The 10 Steps To A Boy's Heart

Chapter 24

Stacy and Daphne are perched over Stacy's bed, both wide eyed and completely immersed as I recollect last night's details. Meanwhile, I'm currently hugging my knees, peering at them from behind my legs. 

"You kissed him?" Daphne's face is one of pure shock while Stacy looks like she's enjoying every minute of this. Her smile is absolutely devilish. 

I put my hands out in front of me, shoulders slumped and gaze helpless. "I had no choice. He was going to walk into my room and then he would see my wall and everything would be over." 

"That wall is pretty incriminating," Daphne nods, ruminating to herself silently.

"Danielle Nio, you definitely had a choice," Stacy picks up a pillow and throws it at me, making me glare at her. "There are so many other ways to distract someone but then again maybe you wanted it. Maybe Zander's finally getting to you."

Now it's my turn to send the pillow flying in her direction, to which she avoids expertly. 

"That's absurd and you know it. I hate the guy." 

"Do you really?" She eyes me suspiciously. 

"Of course. Was there ever a doubt?" I stare daggers at her. 

"But did you enjoy it?" Both girls lean forward, eager to devour more information. When I shake my head they fall back and Daphne stares at her computer distractedly. 

"I didn't feel anything, which is good. Because this is about revenge for Elizabeth, remember?" I don't tell them that that was my first kiss ever because then the two of them would only freak out further. 

Also, there's that lingering disappointment in the pit of my stomach, ever since last night. Movies always portray the first kiss being something so magical, with imaginary fireworks going off in the background. I never expected it to be so...normal. 

A small part of me wonders what it would have felt like if I had kissed Luke instead. 

"Do you know that you're currently the most talked about person on campus?" Daphne leans forward and shows me her phone screen. Numerous threads have been created, most of them discussing the way Zander had approached me with flowers after his winning streak. 

I read through a few of them, some saying I was Daltech's lucky charm during the match, others calling me a bitch and boyfriend stealer. 

Stacy grunts, lying on her back with one shoulder propping her up. "Try the state. The match was televised, remember?" 

I groan loudly and bury my face in my hands. "I just want to disappear." 

"Speaking of disappearing," Stacy says. "Did Liz watch the match? It must have been a shocker to her." 

Her words cause of shiver of fear to run down my spine and I shake it away, wondering why I felt it to begin with. After all I am doing this for her. 

"She's been banned from television and all things Daltech related." Is it wrong that I feel relief saying those words. She can't know about my plans now, not when I haven't broken Zander's heart yet.

My phone buzzes and I immediately grab it only to see my father calling for the fifth time today. The first call was a drunk one, full of empty threats. The second one was about how he was so proud to have a daughter who made it on television but then he went off on a tangent about how I can 'pay him back' since I've become so called 'rich and famous'.

First of all, I don't owe him anything and secondly, receiving flowers on live television would hardly make anyone 'rich and famous.'

I don't know about the third and fourth call because I've been ignoring him ever since. The man is so out of touch with reality that it's scary. I know I should probably pay a visit home sometime soon just to check on my mother but I've been delaying it for as long as I can.