us.
"You guys suck, and if I wasn't so hungry I'd expand on that," he said then dug into his food.
Tyson scooted closer and said, "He's really not so bad, you know."
No, he's not, I thought, wondering why Tyson, the guy who I'd thought I was in love with, could whisper in my ear, and it did nothing. But even as Dare glared my way, I felt a rush of butterflies in my stomach.
I chalked it up to bad cafeteria food.
#
Viola, come see me in my office before you leave.
Seeing those words in a text message from my dad had me on high alert. It had been a day. I was more than eager to go to the shelter, visit with the animals and then head home. But now, my father wanted a word. Honestly, it was worse than getting called to the principal's office. Me and Principal Hogan were on great terms. She was a Potterhead like me, Ravenclaw through and through, and, we got along beautifully.
I wished it were her door I was standing at right now.
Dad was sitting at his desk, going over some papers, when I arrived. I knocked on the open door, and he looked up, smiling when he saw it was me.
"Hey Viola," he said, "you know you don't have to knock. You can always come in no matter what."
"Hi, Dad," I said.
"Come in, come in." He gestured me forward. "This won't take long. There was just something I wanted to discuss with you."
I walked to one of the visitor's chairs and sat while Dad came around the desk and took the chair opposite me.
"So how's your day been?" he asked.
My eyebrows rose. What a loaded question. "Not the best, but I guess it could've been worse," I said. "How about you?"
"Eh, nothing out of the norm. You want to talk about anything?"
"Not really," I said.
Dad sighed. "I heard what happened, Vi."
"Oh."
A nod. "And I want you to know it's going to be okay."
"What is?" I said tentatively. So much had happened today that it was impossible to tell what he was talking about.
"Maybe it was stupid of me to think you couldn't like one of my players," he said, speaking more to himself than to me. "But in my head, you'll always be my baby. I can't believe I didn't see it before."
He laughed, but I stayed silent, waiting to see where this was going.
"You should be cautious, though. He may seem like a nice boy. But most guys that age aren't real reliable."
I crossed my arms. "I bet Mom would disagree. She always said you were her One, the person she could trust with anything, even back in high school. Before that even."
Dad smiled. "Well, there are exceptions to every rule."
His expression sobered a moment later.
"But seriously, Viola," he said. "I get it. He's good-looking, smart, athletic."
And he knows it, I thought.
"He's a great player and all-around nice guy."
I had to laugh at that. "Dare? Nice? I'm not sure he'd like being called that, Dad."
His brow furrowed. "Frost? Who said anything about him?"
My eyes widened at my faux pas. "Ah, well, what are you
