Perfectly Imperfect Page 8

  “No, but I can’t promise I won’t hurt you.” She frowns. “I have no rhythm at all.”

  “Don’t worry. I have enough for both of us.”

  She rolls her eyes.

  I grin.

  Señorita Guzman demonstrates the steps one more time and then counts the timing. “Uno, dos, tres…” She snaps her fingers with each count. “Y ve!” And go.

  All four pairs of students move, all of us out of sync. Isabelle is looking down at her feet. Her entire body is stiff, and her movements are robotic.

  I squeeze her hand. “You’re overthinking it. Just relax.”

  She doesn’t relax, though. If anything, she becomes more self-conscious and awkward. If she doesn’t loosen up, we’ll never pass this part of the project. Then again, it’s only the first practice. Maybe, with time, she’ll improve. I hope. Regardless, I need to find a way to get her to relax and feel the music rather than thinking her way through it.

  “Señor Alexander. Muy bien.” Very good. Señorita Guzmán smiles.

  “Gracias.”

  She moves down the row, stopping occasionally to give tips and advice. Isabelle finally looks up. “How do you know how to do this?”

  “I don’t. I mean, not this dance specifically, but I spent a few years in Argentina.”

  Isabelle stops moving completely. “You did?” Her voice is full of awe.

  I nod. “That’s where my dad first met my mom. We lived there for six years.”

  “Wow. That’s impressive.”

  “Baile!” Dance! Señorita Guzmán glares at us.

  Isabelle and I begin to dance again—if you can call it that. It’s going to take a lot of practice to make it look like we know what we’re doing, but forget actually being good. That’s never gonna happen.

  #

  I haven’t seen Isabelle since Spanish this morning, so when lunch rolls around, I rush to the cafeteria. Everyone is seated inside today, courtesy of maintenance mowing the lawn and repainting the tables, but Isabelle’s not at the table. Hannah is, and so are Vick and the other guys. But Cam and Isabelle are missing. Are they together, possibly working things out? My stomach sinks.

  “Hey, man.” Vick holds out his fist, and I bump my knuckles to his. “We still hanging out today?”

  “Sure. Where’s everyone else?” I ask causally, but I doubt I’m fooling either of them.

  “Isabelle is hiding out in the library. She says she’s behind on a research project, but I think she’s trying to avoid Cam,” Hannah explains.

  Everything in me wants to get up and go find Isabelle, but if she really is hiding, she probably wants to be left alone. I have to respect her privacy.

  “And Cam is right there.” Hannah nods over my shoulder.

  Cam and another guy I haven’t met approach the table and take the seats across from me and Vick.

  “What’s up, Trevor?” Vick juts his chin out at the new guy.

  “Not much, bro.” Trevor’s long, black hair is tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

  “This is Grayson.” Vick jabs his thumb in my direction.

  “Hey,” I say to Trevor. He looks familiar, but I don’t know where I’ve seen him before.

  “Don’t we have English together?” Trevor asks.

  “Yup.” Well, that explains how I know him.

  “Do you have yesterday’s notes? I missed class.”

  “They’re in my locker, but I can give them to you later.” I unwrap my ham and cheese sandwich and take a large bite. The ham is a little dry, but the overabundance of mayonnaise helps it go down a little easier.

  “So, you do know how to swim, don’t you?” Vick asks. He crunches on celery.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Because I’m teaching you the basics of surfing today.” He grins and slaps me on the back.

  I nearly choke on my food and have to take a long drink of water to wash it down. “What?” I wipe my mouth. “You’re joking, right?”

  “We’ve all had to suffer through one of Vick’s surfing lessons. It’s your turn now, bro.” Trevor laughs.

  “The water’s going to be freezing,” I say.

  “All right, I’m outta here.” Hannah stands, cell phone in her hand. “Catch ya guys later.”

  She waves and leaves, and part of me hopes she’s going to be with Isabelle. Which is where I wish I was right now.

  “It won’t be too bad. Besides, I have an extra wetsuit you can borrow.” Vick crunches on another celery stalk. “It’s going to be fun.”

