Anything Goes on a Friday Night (8 page)

BY SIXTH PERIOD, I
was beat. Keeping up with everything I needed to turn in and all the projects I needed to start on because I was behind was overwhelming. Jane was right. My fourth period teacher was a bitch. I laid my head on my desk and closed my eyes. If I could just relax for two seconds, that’d be great.

CLUNK!

I bolted upright at the sound and frowned when I saw a book next to my feet.

“That’s my bad,” a sandy-blond haired cutie said with a cocky grin. His hair fell just above his ears and was disturbingly perfect. He used his foot to bring the book back to his desk, where he must have meant to drop the book.

“No problem. I needed to wake up anyway.” I opened my notebook to a clean sheet of paper and wrote the date at the top.

Nice-haired cutie leaned over my shoulder to look at my paper. “You take notes in study hall?”

I laughed and turned to look at him, noticing freckles on his nose, because he was
that
close. I turned back around in my seat. “No. This isn’t—” I stopped when I looked at my schedule. “Oooh, it is study hall. Oops.” I laughed at myself.

“I’m Finn Kerr. You are?”

His name sounded a little like the name of our town? Weird.

“Elena Johnson.”

“Ah, the newbie. How do you like it here so far?”

“It’s fine. Everyone is really nice.” I leaned forward a bit because he was invading my personal space. I only let Channing in
this
close. I peeked over my shoulder and saw his eyes were on my binder. I had pictures of my friends and Channing under the clear film.

“Boyfriend?” He asked pointing at the picture of Channing and me.

I nodded.

“He looks like an asshole. Come on, Elena, you could do better than that.”

I became defensive. Quickly. “Well, he’s not, and you need to get out of my personal life,” I stated firmly.

Asshole? Ha!
Who the hell did Finn Kerr think he was to make a comment about someone he didn’t know?
Jerk.

He chuckled and sat back. “Where ya from, Ellie?”

“Fredericksburg,” I snapped.

Gasps filled the room. Apparently, everyone was listening to our conversation, even the teacher.

“That’s terrible,” Finn gasped.

“Sorry you think that.” I frowned and looked around the room. A few students moved their desks farther from me like I was the walking, talking plague. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t care. I didn’t need these people to like me. I had my friends back in my hometown.

I used the rest of the study period to work on homework and filling in my calendar with upcoming assignments.

I
COULDN’T WAIT TO SEE
Channing. I drove to the parking lot that used to belong to a Walmart before it burned down. It was where our group of friends liked to meet and hang out on the weekends. Although it was a Monday, everyone still wanted to meet up and let me fill them in on my first day.

Before I went to the parking lot, I sort of contemplated driving to my mom’s work and demanding that she talk to me, but I thought better of it. I didn’t feel like dealing with the rejection. I was finally learning to be happy, despite my parents.

I squealed at the sight of the greatest boyfriend in the entire universe. I hopped out of my car, launched myself into Channing’s arms, and planted a trillion kisses down his neck.

He chuckled against my hair and whispered, “I missed you, too.” My whole body melted against his.

“I survived my first day.” I smiled and bounced on my feet.

Before Channing could say anything, I was being ripped from his hold and shoved into a group hug. Katie, Alyssa, and I giggled.

“I didn’t think it’d be so bad, since I knew I’d still see you, but dammit Ellie, classes just aren’t the same without you! Even the teachers noticed the difference!” Katie hugged me again.

I laughed.

“Yeah, they noticed. They didn’t have to keep telling us all to shut up!” Alyssa teased.

Channing put his arm around me after Alyssa and Katie let me out of their embrace. I started talking to our large group of friends with Channing close by. He couldn’t keep his hands off me. I kept moving his hand when it’d slip below my waistline. After the seventh time he did it while I was trying to talk to people, I raised a brow at him.

“Channing,” I giggled. “Stop.”

“Can we go somewhere? I just want you to myself.” He was pouting majorly.

“Just give me a second to tell everyone bye.”

I hurried over to Dillon and gave him a huge hug. He picked me up and spun me around. Dillon and I used to be inseparable. When I started dating Channing this past summer, that changed. All of my time was consumed by Channing, but Dillon understood.

“Ew, you reek of Tivy Antlers!” Dillon pinched his nose and waved his hand in the air.

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up. I’ll always bleed blue and white.”

He hugged me one more time and then looked past me. “I think Channing wants you back.”

I looked over my shoulder and smiled at Channing. I looked at Dillon again.

“He’s being stingy.”

“Isn’t he always?”

I laughed and nodded. “I’ll see you later, Dillon!”

After telling everyone bye, I walked with Channing to his truck. We got in, and he started driving around town. We couldn’t keep our hands off one another. The way he was swerving all over the road, if he didn’t pull over soon, he was going to have a wreck.

