Inferno

~96~ Homecoming Continued

Liam's POV

I'm stunned for a couple of seconds. For all the weird questions for her to randomly ask me, this is probably the weirdest.

Trace comes right up to me once she leaves.

"What the heck did you do?" I ask, exasperated.

"Nothing. I made a stupid comment and then she asked me how many girls I'd been with, and I was stupid enough to tell her the truth."

"What stupid comment?" I ask, folding my arms and glaring at him. I'm hardly ever serious, so it takes Trace by surprise.

"I joked that I should see if you'd let me stay the night and then once you fell asleep I'd sneak into her room. I was kidding" he says, once he sees my face get darker.

"Do you hate me?" I ask him. He's surprised by that question.

"What?"

"Trace, I've known you since you were born. I'm pretty sure that your mom conned me into changing your diaper a few times. We go way back. What the hell did I do for you to hate me so much?" I ask, raising my voice.

"I don't hate you at all" he says, exasperated.

"You must. There's no way that you would even THINK of doing that to me. Taylor would kill me. Look at my face, Trace. I'm too pretty to have a broken jaw"

"Didn't realize you were a poet" Trace says, chuckling. The fact that face and Trace rhyme was not lost on me, I was just ignoring it.

"I am not amused" I glower.

"I wasn't going to do anything. I was kidding. I promise" he says seriously.

"Go fix it, you ding dong" I say, pointing in the direction that Emma went.

He sighs and leaves silently.

Everyone starts chuckling then.

"You act just like your mom" Lance laughs.

"Thanks man. That's what every guy wants to hear" I chuckle.

"Ok, I've been dying to ask you about the frog prank. Webster told us about that last year. I hear you were quite the legend, and Ellie was pissed" the PE teacher says.

I laugh. "Dude, that was the greatest moment of my life. Taylor was laughing so hard that Principal Monroe was livid. Taylor had to step out. He and mom got in one of their biggest fights. Mom was furious. I got one of the worst spankings of my life" I laugh.

"I thought you said that Taylor thought it was funny" PE teacher said.

"He did. Mom was the one who spanked me" I chuckle.

Their eyes get wide. Apparently they just thought Taylor did all of them.

I chuckle at their shocked expressions. "Single moms are tough" I say simply. She was the toughest. The best.
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Emma's POV

I run to the bathroom. I just needed a minute. This revelation kinda shocked me. They're always hanging out at either my house or his. I honestly figured neither of them had had sex before. This is yet again another thing that makes Trace out of my league. He's experienced. I'm a virgin. Am I just a notch on his belt? That actually would make more sense.

I come out after a couple of minutes, and Trace is leaning against the wall in the hall, waiting on me.

He looks at me and his expression is pained.

"I promise you I was kidding" he says, devastated.

"I know" I say with a smile.

"Then what's wrong?"