  “You have a messed-up idea of fun.” I finish my lunch as the guys talk about the upcoming football season. I’ve never been into sports, so I just listen. When I’m finished eating, I stand and turn to Vick. “I’ll meet you in the student parking lot after school, okay?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Oh, I, uh, forgot I have to meet with my guidance counselor. And, um, I’m gonna grab those notes for Trevor.” Could I come up with any lamer of an excuse? Truth is I want to find Isabelle. I know I shouldn’t, but I just need to know she’s okay.

  Vick smiles like he knows I’m lying but eventually nods. “Yeah, see ya later.”

  On my way to the exit, Brit intercepts me. I refrain from doing anything to show how annoyed I am.

  “Grayson. Just the guy I was looking for.” She puts her hand on my arm. “Did you finish the physics homework?”

  “Yeah.” I glance up at the wall clock. Will Isabelle still be in the library by the time I get out of here? Probably not. I sigh with aggravation.

  “I don’t understand any of it.” Brit pouts. “Do you think you could help me?”

  “Um, sure, but I’m kinda busy right now.”

  “Right, of course. Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll call you later?”

  I have a sinking feeling she doesn’t want my number just so I can help her with physics homework, but I’m in a rush, and I don’t want to stand here any longer, so I rattle off my number.

  “I really gotta go.” I step around her and race up to the library, taking the stairs two at a time.

  When I open the door and step inside, I take a deep breath. There’s still twenty minutes left for lunch, so I walk around, looking for Isabelle. She’s not at any of the tables, though. I move my search to the stacks of books, but I still can’t find her. She must have already left.

  11

  ISABELLE

  “ARE YOU GOING TO TELL me where we’re going?” I ask as I hook my seatbelt.

  “Nope.” Hannah checks her rearview mirror and then backs out of her parking spot. “But it won’t take long to get there.”

  “You know kidnapping is a crime, right?”

  She laughs. “You got into my car willingly. It’s gorgeous outside, and we need an afternoon off, so sit over there and hush.”

  “Wow, you’re bossy.” I stick my tongue out at her and then stare out the passenger’s side window. “We are still going to your house, though, right?”

  “Eventually.”

  After the last bell rang, Hannah all but dragged me to her car, demanding I go with her under a cloud of secrecy. Originally, I was planning to go home, check on Mom, pack my stuff, and then go to Hannah’s. This sudden change in plans is certainly unexpected. I’m not complaining, though. She’s right—I do need an afternoon away from everything, to decompress and hang out with my best friend. And considering she’s the only friend I have left…

  Last night, I purged Andrea and Cam from my life. I blocked them on all my social media, removed their numbers from my phone, and deleted every picture I had of them. As far as I’m concerned, they no longer exist. I fiddle with the radio while Hannah drives, and before I can find a good song, she’s turning into the gravel parking lot at the beach—Grass Lake.

  “I don’t have my swimsuit,” I say.

  “You don’t need it.” She parks and takes the keys out of the ignition. “We’re just going to hang out.”

  I get out of the car an
d follow her down the sandy beach. It’s pushing eighty degrees today, so the place is crowded. We find an empty area near the old wooden pier. I can’t believe no one’s torn that thing down yet—or that it hasn’t collapsed. Hannah spreads a blanket and sits. She motions for me to join her.

  “I talked to Andrea today,” she says.

  So much for just hanging out. “And?”

  “She says she’s sorry.”

  “Then she needs to say it to my face.” Anger burns in my chest. So help me God, if Hannah starts defending Andrea… I remove my shoes and my plaid, short sleeve button up shirt, leaving me in just my shorts and tank top.

  “That’s what I told her. But she thinks you won’t talk to her.”

  “She’s right about that.” I pick up a handful of sand and let it slip through my fingers. “Is she still planning to stay at your house this weekend?” I should’ve asked sooner, because if Andrea’s going to be there, I’m not. I don’t want to see her.

  “No. She said she doesn’t want to go unless you want her to.”

