Kiss Me

“I told Dawson last week that his reputation sucked. It needed a makeover. Does my image need a makeover? Do you guys think I’m slutty? Do people think that?”

Bryce says, “Well, I don’t. I think you’re fun. You have kissed three guys already, but you just kissed them, right? That’s what I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, except for Dawson. We did more than kiss this weekend. And I haven’t kissed anyone since.”

“Three whole days, huh?”

“Shut up.”

“You’re cute and you’re cool. Guys like hanging out with girls that aren’t all high maintenance. Like, at the cave, you just relax. You don’t sit there talking the whole time about how we could get in trouble, about your hair, about whatever it is that most girls babble on about. And this weekend, I heard you got up in the morning, rolled out of bed, and surfed. No hour of getting ready, no insecurities about how you look in a bikini, no complaining that it’s too hot or too cold, or that the guys were hitting on girls.”

“No way I’d complain about that! That was one of the most entertaining parts of the weekend. Watching Tyrese in action. He’s got that smooth, Baby you sexy, thing. Then Riley. He just throws it out there. You’re hot. Let’s hook up. Dallas is like the boy you think is all sweet and i

“Wow, you pegged them all. That’s fu

“Bryce, I really haven’t seen you in action. And Jake, you seem like a chameleon. You’re whatever you think the girl wants.”

“Oh, dude. That is you. You change with every girl you date.”

“Is that good or bad?” Jake asks.

“I’d rather get to know the real you because I think you’re kinda naughty and have a devious little mind. You size people up quick, figure out what they want, and fulfill their needs in order to get what you want from them. You’re the used car salesman of dating.”

“Dude, that is so you,” Bryce bursts out laughing. The teacher yells at him, so we go back to staring at our clay.

Jake whispers, “Tomorrow’s topic of discussion is how long a girl will make you wait and why? Do some research on that, Monroe.”

You’re my hero.

Lunch

I grab my tray and go sit with Riley and Dallas. They’re already sitting at their usual table.

“Riley!”

“What-ee?”

“You shoved Aiden up against the locker yesterday?”

Riley gets kinda shy-looking. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? You want to put a nail in my and Aiden’s love coffin, him saying shit about me would do it.”

He rolls his eyes. “I just . . . it’s not a big deal. I just kinda reacted.”

I look him in the eyes. “Riley, it’s a big deal to me. You stood up for me. It’s so sweet.”

“See, I knew you’d go the whole all It’s so sweet. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“That and he didn’t wa

I give him my aw-that’s-so-sweet eyes. Like, the eyes you use when you see a newborn, or a floppy-eared puppy, or the boy who just slammed a god into a locker for you. You feel a little love.

“You’re my hero.”

“I told you. I feel this strange need to protect you. And for some reason, I think you’re going to need a lot of protecting.” He rolls his eyes at me.

“Speaking of protecting. I was on this weird kid’s website last night. I was reading that sometimes people don’t know they are a god until they meet their—shit, what was that word? Satyr? Is that even a word? Anyway the S guy is like a god guide. He helps keep you safe until you learn to use your powers properly. Only you are like a satyr in reverse. You’re protecting me from a god.

“You’re a freak,” Riley says. “And you’re taking this whole God of all Hotties thing way too far.”

“Did I tell you I figured out his mother must have been the goddess, Aphrodite? And I need to take Greek Mythology because that woman was interesting. She’s the goddess of love, but she, like, tricked this dude into thinking she was just a pretty maiden, and he knew she was way too hot for that, but she seduced him and got herself pregnant, then was a total bitch to him. She is also a slut. And she got out of god jail by promising some other god her body.”

Parker chimes in. “I wa

But then, for some reason, they start talking about a certain male body part. I try really hard to be cool and unembarrassed. But after hearing them go on and on, I’m pretty sure each one of these boys thinks his own penis is a demigod.

As we’re throwing away what’s left of lunch, Riley says, “If you like my brother, why are you looking up god stuff on the internet?”

“He’s using his powers against me. I was looking for ways to ward him off. Like garlic to scare off a vampire, that kind of thing.”

“You’re so weird.”

 Dawson walks up and slaps Riley on the back. Then he turns to me and says, “Keatie.” And gives me his sexy, you-can’t-resist-me eyes. Plus the way he says Keatie. It’s so cute.

“How was your lunch?”

“Sucked without you. What were you talking about over here?”

“Did you know your brother slammed Aiden up against a locker yesterday for talking shit about us?”

“Everyone knows that.”

“I didn’t.”

“I was going to tell you. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Or make you regret it.”

“People suspect. They don’t know. Speaking of that. Do you want to again? I mean, I thought that would be, like, all you’d want.”

He kisses my nose. “I don't want us to be about just sex. I like you.”

“I like you too.”

“But trust me, I want to. I’m just trying to be good.

“Good, cuz I do too. Like soon.”

No response.

French

Dawson walks me to French and kisses me until the bell rings. I’m in a good mood until I walk in and see Aiden’s stupid face and remember what he said about me.

I turn around and say, “Heard about practice yesterday. Good to know you think so highly of me. Obviously, tutoring you is out of the question.”

He doesn’t respond.

A fake ass-kicking.

5:40pm

I call Mom.

I know she probably won’t answer, but I call anyway. At least she’ll see my missed call. I’m surprised when Tommy answers her phone.

“How’s life, baby?”

“It’s okay. How come you're not filming right now?”

He clears his throat. “Well, your mom is. She’s kissing our co-star as we speak. I can’t watch. Good news is, later in the movie, I get to kick his ass.”

“Yeah, but it’s a fake ass-kicking.”

“Well, you know, sometimes you forget a step in a choreographed fight scene, and sometimes the punches actually co

“You’re bad.”

He laughs.

“Hey, off the wall question, but why is your hair always long?”

“Hiding my horns, probably.” He laughs a full-on belly laugh.

“So you are a satyr.”

“Hell, no. I played Zeus. I was a god. So, what’s going on with the god and Gorgeous?”

“They’re not going anywhere with the god. He told the guys that Gorgeous is just using me. I hate him, and I will not be tutoring him. Gorgeous kinda asked me to go out with him. I told him it was too soon. That we shouldn’t have to label our relationship. Wonder where I heard that from? Speaking of that, are you and Mom ever going to get married?”

“Are you sure you didn’t say no to a relationship because you are in love with the god?”

“I can’t love a jerk, so clearly I ca

“And to answer your question, yes. I do want to marry your mother. Hopefully sometime in the next year.”

“Really? That’s so exciting. Okay, so I have to go.”

“Break a leg, baby.”