Stranded with the Rockstar (Rockstar #1)

10. Harry

"It's a spider!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Sunny sticking her fingers in her ears dramatically. "Okay first of all, I have eardrums that I don't want to bust. And second of all, you're wrong."

She continues tracing the same shape on his back for the tenth time. "Octopus!"

She giggles. "It's about time! I thought that one would be too easy."

"My turn." They reposition themselves so Sunny is  sitting between his outstretched legs, her back to him. "You know you have a clear advantage considering you have my whole back. I've got to deal with this sports bra."

"I know you want to see me naked, Styles, but it's not going to happen."

"Smart ass." He rolls his eyes. "Can we go back to our first week here when you barely spoke to me?"

"Don't act like I haven't been a joy. Just think of how bored you'd have been these last four months."

"I suppose you have a point, especially on rainy days like this. I doubt tracing animals into the raft would be nearly as much fun."

He places his index finger on her skin while she pulls her long hair onto her shoulder. He smells the soap root they've been using to clean themselves. Although they use the same thing, she always smells a little different—in a good way, like a pleasant surprise.

Sunny sighs. "Based on what the sky looked like this morning, I'd say it's going to be rainy for a couple days."

He's not surprised that she is able to know that. "Truth."

"Go ahead."

He knows they aren't supposed to ask about home. They typically just stick to generic questions, but he's run out. He already knows she would rather fly than be invisible and her full name is Roma Marilyn (after Manson, not Monroe) Whittle. He decides to ask her what's really on his mind.

"How do you have a degree if you're only twenty? I never went to university—I barely finished secondary school—but I know in America, most people are not done by twenty."

She pauses, and he hears the slightest sigh escape. "During high school, I had a mixture of homeschool and online school. I was able to get my diploma early and just went straight to college from there."

"Is that common in America? Why didn't you have traditional schooling?"

"It's not your turn, Styles. You got one truth, so you have to wait until I get one. You know the rules."

"Yes, but then we made a sub-rule last week that it is allowed if it is a continuation of a previous question."

Ever since they started this 'game' a month ago, in which they can ask each other anything and get full honesty, the rules seem to be getting more and more complex. And Harry's never been much of a rule-follower—unlike his companion.

"Okay," she relents. "I did online schooling because the ranch I live on is over an hour from the nearest school. I tried it in junior high, but then I did some research and found an alternative."

He remains quiet, contemplating this, but she must take it as criticism.

"I still got socialization. Our ranch has plenty of ranch hands living on it, and when they found out what I was doing, some of them started having their kids do the same."

"This is starting to sound more like a commune. Is your dad related to Charles Manson, by chance?"

She doesn't laugh at his joke, and her eyes turn downcast, the same way they do anytime he mentions family.