my mouth right now? I shouldn’t have said that! I didn’t mean…
I let out a loud, “Meow!”
William’s eyes widen in alarm, and he scoots back a little.
Luckily, for the first time in my life, I’m not alone. In two seconds, Akor is at my side. “Are we meowing, cherry?” He grins and lifts his chin, letting out a loud, lion-level “Meow” at the ceiling.
Zolroth strolls over and glances at me, and I turn pleading eyes toward him. He sighs, rolls up the cuff of his shirtsleeves, and says, “Purr.”
It’s not very enthusiastic, but he participated.
Akor grabs my hand and says, “Meow,” once more before lifting me up Dirty Dancing style and carrying me around the room with my arms and legs flailing wildly as he holds my torso up.
I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry right now. I feel so ridiculous. My attempt at dissuading William has gone one hundred percent sideways. But my guys are right there with me, literally carrying me through it.
“Here, catch!” Akor says below me, and I hardly have time to look down before I find myself flying through the air.
People shriek around me and dive out of the way as Zolroth catches me easily and sets me down on the ground. His black suit isn’t even mussed in the process.
His eyes twinkle in amusement. “Now, I think you’ve definitely dissuaded William a bit from his cause, but you might want to make it one hundred percent clear that you’re taken, now and forever.” He voices that last bit with a low rumble in his throat that makes my lower belly tense up in delight.
“Again. Talk like that again,” I beg.
My sophisticated demon gives me a knowing grin. “Break the boy’s heart first.”
“Yes sir,” I nod.
Then I march back over to find William, ignoring the wide berth my classmates give me, as if meowing is contagious.
I find William’s guitar abandoned in the corner, so I saunter into the kitchen, searching for him. Official “I’m taken” phrases roll through my head. Like, “No touchy” and “You snooze you lose.”
Near the keg, I see William talking with Tim and Wade. I didn’t even know they got invited to parties.
I wonder if all the cool kids joining decathlon has suddenly increased their social status. I know it’s affected mine. Hmm…William wanting to date me didn’t really happen until after I started dating Zolroth, who is obviously insanely popular, with his gorgeous looks and posh appearance.
My regard for William drops a little bit more.
The pity that might have been swirling in my stomach for the public humiliation he’s about to get evaporates.
Okay, I tell myself, do it now. Before you have time to get tongue-tied.
I scurry over, around this little rolling, butcher-block island, not caring that I look awkward and don’t have any cool-girl swagger whatsoever. I just need to rip off the Band-Aid and get this done so that we can go home and I can rip off all of Zolroth’s clothes.
Yes.
Naked Zolroth.
Good motivation.
I walk over to the keg and nod to Tim, whose head only reaches William’s shoulder. Then I nod at Wade, who’s scratching at his acne and staring at a girl whose hot pink skirt looks like it crawled into her ass crack.
I clear my throat and crack two knuckles as William looks down on me, uncertain how to react after my little Mozart fiasco.
Three. Two. One. Talk.
The words spill out in a rush. But hey, at least they’re coherent. Somewhat.
“William. The song was nice, but I’m taken. So yeah… I mean no. No to you, I mean. Okay, good talk. I’m gonna go now.”
William’s hand shoots out, and he grabs my arm. His smile isn’t very nice now, not charming at all. In fact, it looks a little creepy.
“No? You mean…you can resist me?” His eyes slide to Tim, disbelief written all over his expression.
Oh man, talk about arrogant.
“Um, yeah. Sorry. Well, not really sorry, because you’re kind of being weird.”
“Me, weird?!” William’s face drops in shock as he brings his hand to his chest, his entire countenance morphing to disgust. “You just meowed at me after I serenaded you with a heartfelt, romantic song!”
I shrug. It’s true. “Well, I’m too weird for you, I guess. Because my guys get it.”
“Guys…” William sputters.
I guess the gossip hasn’t made it all the way to the kitchen yet.
Great.
Stepped in that one. Smelling it. Not fun.
“Okay now, I’m going.” I’m just gonna, you know, casually disappear into the floorboards and become a puddle of