Passionate Exchange

Chapter Ten

It's Friday, another day of school and another game. Another game means another party. Penny has spent the last fifteen minutes of our lunch break trying to persuade me to go. She said it's one of the highlights of life as a senior, but partying has never really been my thing.

I've been to a few birthday parties here and there, but I tend to steer clear of high school parties. I've seen the movies and heard the stories; you spend the night getting drunk, dancing on a floor of sweaty teenagers and then wake up the next day regretting the whole thing. When the next party comes along you forget all about that regret and repeat what happened last time.

"What's your excuse this time?" Penny raises an eyebrow, challenging me as she waits for my answer. Brody's eyes pour into mine with the same amount of interest.

"I was thinking of looking for a job tonight," she opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "Before you say anything, I promise to go to the next one."

"The next one's in a week." Brody sulks with a pout.

"Well," I take a bite out of my sandwich and continue. "That gives me just enough time to prepare myself for a night of torture."

Penny shakes her head, but she can't hold back her laughter.

"Fine," She narrows her eyes at me. "But you have to go to the next one or I'll hide all the snacks from you."

"You wouldn't!" I gasp but the daring look that she's giving me tells me otherwise.

That's my fate sealed for next Friday.

I've been wanting to go out and find a job for the past week, but I haven't had time. I spent most of the week catching up on homework and doing assignments. I'm still not sure what I want to do. As long as I'm earning my own money, so I don't have to rely on Penny and her parents all year then I'm happy.

"What are we talking about?" Archer slides onto the seat next to me. His voice takes me by surprise, I have to blink a few times to check that I'm actually seeing correctly.

I see Penny pinch her arm under the table to check if she's dreaming and have to hold back a snort.

"What do you want?" She ignores his question.

Archer holds his hands up in surrender like I did when we were lost. "Is it a crime to want to sit with my sister and her friends?" He raises a challenging eyebrow causing my jaw to drop to the floor.

Brody rolls his eyes at his presence, "it should be." He mutters under his breath, but I hear him. If I heard him that means that Archer heard him too, but he doesn't say anything in response.

Penny narrows her eyes at him before turning to the side and launching herself into a conversation with Brody. She must be choosing to ignore him, but I find myself leaning closer.

"What are you doing?" I whisper so only he can hear.

He leans in closer, so his mouth is inches away from my ear. His hot breath fans my face and mine hitches in my throat. "As I said, I'm spending time with my sister." He winks as he returns to his original position. I'm enveloped in the cold.

He smirks. I snap out of my daze, glaring at him. He hasn't spoken to me since we got lost and now, he chooses to come over. He never talks to Penny or Brody either, so his surprise visit makes no sense.

"Madison," Penny waves her hand in front of my face.

I cough awkwardly. "Sorry, what?

"I asked what job you were looking for?"

My mouth forms an 'o'. I must have zoned out. Giving her an apologetic look, I fidget with my hands under the table. All eyes are on me but only one person's gaze piercing into my skin sends shivers across my body...