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  “Really?” he asked, looking back at me.

  I shrugged as I smacked Lexy’s arm. “It’s good to be involved.”

  “I guess I could join Student Council,” he said.

  Lexy laughed again. “You would have no problem getting in that club. Bailey is the president.”

  “You are?” he asked in a surprised tone.

  “You two don’t talk, do you?” Lexy teased. “Bailey, do you even know his last name?”

  “Shut up, Lex. Clubs look good on college applications,” I repeated. “Don’t you guys know anything about marketing? And why are you so surprised by this?”

  Ty leaned forward and kissed my lips. “I didn’t think you could get any hotter. My girlfriend is President of Student Council.”

  “You’re so weird,” I laughed, kissing him back.

  The bell rang, forcing everyone in the school for first period. We claimed a table near the back of the class and sat through physics together, listening to our teacher discuss the upcoming school year. Once the teacher stopped talking, Ty pulled my chair closer to his.

  Looking over the semester’s outline, he asked. “Are you good at science?”

  Confused by his question, I pulled in my eyebrows. “What?”

  “Well, Lexy is right. Don’t tell her I said that, but we’ve never talked about school or studying or anything.” he shrugged.

  “You’d rather talk about school than make out?” I quietly laughed.

  “No.” He moved his chair even closer to mine. “I just wondered.”

  “Yes, I’m good at science, but it’s because I study,” I whispered. “I’m also good at math and English.”

  “So you get good grades?” he continued with his questions.

  “You could say that,” I turned and looked into his eyes, waiting for a reaction. “I’m going to be valedictorian of our class, Ty.”

  “Seriously?” He leaned back in his chair. “And you are president of Student Council. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It never came up,” I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I can help you study.”

  He laughed and leaned toward me. “You think I get bad grades?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t say that. Do you?”

  “I was in position to be valedictorian at my last school.” Ty looked into my eyes now, waiting on my reaction. “They are looking at my transcripts to see if all of my classes will transfer over.”

  Realizing what he had said, I replied too loudly. “You’re telling me that you are going to beat me out for valedictorian? You’re kidding me?”

  Lexy turned around in her seat with wide eyes. “What?” She whispered.

  “Nothing,” I snapped. “We’re just getting to know each other.”

  Rolling her eyes, she turned back around. He grabbed my knee and sighed. “My grades probably won’t all transfer over.”

  “I’m sure your grades will transfer. I’ve spent the last four years securing my spot at number one just to have my hot, athletic boyfriend swoop in at the last minute and knock me to second place.” I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m also very competitive, in case you didn’t know that about me.”

  Forcing my stubbornness to subside, I looked into his eyes. “Sorry… I’m glad you’re smart. I’m just hoping that I’m at least a grade point smarter.”

  Squeezing my knee, he leaned into my ear. “Look at the bright side. This just means we won’t have to spend much time studying.”

  “Nice try,” I laughed as I pushed him away. “I’ll be studying extra hard now that I know I have some competition.”

  Arriving home after basketball practice, I was surprised to find Jeremy’s parents in our kitchen with my parents. They had been family friends for as long as I could remember, but hadn’t come around much since Jeremy and I had broken up.

  “Come in, dear,” my mom called from the stove. “The McCains are joining us for dinner.”

  I tried to act indifferent. “I’ll take my plate upstairs, thanks. I have some studying to catch up on.”

  “Don’t be silly,” my mom continued. “The McCains have missed you just as much as we have missed Jeremy. You two should really work things out.”

  “Speaking of Jeremy,” Mr. McCain turned in my direction. “Have you spoken to him lately?”

  Glaring back into his dark eyes, I replied. “Not since the night he made a grand entrance at Lexy’s party.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” he continued. “What exactly happened that night? Jeremy mentioned your new boyfriend was involved.”

  “I’m not sure why he would tell you something like that.” I said placing my hands on my hips.

  “I think my son would tell me the truth,” Mr. McCain challenged.

  Stepping around the counter, I grabbed two slices of pizza from the refrigerator. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me. It was good to see you, Mrs. McCain.”

  Walking away, I knew it was best not to antagonize him. However, this time he was wrong and out of line for trying to get Ty involved.

  ***

  The first few weeks of school flew by, and I was consumed with basketball practice, student council, and keeping my valedictorian status. Ty hadn’t heard whether or not his previous classes had transferred to Milton, or he had chosen not to tell me.

  Friday nights were spent at the football field. Lexy and I stood in the stadium with red and black numbers painted on our faces to cheer on our star boyfriends. Colton had maintained his starting position as center and due to small town politics, Holden remained the quarterback while Ty was a starting receiver.

  After another home victory, Ty and I were driving to Lexy’s house when blue and red lights began to flash behind Ty’s truck. Pulling to the side of the road, Ty pulled out his license and insurance card, prepared to talk to the officer.

  “Good evening, young man,” an officer stated as he shown the flashlight in the cab of the truck. “Driving a little fast tonight, aren’t we?”

  “Sorry, sir,” Ty held out his license and insurance card. “I didn’t realize.”

