other rice bal s quickly. “Okay, it’s safe to look.”
Emma raised her head and looked at me through her fingers, like she was watching a scary movie. I guess for her, seeing me eat rice bal people made with cow’s milk probably was kind of freaky. Emma looked at the remains of my food and let out a little shriek.
Al that was left on my tray were the discarded toothpick arms and legs.
“Um, sorry?” I said. “I’l treat if you guys want to go to Mr. Green Genes after school.”
“You owe me big time,” Emma said. “Can you, like, throw those things away?”
“Sure, no problem,” I said.
I crossed the cafeteria and scraped the toothpicks into the trash. On my way back I saw Gordy wave and hold his phone up in the air. It displayed the picture that I had sent him. He was smiling and giving me a thumbs up.
I was glad to be able to make Gordy smile again. I waved and turned back to my table where Emma sat scowling. It suddenly occurred to me that anything that made Gordy happy made Emma miserable, and vice versa. Maybe it was a good thing that they hadn’t stayed together after al .
Cal greeted me with a smile and reached up to brush my hair back behind my ears. I leaned in closer and closed my eyes. Cal’s hands moved deeper into my hair as he brushed his lips against mine. More.
I waited for my second kiss, but instead, with a flick of warm tongue, Cal licked a patch of skin beside my mouth.
My eyes flew open in surprise to meet Cal’s smiling eyes and toothy grin.
“Wha…wha…what?” I stuttered. “I mean, why did you just lick my face?”
I was total y confused. Was this some kind of wolf thing? If so, I was not liking this new development. At least, I didn’t think I was. Great, now I’m blushing.
The skin around Cal’s eyes crinkled even more and he let out a laugh before leaning in to whisper in my ear.
“Because you’re delicious,” Cal said. “And you had a piece of rice on your face.”
Okay, now I’m really blushing. I could feel the burn of my cheeks as Cal’s voice echoed in my head. Because you’re delicious. He did not just say that. No, wait, he did.
We were so in trouble. How were we ever going to make it through graduation if al we could think about were each other’s yummy kisses? Cal’s new attraction to danger and excitement wasn’t helping any. Could we get detention for what he just did? There was something thril ing about knowing he just licked my face in front of the entire school, though no one actual y knew that’s what he was going. Wel , except for maybe Emma who was giving us a funny look.
“I’m trying to decide whether to tel you two to get a room or go barf in the trash can,” Emma said. “I’m leaning room or go barf in the trash can,” Emma said. “I’m leaning toward the second choice. You are both getting way too weird. And gross.”
Cal barked out a laugh and slid his fingers down my arm to entwine with mine. His touch, and Emma’s comments, only made me blush more. Looks like Emma saw Cal lick my face after al .
Now that wasn’t awkward or anything.
Chapter 5
Mental y I prayed for a distraction from the whole rice fiasco. I didn’t like people staring at me and Emma was looking at me like I might suddenly sprout a Siamese twin. I tried manifesting my best inner Obi Wan. This is not the freak you are looking for.
Fortunately for me, the bel rang and we al set off in different directions for class. I guess I real y could use the power of the force. With a bounce in my booted step, I turned the corner to my locker…and ran face first into a footbal player shaped brick wal .
Before I could mumble an apology, big, meaty hands clamped over my mouth as someone grabbed me from behind and slid something slippery over my head. Judging from the swish of the slick fabric, and the repulsive smel of sweat, I guessed that they had pul ed a footbal jersey over my head as a makeshift hood. What the heck?
This could not possibly be good. People didn’t just bump into you in the hal s and thrust a sweaty hood over your face for kicks. Maybe it