The Boy From California

6. Idiot Squared

By the time I finished telling Faith everything, she looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Or heard about her best friend considering taking up the opportunity to fake-date her vicious ex. 

We made sure to go somewhere secluded, just in case Jackson deciding to do some late-night eavesdropping. She was silent the whole time but her expression told me more than any words could.

"Do it," she whispered with a wicked grin. She grabbed my shoulders and stared at me dead-in-the-eye, "do it."

"Well now that I have your approval, I don't know if I want to," I gave her a half smile. She took her hands off my shoulders and tapped her chin in thought. Something I've picked up about Faith is that whenever she taps her chin, she's really thinking - or scheming.

"This is your chance, Si," she smiled. "To get back at Dylan for everything he's done to us."

"I guess," I spoke but it came out more as a question. "If it's the way I'm going to crack Jackson - I'll do it."

She let out a squeal and pulled me into a tight hug, "I promise I'll be watching his every move to make sure he doesn't hurt you."

I grinned, "I think he's the one who should be worried about getting hurt."

And boy how wrong I was.

I quickly slammed my laptop shut with tears running down my cheeks. They left wet stains on my face which I rushed to wipe away with my palms. 

"Sea?" a voice I pinned as Ryan's called out. I jumped at this and looked up. He leaned against my door frame with his eyebrows furrowed, "are you okay?"

"Are you kidding me?" I practically shout. "I just read chapter thirty-six of Two Gangs and a Golden Girl and I am a changed woman."

"Golden Gan- wha?" 

"Uncultured," I scold him. "It's a book- no a gift from God himself that stays sheltered on Wattpad." 

"Pad? Are you on your period?"

"No," I snort. "It's a reading site, duh."

"I thought you're supposed to read books," he scratched his head in confusion. 

I pulled myself together with one final sniff, "what are you doing here anyway?" 

"Jackson invited the guys over, said something about wanting to a- Nevermind," he shut himself up. I narrowed my eyes at him, the brunette simply grinned. "There's pizza downstairs."

My ears perk up at this. I jumped out of bed with my comforter training after me like a ball gown. Ryan bites back a grin and gestures me to follow him.

"I think I know my way downstairs," I snort.

"I think I know you do, I'm just being your gentlemanly escort."

I take my hand into his and smirk. He does as he says and escorts me down the stairs. I pause at the last step, he takes a bow which I gently mirror. 

"I'll have to take you to a real ball now," he wore a boyish grin. I playfully punched him in the shoulder, earning me a gentle wince from him.

"Am I interrupting anything important?" I look over Ryan's shoulder only to be met with the hard-glare of Dylan. "Why is she here?"

"Excuse me, you blonde dildo," Ryan snorts and I continue, "I'm living here for the month."

"Did you just call me a blonde dildo?" he looks mad but a glint of amusement tells me otherwise.