  Once the flashlight was down, I could see the man’s face.

  “Mr. McCain?” I asked in shock.

  “Well hello, Bailey,” he replied in a cool tone. “I didn’t realize you were in the truck with this young man.”

  “I’m sure you knew,” I replied in a frustrated tone. “We weren’t speeding. We are just on our way to watch a movie at Lexy’s. Can’t you let us go?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I just let you leave.” Mr. McCain took a step back from the truck. “Let me run your license, and I’ll be right back.”

  “That’s Jeremy’s dad, isn’t it?” Ty whispered in my direction. “I bet I’m going to jail.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere,” I whispered back. “He’s just trying to rattle you.”

  “It’s working,” he leaned his head back against the seat.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. McCain walked back to the truck. “It looks like you have a few other citations on your license, young man, so I can’t let you off with just a warning.”

  “You know we weren’t speeding,” I complained. “Can’t you just let us go this time? You’ve made your point.”

  “Bailey Hart,” Mr. McCain shook his head. “You’ve never known when to keep your mouth shut. It would be in your best interest to shut it now.”

  Shocked by his bluntness, and irritated enough to call my father at that moment, I sat back against my seat. I watched as Ty accepted the ticket, along with his license and insurance card. We stayed frozen in place until Mr. McCain’s car was out of sight.

  “$300!” Ty exclaimed. “I’m guessing this is to pay for the night I punched his son in the face. Perfect.”

  “I’ll call my dad,” I said as I reached into my purse for my phone. “This is ridiculous.”

  “No, don’t,” he fumed. “I have a feeling that will only make it worse. Let’s just get to Lexy’s befor
e we get stopped again.”

  Within the next week, Ty was pulled over two more times and each time the officer issued a ticket for speeding or not stopping at a stop sign. When we were pulled over the final time, I saw my cousin walk up to the driver’s side window.

  “License and registration, please,” the officer directed at Ty.

  “Phillip!” I screamed. “What in the hell is going on? You know we weren’t speeding.”

  “Bailey,” Phillip leaned down to look into the truck. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were in the vehicle.”

  “Like that would matter.” I tried to steady my voice. “Why does this keep happening?”

  “I’m just following orders.” Phillip looked behind him as if he were being watched. “License and registration, please.”

  “You better just give us a warning!” I shouted as I reached for my phone. “I’m calling my dad now. This is getting out of hand.”

  We hadn’t been pulled over or harassed by another officer since my father talked to Mr. McCain that day. However, Ty was worried he would lose his license if he received anymore tickets, so he parked his truck and decided to ride with me or Colton for the next few weeks.

  “I’m sorry this is happening.” I kissed his lips before we pulled out of his driveway and headed to school.

  “It’s not your fault,” he shrugged. “Ed is more pissed about it than I am. He’s never liked the McCains, and this is making it worse.”

  “Nothing beats small town politics,” I sighed. “On the bright side, we can both leave this place in about nine months.”

  “Speaking of that…” He turned in his seat to face me. “Where are you applying to college? Are you staying in Oklahoma?”

  “I applied at Oklahoma State University as a backup plan, but no, I’m not planning on staying in Oklahoma. I’m waiting to hear back from Brown, UCLA and NYU.”

  “Wow,” Ty replied.

  “Where have you applied?” I asked, secretly hoping he would name the same colleges I had. “Your grades and test scores will get you in any school you want.”

  “I’m waiting to hear back from Brown too,” he replied, turning to look out the window. “And a few other schools.”

  “In Michigan?” I asked, curious about his vagueness.

  “Yeah, one is in Michigan, but honestly…” his voice trailed off.

  “Say it.” I shifted in my seat as the conversation turned serious. “You can tell me.”

  “Baby, I just want to go where you go.” Ty sat back into his seat. “That makes me sound completely lame, but it’s the truth.”

  “Well, that’s good because I want to go where you go.” I smiled and reached for his hand. “Do I need to apply at other schools?”

  “You sure you want to go out of state?” he questioned.

  “My grandfather and I have an agreement that he will pay for my college only if I go out of state.” I smiled as I remembered the conversation with my grandfather this spring. I was crying in our backyard about Jeremy, and he encouraged me to get as far away from Milton as possible.

  “Really?” Ty exclaimed. “That’s awesome.”

  “I know. I’m excited about it.” I let out a small giggle. “How about I make a list for you, and you can make a list for me. That way we both apply to the same schools.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He smiled as we pulled into the high school parking lot with only the future on our minds.

  ***

  Homecoming week had arrived, and Lexy and I were both excited to be chosen as Homecoming Queen candidates. Promising to be happy for whoever won the crown, we enjoyed the week of attention and pampering.

  Colton and Ty arrived at school on Friday, each carrying a dozen red roses. Opening the door to my Jeep, Ty held out the flowers and kissed my lips.

  “Today is the day, your majesty,” he smiled.

  “Thanks,” I said as I took the flowers and wedged the vase into my cup holder. Pulling him further into the driver’s seat, I kissed him until the bell rang for first period.