“The lake,” I whispered against his ear; then my lips found their way back to his neck.

We made it to the lake and parked in the grass thicket. I put my back to the passenger door and crooked my finger at him. He smiled and turned off his truck. He came over, pulling my legs gently until they were wrapped around his waist and I was lying back in the seat. His hands inched their way up my shirt, and his lips moved perfectly against mine.

My mind was racing. Would tonight be the night I let him go all the way? I had made a pact with myself. I was going to be the girl that waited for marriage. It wasn’t a religious decision or one that my parents embedded in me, but one I made on my own. Of course I wanted to believe that I’d marry Channing, but what if that didn’t happen? I never wanted to explain to the man I married that he wasn’t my first. It was something I wanted to save for whomever that may be.

I felt Channing’s fingers working on the button of my jeans. My body wanted him so badly that I almost didn’t stop him.
Almost.
I moved my hand off the back of his neck and to his hand that had just successfully unbuttoned my jeans.

“Channing,” I whispered and stopped kissing him.

He looked at me oddly.

I shook my head at him. “You know I want to wait.”

He ran his fingers through his dark, disheveled hair and sat back in his seat. He let out a heavy sigh and looked at me while I sat up and buttoned my jeans.

“I’m sorry, Channing.”

“No, I’m sorry. I know we’ve talked about this, but sometimes I just get carried away. I love you, Ellie, and it’s hard to stop with you.”

I crawled across the seat until I was straddling his lap and kissed his nose. “I love you, Channing. Thank you for respecting me.”

He laughed. “I don’t know how much longer I can, especially, when you sit on me like this.” I started to move, but he stopped me. “I didn’t say I wanted you off.”

I giggled and put my forehead to his. “Marry me, and I’m all yours, Channing Morris.”

“I just might do that one day.”

“
If
I say yes,” I teased.

He raised both brows. “You’d say yes.”

I shrugged, and he burst into laughter—one of my favorite sounds in the entire world.

I WOKE UP AND
immediately started panicking. I was in Channing’s bed. I went to his house to help him with some math homework, and we must have both fallen asleep.

Shit, shit, shit!

I looked at the clock and groaned. It was 5:00 am, and I was supposed to be home by 11:00 pm! Dad was probably freaking out. I leaned over the side of the bed and found my purse in the floor. I got my cellphone and started looking for missed calls or texts. To my surprise, there were none. Not a single one. I found it extremely odd but decided to promptly text Dad to let him know I was fine.

Me: Dad, omg I’m so sorry! I fell asleep at Channing’s and completely spaced. Sorry!! I’m going to wake him up and have him take me to my car. I’ll be home soon!

I reached over and shook Channing. He groaned a little and then rolled over. When his eyes opened, he gave me a sleepy smile. I shoved his shoulder.

“Seriously? Wake up! I need you to take me to my car! I can’t believe we fell asleep. Oh God, my dad is going to think we had sex. Kill me now,” I mumbled as I got out of bed and started scrambling to find my shoes.

Channing kept laughing and slowly got out of bed. “Well, I can assure him that sure as hell didn’t happen.”

The way he said it irritated me. “What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped. I finally found my shoes under a pile of his dirty clothes and slid them on.

“Whoa, chill out! I didn’t mean it like you obviously took it. I’m just saying—hell, never mind.”

I leaned against his door and waited for him to get his shoes on. My phone dinged, and I saw a text from Dad.

Dad: I figured if something was wrong you’d let me know. I trust you, Elena. Be safe on your way home.

We went out to his truck, and I was thanking my lucky stars that his parents weren’t home last night. I’d be so embarrassed if they had caught us asleep in his bed.

Channing was super quiet on our drive to my car. I didn’t mean to make him mad, and maybe I didn’t. Maybe he was just tired, and it was too early for him to talk. I leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes.

He rubbed my arm, and I felt the truck stop. “We’re here, baby. You sure you can drive home?”

I yawned and rubbed my eyes. “Mmmhmmm. I think so.”

He furrowed his brows. “That’s not convincing. How about I take you home and just pick you up after school? I can bring you to your car then.”

“No, it’s fine. Really. I mean, it’s already 5:30. By the time I get home, it’ll be 6:00, and I normally wake up by 6:30 to start getting ready for school. I’m fine, Channing. I promise.”

“Okay.” He leaned over and kissed me softly. “Text me after school.”

“I will.” I got out of his truck and dug deep in my purse to get my keys.

I got in my car, and when I cranked it, Channing pulled his truck up behind me. I was so confused about what he was doing. I drove through the parking lot and pulled onto the road. Channing followed right behind me. I laughed when I took my left turn at the light, and he followed me instead of going right. I called him.

“I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened. I’ll follow you to make sure you get home safe; then I’ll head back home.”