Confessions of a Queen B*

Untitled Part 38

Brett started going down the list of teen stressors, starting with the items with the highest scores. "Well, neither one of us has lost a parent recently. We haven't had an unplanned pregnancy."

"Unless you count Junior there."

He cracked a grin. "Fair enough."

We went down the list until he came to the item worth sixty-seven points. "Change in acceptance by peers," he murmured. "Is that why you're so anal about not being seen with me?"

"Bingo, Einstein."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"I mean most girls in the school would like to be seen with me." He could have said that in an arrogant, preening way, but instead, his words were matter-of-fact.

"If by most girls, you mean Summer, then yes, I suppose you're right. But I'm not like most girls."

"No shit."

I rolled my eyes toward him. "Is there a reason why you're sidetracking me from the assignment?"

He rested his chin in his palm, his eyes never wavering from me. "I think you're scared that if people saw us hanging out together, they'd realize that maybe you aren't quite the bitch they think you are."

He was absolutely correct on one count, but I wasn't going to let him know that. Or the fact that, you know, I might actually like him in that hot and horny teenage way. Or maybe even in the "I might actually consider going out with you someday" way. "More like they'd wonder if you'd been hit in the head one too many times during football practice."

"So you're more worried about my reputation?" He covered his heart with his hand, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I'm so touched."

"Do you want me to kick you out of my house?"

He shook his head, grinning the whole time in a way that left little prickles of sweat along the back of my neck. "Don't worry, Lexi—your secret is safe with me."

"And what secret is that?" I pretended to stare at my screen, even though I was watching him out of the corner of my eye.

He leaned over, giving my rebellious hormones an unwelcome surge when the heat of his skin radiated onto mine. "That you're actually capable of being nice and braiding ribbons into little girls' hair instead of being the ball-busting bitch you want everyone to see you as."

I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from shaking and remembered I still had the picture of him playing horsey with his sisters. "Are you asking for a demonstration of the latter?"

He shook his head, settling into his seat again. "Nope. I've already seen enough through your blog."

"I suppose you're getting a rise out of tormenting me, aren't you?"

His grin only confirmed it, even though he said nothing.

I scanned the list, looking for distraction in any place I could find it. "Here's one for you—breaking up with a girlfriend."

"Not an issue."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot, Summer's not your girlfriend, even though she tells everyone in the school she is."

That wiped the grin off his face. "She does?"

"How clueless are you? She even sent me threats through my sister to keep my hands off of you."

His brows bunched together, accentuating the downward turn of his mouth. "Perhaps I need to have a little talk with her."

"Go right ahead. Meanwhile, I'm giving you points for the breakup since in some respects, you are having to end this fictitious relationship Summer's created." I jotted down the number, daring to give voice to the question that had been lingering in my mind since I'd first acknowledged my attraction to him. "So, what is the story between you two?"