  I snort. “Yeah, right. So I can listen to her go on and on about how great Cam is? I don’t think so.”

  “Look, what they did was wrong, and I’m not sure I’d be quick to forgive them, either, but be honest. Maybe Andrea did you a favor. Aren’t you just a little happy now that you’re not with Cam?”

  “What kind of question is that?” Two little kids run in front of us, squealing with laughter as their mom chases them. A stab of longing punches me in the gut. It seems like forever since my mother has done anything remotely fun with me. I’m lucky if she can say my name without slurring.

  “C’mon, Isabelle. It’s me. Your best friend since forever. I know you haven’t been really happy in a while, and then Grayson shows up…”

  I glare at her. “What’s he got to do with this?”

  “I don’t know. Nothing. Everything. You tell me.”

  I roll my eyes and lean back, propping myself on my hands. “Okay, so maybe Cam and I weren’t exactly hot and heavy, but I liked him.” Tilting my face toward the sun, I close my eyes and soak in the warmth. “He’s… safe.”

  “Safe?” She laughs. “We’re seventeen, Isabelle. We don’t need safe. We need fun and wild and passionate and maybe even a little dangerous.”

  Sitting up, I brush my hands off. “You’ve been reading too many romance novels.”

  She sighs with frustration and runs her hand through her hair. Before school started, she cut her bob off completely, closely shaved the sides and back, and left the top long. At first, it was such a drastic change I didn’t know what to think. But she rocks the style.

  “So, you’re telling me you never think about saying screw it and just doing whatever you want?”

  “All the time,” I say, and it’s the truth. There wasn’t a day over the past few months when I didn’t think about doing that. But I can’t. There’s too much at stake if I slip up.

  “Then let’s do it.” She sits on her knees and faces me, her expression bright with excitement. “We’re seniors. Let’s make this the year we never forget. Let’s do all the stuff we’ve been too afraid to do before.”

  It’s always hard to say no to Hannah, but when she gets like this, it’s near impossible. “Like what?” I laugh.

  “I don’t know. Everything! Like, tomorrow night. Let’s get dressed up for the bonfire and flirt with guys we’re normally too afraid to talk to. Let’s dance like we don’t care what anyone thinks. Let’s kiss someone we don’t know.”

  “We know everyone who goes to those bonfires, remember?”

  “Yeah, okay, but you know what I mean. Stop being difficult.”

  “Sorry.” I grin. “Where is all this coming from?” Hannah’s one of the nicest Christian girls I’ve ever met. Yet, all the stuff she’s talking about goes against everything we’ve been taught to believe.

  “I guess I’m just tired of always doing and saying the right thing.”

  My stomach clenches. “Hannah…” I say, my tone thick with concern.

  She dismisses me with a wave of her hand. “Why can’t we have a little fun? Oh! I got it.” Her smile widens. “Tell me you’re not interested in that.” She points to my right.

  I look over to see Grayson walking out of the lake, carrying a surfboard. He’s wearing a pair of swim shorts and nothing else. Tanned flesh, dripping wet, glistens in the sun. His dark hair is slicked back, the ends curling around his ears. I blow out a breath and watch as he shoves the board into the sand. Vick approaches and does the same. Then, Grayson flings his head back and laughs. He puts his hand on his stomach, and my gaze is drawn to his abs.

  I groan. “That boy needs to come with some sort of warning.”

  Hannah giggles. “I knew you liked him.”

  “Duh. Who wouldn’t?”

  “Me.”

  “That’s because you can’t take your eyes off Vick.” I slice a look at her, and sure enough, she’s staring at Vick. I point at her. “Yeah, I see the way you’re always staring at him.”

  She grins and adjusts so she’s sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her. “That’s what we’re going to do,” she declares with a firm nod. “I’m going to finally tell Vick I like him, and you’re going to hook up with Grayson.”

  I whip my head around. “What? No. Why do you only have to tell Vick you like him, and I have to hook up? That’s not even close to being fair.”

  “Then we’ll both hook up.”

