The Bet

Chapter 29

Riley's POV

I sadly walked back into the living room.

"Aw, is Riley upset because James had to leave?" Emily cooes. I sit down on one of the chairs.

"No." I pout. By now, the rest of my family has gone home, and now it's only my dad, my sister and me.

"Emily, leave your sister alone." Dad scolds. I smile like a little angel at my sister.

"So dad," I speak up slowly. "What do you think of James?"

He thinks for a moment, before finally telling me the verdict.

"Seems like a really nice boy." He finally says.

"I got a bad feeling about him." Emily pipes up.

"How?" I ask.

I usually trust my sister's opinion on things, but this time I can't be so sure. James may have been a player before, but I think he's changed. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

"I don't know. He just seems...Odd." She tells me.

"Well you're wrong." I snap.

"If you say so." She sighs.

~~~~~

James's POV

As I still sat at West's house, him and Eldon continued to load the questions on me.

"Is she a good kisser?" Eldon asks.

"You have a girlfriend!" I yell at him.

"Gee, lighten up! It's not like I would steal her from you, bet or no bet." He says defensively.

"Well, if you want to know so bad, than no, Riley is a terrible kisser!" I lie. God, her lips are like heaven!

"So have you thought of any girls you might date after you dump Riley?" West asks. I shrug.

"No really..."

"Why don't you just give up the bet? I mean, you obviously don't like her, so what's the point of putting yourself through all of that work?" Eldon asks.

"So I can prove that I can go steady with a girl for awhile. Even a girl like her." I reply, partically lying.

"If you say so." They chuckle.

"But man," West says, "When I was talking to you on the phone, did you say that you two were...Cuddling?"

A large smirk is carved into his face, and I feel my face growing a bright crimson red.

"Well..."

"He's blushing! James Kennedy is blushing!" Eldon screams with laughter.

"Shut up!" I scream back. "Alright fine, we were cuddling! Call the reporters! What's the big deal?"

"Since when do you have cuddly snuggly time with a girl?" West asks.

"Okay first, don't ever call it that. And second, again, what's the big deal if I'm cuddling with Riley?" I ask.

"It kind of seems that you're becoming attached to Riley." Eldon says.

"We haven't even been dating three days, and I've know her for like, two weeks. How have I've become attached?" I laugh sarcastically. They shrug.

"I don't know, it's just that it seems like you actually like this one." Eldon says.

"Love even." West adds.

"No! Don't say the 'L' word! I do not...Love Riley!" I cry.

"Woah, calm down man." Eldon says, raising his arms in an act of surrender.

"So, are you still going to treat her like every other girl you dated?" West asks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"Come on. You have a reputation at school. You don't want to ruin it because you were cuddling in the hallway with Riley." West explains.

"So what am I supposed to do? Be a jerk to her?" I inquire.

"Why not? Every other girl likes it." He replies.

"Riley isn't like every other girl." I mumble under my breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" They ask, West cupping his ear for emphasis.

"Nothing." I mutter.