Popularity Pact

Have you ever had one of those moments when you wished the ground would crack apart and take you under? Because that was exactly how I felt right then. To some people, it probably wasn't a huge deal. I mean, it shouldn't have been, but it was. My cheeks burned and all I managed to do was splutter at the hottest guy in Briar Glen High. And I mean actual spluttering. I sounded like I'd just survived a near drowning. The only thing in here I could possibly drown in was the sinks, or, even worse, the boys' toilets. I shivered and looked up at the gorgeous Greek God, Jace Preston, my phone still clutched in hand. God! Say anything, Gwen! "I work on the school paper," I managed. "The paper?" the Greek God repeated. "I haven't noticed you on the team before." Oh, brilliant, when you finally open your mouth, that is what comes out! How stupid can you get, Gwen? Telling him you're in the boys toilets for the school paper? You have officially hit a new kind of low. You're actually going to die of humiliation. Obviously this hot idiot will go tell every friend he has, and then you'll really end up in the school paper for creeping on guys' little friends. "I'm new here!" I blurted. Wow, smooth move, Gwen. Like he's not going to notice you're a senior who's been in his English class forever. "I was only taking pictures," I went on, gesturing with my phone, "because the boys are always whining that the toilets smell, and if it made the school paper then maybe Mr. Halden would do something about it or whatever." "So you're in the boys toilets with your phone out, taking photos for the paper when you've never shown up to one meeting?" Jace asked, smirking. "I-I..." I stammered. "Okay, no." "I thought so. I saw you bolt out of Mrs. Keating class and into here," Jace said, amusement pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I didn't know you had girls this desperate." My mouth fell open. Desperate? Did he seriously think I'd come in here like some hormonal teenager waiting to snap a photo of the first penis I saw? What an absolute jerk! I shoved my phone into my pocket, then nudged my glasses higher on my nose. God, mum really needed to get me contacts already. "I am not desperate!" I shot back. "Then what are you doing in the guys' toilets?" he asked. I folded my arms and huffed. "None of your business, and if you'll excuse me, I need to get to class." Before I could get away, Jace stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder. I stiffened at the touch before looking up at him. He was watching me without the arrogant smirk I'd gotten used to seeing on his face. "You're looking for Cole, right?" he asked. I went rigid. "What do you know about Cole?" Jace grinned. "Just that you cut a deal with him, and he didn't hold up his end of it." I tried to act cool, but let's be honest, I had never been good at that. My voice came out too high. Everything Cole had done rushed back at once, and my face heated with embarrassment. I shoved the memories aside and fixed my attention back on Jace, watching him carefully. "What are you talking about?" I demanded. "I could help you get back at him, you know," Jace said with a smile. Lifting an eyebrow, I asked, "How?" Jace shrugged. "Cole screwed you over, and we both know your popularity wasn't all that great to start with." "Hey!" I snapped. Jace waved a hand to cut me off. "Here's the deal, Rowan, I'll help make you the most popular girl at our school if-" "There's always some 'if' or some 'but'," I muttered. Ignoring that, Jace said, "If you help bring up my Math's grade." "That's it?" I asked. My face must have given away my disbelief. "What's the catch?" "There isn't a catch, Rowan," Jace murmured, "so do we have a deal?" I thought about the laughter, the stares, the sharp whispers, and then, of course, Cole. Part of me wanted to run and never turn around, while another part, furious at Cole and everyone else, found itself nodding. A deal. I just stared as Jace turned and headed out of the boys' toilets and back to class. What had just happened? Had I seriously made a deal to get back at Cole with help from the school's notorious hottie and jerk Jace Preston? Why did it suddenly feel like I was going to regret every bit of this whole mess?