“Yeah, I’ll do it.”
“You will?”
Becks looked up at me and grinned. “Sure. You didn’t think I’d say no, did you?”
“No,” I said, but it came out more like a question.
He laughed. “Sal, I just want to help. You’re my best friend. How could I possibly refuse?”
“So, that’s it?”
“Well, yeah,” he said, and I began to breathe a bit easier.
Good old Becks. A guy any girl would want in her corner. My entire body was floating on a cloud of relief. The best friend I could ever ask for...
“Now, about what I’m getting in return.”
That put an end to all the light and fuzzy.
“I thought you said you just wanted to help,” I said incredulously.
He shrugged. “You know what they say: You can’t get something without giving a little something, Sal.”
That wasn’t quite what “they” say, but I got it.
Cutting him off before he could get going, I said, “Okay, Becks. You now have ten seconds to tell me your demands.”
His jumped off his bucket in protest. “But, Sal, you can’t—”
“Eight seconds,” I said, looking at my watch.
“But—”
“Five, fo—”
“A month’s worth of Calc homework and hand over the Goobers,” he said in a rush.
I gaped at him, forgetting the counting altogether.
“But you’re great at Calculus, nearly as good as me.”
“So?” he said. “It was the first thing that popped into my head.”
“Becks, it’s unethical.”
“Sal, I’ll check over the work. I just want you to do it first.”
“Why?” I asked, truly dumbfounded.
“Like I said,” he repeated, “you’ve got to give a little. It’s only fair.”
“Okay,” I said, picking up my books, turning to the door in a daze. I couldn’t believe we’d skipped half of second period. I’d never played hooky a day in my life. Even more unbelievable I’d just gotten my first boyfriend for a month’s worth of Calc and a box of Goobers. The whole thing seemed surreal. The fact that the boyfriend, real or fake, was Becks was just too impossible to take in.
“Hey, Sal.”
When I turned back around, Becks was holding his hand out, palm up.
“Goobers?” he said.
Still reeling, I handed them over, watching as he emptied the entire box into his mouth in one go. I was seriously considering the possibility that this was a dream when I opened the door and saw Hooker scowling on the other side, bathroom pass dangling from one hand.
“Spitz, you cannot be serious,” she said flatly. “This is Becks we’re talking about.”
And that’s when I knew it was real.
CHAPTER 5
Could this situation be more awkward?
Answer: Yes.
Backing away from Hooker, I nailed Becks right in the chin. He groaned and stumbled, tripping over the bucket he’d been sitting on, taking out a few mops along the way. Luckily, Janitor Gibbens showed up, drawn by all the noise, and told us to get to class.
“This isn’t over,” Hooker had warned. But I’d dodged that bullet. At least for now.
Becks was waiting for me at the end of second period.
“What’s up?” I asked as he walked over.
“Want me to carry your books?”
“Huh?”
Grabbing my binder and books, he grinned. “I’m your boyfriend now. Remember?”
“Oh.” He said that so easily.
“Girls let their boyfriends carry their books,” he said slowly as if I needed it explained.
“Sure,” I said. “Okay, then. Have at it.”
Hooker knew my schedule, but I knew hers, too, so I led him the long way to my class. The upside was we didn’t run into Hooker. The bad part? We walked right into Eden Vice—or rather, she nearly knocked me over in her haste to get to Becks. Fingers gripping the front of his shirt, eyes wide, the girl was in a state.
“Becks, it can’t be true,” Eden said. “This is just some lame rumor, right? You’re not really dating that Spitz girl.”
“Her name is Sally,” Becks said. I jolted as one of his hands landed on my waist, drawing me to his side. Crossing her arms, Eden pouted while I tried to ignore the warmth of that hand. “And yes, I am.”
“But why? I don’t get it.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But Becks,” she whined, “I don’t understand. Why her?”
“Nothing to understand really,” he said, smiling down at me. “Sal’s my girl. Always has been.”
As he squeezed my hip, I swear I stopped breathing. Eden was a dip, but she walked away at the clear dismissal. I was having trouble getting my lungs to work. And Becks was just standing there, smiling like all was right with the world, like this was all normal.