They say that shy people notice everything but say nothing. Maybe that’s why Willa hasn’t said a word to me since I picked her up ten minutes ago. She sits quietly in the passenger seat of my car with her eyes glued to the windshield. Her hands are folded neatly in her lap, and the extra effort she put into this night is apparent with the thick layer of makeup covering her face.
Her honey brown eyes are outlined in black and her lips are glossed over. Though, her normal Willa wardrobe has remained the same, an old lady sweater with white pearl buttons riding down the center, and I’m pretty sure there are cats on it, although it could be puppies. Hell if I know. Hell if I care.
I glance over and watch her body tense up. It’s like she knows I’m watching her. “You excited for tonight?”
Her eyes stay straight ahead when she nods. “Mmhmm.” I crack a smile. For some reason her unease makes this all the more exciting.
Sure, it’s just a bet. One that I plan to win, even if there isn’t anything at stake. It was simply the guys telling me that I couldn’t do it, and me telling them that I could bag this chick on a teacher’s desk with an audience if I wanted to.
It’s no secret that Willa has always had a crush on me. Junior year she was doodling in her notebook and Zed snatched it up and showed the entire class her artwork. A big heart with my name inside of it that looked like it had been traced over at least a hundred times. I was sitting in front of her, like I had every day in English class. After that, I made sure not to lean too far back, because I’m pretty sure she used to sniff my hair. She may have even plucked a few strands and stuck them between the pages of her notebook.
We pull up to Tommy’s house and that motherfucker lied. He said this would be the most epic birthday party in existence. There’s six, maybe seven cars, and it looks like everyone is in the house. Just fucking great. I’m gonna walk in there with Whispering Willa and there isn’t a chance in hell of blending in.
Fuck it. Maybe I should call this entire thing off. Even though I know for a fact that she’ll spread her legs for me with little to no effort, I’m not sure I want between them. I’m sure the girl is a virgin, and while I’m an asshole on many levels, her v-card shouldn’t go to a guy who won’t even look in her direction when we pass through the halls.
Before I can even change my mind, Willa is opening her door and stepping out. “You sure you wanna do this?” I ask her, giving her the opportunity to run like hell. But she doesn’t back down. Instead, she smiles. A real, genuine, happy as hell smile. Something twinges in my gut and it’s apparent in this moment that I’m going straight to hell. Her fingers tangle around the cross hanging from her neck and her eyes shimmer in the light of the moon. “Unless you don’t want to,” she says in a hushed tone, her smile fading with the possibility of me being the one to call this whole thing off.
“Hell yeah, I do.” I jump out of the car and slam the door shut then hurry over to her side. Swinging an arm over her shoulder, I press my lips to her cheek. “Wouldn't've invited you if I didn’t want you here with me.” Lies. All lies. But, if I’m going to hell, I might as well enjoy the ride.
Drawing in a deep breath, I swing open the front door. My eyes dance from person to person staring at me. Zed’s wearing a shit-eating grin with an unlit joint pinched between his fingers. Tommy and Talon look surprised that I even got her here.
I look down at Willa and I can tell she’s nervous as hell. I squeeze her closer, warranting glares from the barbie dolls huddled together at the kitchen island. Their laughter has Willa rubbing her cross again. She’s probably praying for a way out of this mess. Now that she’s here, she’s not going anywhere. Now that we’ve been seen together, I have every intention of winning this challenge. “Come on, let’s get a drink.” I lead her into the kitchen with my arm