IN WHICH , Jane Hopper accidentally hits Maxine Mayfield, the popular captain of the lacrosse team, with her car. Jane thinks she's off the hook when Maxine doesn't press charges, but she's wrong. After Maxine's girlfriend breaks up with her for a c...
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"Two days until the big game, you guys nervous?" Lucas asked, breaking the comfortable silence. The four of us were soaking in the hot tub, definitely past the time we were supposed to be in here. The steam rose around us, creating a cozy, almost surreal atmosphere. Maxine's shirt, which she wore over her bathing suit bottoms, floated around her. I couldn't help but wonder why she chose to wear a shirt in the hot tub. Maybe she forgot to pack the other half of her swimsuit.
Macy and Maxine had two very different answers to Lucas's question. Macy, ever the confident one, shook her head. "Not at all," she said with a grin. Maxine, on the other hand, surprised us all by admitting she was nervous. "What? I'm allowed to be nervous," she said, making a face.
"But you're like the best player on the team," Lucas said, turning to Macy with a smile. "No offense, honey," he added, his eyes twinkling. "None taken," Macy replied, smiling back. The nicknames they gave each other made them seem like an old couple, comfortable and affectionate.
"Well, I'm still as nervous as ever," Maxine mumbled, but we all heard her. I gave her a sympathetic look, trying to offer some silent support. Macy let out a yawn, which caught Lucas's attention. "Are you tired? Let's get you to bed," he said, helping her stand up. The three of us girls giggled at this display of him being such a gentleman. Soon, it was just me and Maxine left in the hot tub.
I snuck into the water until only my head was above the surface. Maxine scrunched her brows at me. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Dipping my shoulders in, they were cold," I replied with a small grin. She mimicked my actions, and soon both our heads were floating above the water. From another person's perspective, I was sure we looked like total idiots.
"I saw Heather in the halls today," she said. I didn't like the way her name rolled off Maxine's tongue. I didn't know why, but it made me feel a pang of something. "She's still complaining about how Jane Hopper threw up all over her two-hundred-dollar dress," she added.
I smirked. "Yeah, I call that my power move."
Maxine scoffed. "You're such a dork." She flicked me on the nose, causing my face to blush. She then leaned back against the hot tub in her original spot. I sat next to her, watching as her head tipped up to look at the ceiling. I observed the rise and fall of her chest and the way the muscles in her neck moved. I fluttered my eyes closed, tipping my head back into the same position she was in.
I can now feel her eyes on me, a gentle yet insistent presence that causes my eyelids to flutter open. Our gazes lock, and for a moment, the world narrows to just the two of us. We take in each other's features, every detail etched in the soft light. My lips part slightly at the sight of her, a silent expression of awe. A small gasp escapes me as her fingers, delicate and warm, brush against my face. She carefully tucks a stray brown strand of wet hair behind my ear, her touch sending a shiver down my spine. My cheeks flush with warmth, a rosy hue spreading across my face.
"Sorry," she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper as she clears her throat. Her eyes drop to the water below, and my hair slips from her fingers, falling back into place.
"It's okay," I reply, my voice soft and breathy, almost a whisper.
