Georgetown Academy, Book One

Chapter: Nine (the final chapter)

Thursday, 9:28am.

Taryn walked into her math class the next morning, wondering if Gabe would be there after his history class absence yesterday afternoon. She vowed that when she saw him, she would play it very cool. She didn’t want to be the girl awkwardly throwing herself at a guy who didn’t like her.

She didn’t have to wonder long if he’d show.

“The air hockey hustler. I can still taste that Ouzo in the back of my throat,” Gabe said, sliding into the seat next to hers. “I might need a rematch.”

His dark eyes flashed mischievously, and Taryn’s vow went straight out the window. Those were not the words of a guy who wasn’t at least a little interested.

“I don’t know. I might need a little more of a challenge,” Taryn answered.

“You free tomorrow night? I’m sure I can come up with something unexpected.”

Okay, more than a little interested.

“I just made plans to go to Cactus Cantina with Thatcher, Jenny and a couple other people.” Taryn was glad she didn’t seem too available. She wasn’t one to play games, but there was definitely something to the idea of the thrill of the chase.

“Okay, Saturday night then.”

“I’m game,” she said casually, as she opened her Algebra II book. She wanted to distract herself so she didn’t reveal just how excited she was.

Taryn rushed through dinner that night and now nestled herself among the plush purple throw pillows on her bed, her PowerBook on her lap. She desperately needed this Skype convo with her best friend, Lauren, and she wanted to make sure they squeezed it in before she went to bed.

“So we need to talk wardrobe for my date with Gabe,” Taryn told her, crossing one fuzzy pink slipper over the other. Lauren had aspirations of being a stylist one day and loved working her magic on Taryn.

Lauren swept the long blond hair off her face and leaned forward on her own bed, contemplating the subject as seriously as Taryn had been doing since math class that morning. Taryn could see the autographed True Blood poster hanging on the wall behind Lauren, courtesy of her studio-head father.

“I’m thinking effortlessly sexy,” Lauren finally answered.

“I was thinking that, too! But the weather here makes it really hard to pull off.”

“Does it, like, rain?” Lauren asked, the concept baffling to her since she had lived in L.A. all her life.

“Almost every single day,” Taryn responded. The rain had been depressing at first, but the thought of a date with Gabe in the rain somehow seemed romantic now.

“Then you need to make sure you have a really cute coat.”