  “Um, I’m not hooking up with anyone,” I say, my words clipped. I can’t believe she even suggested that. What’s happened to my best friend?

  “Oh, please.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m not talking about having sex with him. Just… be his girlfriend and maybe a little kissing.” She sits up straight and messes with her hair. “They’re coming over here.”

  I narrow my eyes. “You knew they were going to be here, didn’t you? That’s why you wanted to come.”

  “I might have overheard them making plans during lunch.”

  “I’m gonna kill you,” I mumble. Then, I adjust my tank top to make sure I’m not hanging out inappropriately. The closer Grayson gets, the faster my heart beats. I lean back on my hands again, hoping I come off as calm and relaxed.

  “Well, look who’s the stalker now.” He stops in front of me, arms crossed, blocking the sun.

  “Shut up.” But I can’t even get the words out without laughing. “And she’s the stalker.” I point to Hannah. “A kidnapper, too. She forced me here against my will.”

  Hannah elbows me.

  “Thank you, Hannah.” Grayson’s gaze lingers on my legs before moving up to my face, and I can feel the heat erupt on my cheeks. He sits next to me on the blanket, and Vick sits next to Hannah.

  “How was the surf lesson?” Hannah asks.

  “My man Grayson is a natural,” Vick says.

  Grayson rolls his eyes and leans so his shoulder is touching mine. His skin is cool compared to mine, and a tingle zips up my arm.

  “I stood up on the board. That’s it,” he whispers.

  I nudge him playfully, but he doesn’t move and so we sit, shoulder to shoulder.

  “He’ll be riding waves like a pro in no time,” Vick continues.

  Grayson laughs.

  “Y’know, Hannah and I were just talking about all the things we want to do before we graduate, and she mentioned she has always wanted to learn how to surf. You should totally give her a lesson,” I say to Vick.

  If looks can kill, I’m already dead. Hannah purses her lips and glares at me; then she pinches my leg. I yelp and nearly jump into Grayson’s lap.

  “And Isabelle was just telling me how badly she wants to ride a motorcycle,” Hannah says.

  My eyes widen. “No. I did not say that.”

  But she’s laughing, obviously very pleased with herself.

  “Hmm. That’s too bad.” Grayson leans back on his hands, mimicking my position, and his fingers graze mine. Intentionally? �
��I would have given you a ride.”

  His pinkie brushes against my knuckles.

  Yup. Definitely intentional.

  I glance at him from the corner of my eye, and he winks. My heart flutters. Beside me, Vick is rambling on about giving Hannah a surfing lesson, but I’m too busy getting lost in Grayson’s eyes. They are so green.

  “So, this is why I couldn’t get a do-over today,” he says.

  “Yup.” I cross my ankles and shift a little closer to him. “I have important sunbathing to do.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to do that in a bathing suit?”

  I lift a brow. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yup.” He stops caressing my knuckles and covers my hand with his. “I have important gawking to do.”

  “That’s not creepy at all.”

  “Looks like we’ve finally got some swell,” Vick says, nodding at the lake. “Time for another lesson.” He stands. “Will I see you at the bonfire tomorrow night?”

  “We’ll be there,” Hannah says in a flirtatious tone.

  “You’re going, too?” Grayson asks me, and I nod.

  “Perfect.” Vick turns to Grayson. “C’mon, man. The waves don’t wait for anyone.”

  With a sigh, Grayson straightens, and I flex my hand, missing the feel of his touch.

  “Wish me luck,” he says, standing.

  “Good luck,” Hannah says.

  “Don’t drown,” I add.

  He shoots me a knowing smile over his shoulder, and then he jogs away with Vick, the two of them laughing.

  “Vick’s giving me a surfing lesson next week,” Hannah says.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She shoves me, laughing, and then stands. “I’m hungry. Want to go get some food?”

  As if on cue, my stomach growls. “Can we go to Parker’s?”

  She tilts her head. “Why do you want to go there?”

  I search the water for Grayson. He’s wobbling on his board, but he manages to stay upright. “I need some practice at the arcade.”

  12

  GRAYSON