  Lexy and I fidgeted all day until our coach decided to blow the final whistle. Running to our cars after basketball practice, we sped to my house where we would shower, primp and dress in our new dresses.

  Colton and Ty were already at the football stadium, warming up for the big game. We were playing our rivals from Bristol and the homecoming buzz had everyone extra hyped up for a victory.

  Looking in my bathroom mirror, Lexy and I giggled as we applied extra eye liner and lip gloss. Curling our hair and pinning it back, we inspected and approved our appearance. I stepped into my royal blue dress right as the butterflies in my stomach began to turn.

  “I’m getting nervous,” I confessed as Lexy zipped her black ankle length gown.

  “Me too,” she giggled.

  “It’s so hard to wait. We still have another hour.”

  Making our way downstairs, we listened to the game on the radio until we knew it was time to drive to the field. Carefully stepping into Lexy’s Mustang, we slowly drove to the stadium to find out who would be crowned Homecoming Queen.

  Seeing Kara at the entrance of the stadium, we smiled and hugged as we met our competition.

  “Your dress looks so good,” I exclaimed as Kara twirled in her emerald green gown.

  “Thanks, you both look so pretty,” Kara returned the compliment.

  The three of us squealed and giggled until they called our names over the loud speaker.

  In a matter of minutes, we were being escorted by Colton, Austin and Holden to the center of the football field. Clinging to Holden’s arm, I tried my best to appear calm and confident as I looked over the silenced crowd.

  “Your Homecoming Queen is…” the announcer paused dramatically, “Bailey Hart!”

  “Congratulations,” Holden leaned to kiss my cheek just before Lexy and Kara attacked me with hugs.

  I locked eyes with Ty as he beamed with pride from the sideline. Luckily, he didn’t seem affected by Holden’s sudden display of affection. Smiling so big that my cheeks began to hurt, I leaned forward as Holden took the crown and placed it on my head.

  The crowd was still cheering as we were ushered off the field in time for the third quarter to begin. We sat on the front row for the remainder of the game. Our gowns kept us from cheering with much force, but we did our best to stand and scream when needed.

  The game was tied with one minute on the clock, and Lexy and I clung to each other as Colton recovered a fumble from the other team. Standing up with the crowd, we cheered and nearly fell over in our heels.

  We held our breath as Holden caught the snap for the final play of the game. Taking a few steps back, Holden launched the ball in Ty’s direction. Ty jumped and grabbed the ball from the air and headed toward the end zone. Red and black jerseys flew at the yellow jerseys giving Ty a pathway to victory. With ten seconds left on the clock, he entered the end zone and sealed the victory for Milton.

  The entire stadium rushed the field as Milton claimed victory over the Bristol Bears. Lexy and I followed the crowd as we searched the red and black jerseys for Ty and Colton. The cheerleaders were encouraging the crowd to chant and cheer for the football players.

  Excited to find him, I finally spotted the red jersey with 27 on the back. Smiling when I saw the grin spread across his face, I picked up speed in his direction. I was within five steps of hugging my champion, when a woman stepped in front of me and lunged into Ty’s arms.

  My feet froze to the ground as I watched this woman dressed in a red sweater and tight blue jeans wrap her arms around Ty’s neck and kiss him directly on the mouth. Her blonde curls fell down her back as Ty placed both of his hands on her waist. He wasn’t stopping the kiss.

  The woman was too old to be in high school, but she was way too young to be his overly affectionate mother. I noticed that everyone surrounding us was watching. Watching Ty and this woman and my reaction.

  I quickly turned away.

  “Get me out of h
ere,” I said, grabbing Lexy’s arm and pushing through the crowd.

  “Who was that?” she exclaimed. “We need to confront them. Now!”

  “No, we don’t,” I said, not sure where my sense of calm had come from. “I can’t do this in front of the entire town again.”

  Understanding what I meant, Lexy helped push a pathway through the crowd until we were standing on the open field with the parking lot in view.

  “Call me when you leave.” I looked at Lexy. “Tell Colton what happened. Let him know that he now has two dates to the dance.”

  “You’re still going?” she asked, surprised.

  “Of course I’m going,” I replied without looking back.

  I continued walking toward the fence that lined the parking lot. Once I found the opening in the chain links, I would be safe. I would have time to process what just happened.

  I couldn’t believe that just happened.

  Pulling back the hidden opening in the fence, I struggled to slide through without ripping my dress. Walking through the dark alley toward my house, I could feel the tears prick my eyes. I had trusted him, and he’d done the same thing as Jeremy.

  My phone vibrated in my purse as I entered my backyard. Pulling off my heels, I opened my purse and saw Ty’s name on the illuminated screen. I couldn’t talk to him now. I wasn’t ready to hear the excuses he would come up with. How could he do that in front of the entire town? How could he do that at all?

  Pressing ignore, I continued across the lawn. My phone continued to vibrate as I entered my bedroom and changed into my royal blue skinny jeans, black lace top and black stiletto heels. Adjusting my crown and touching up my lip gloss, I wouldn’t let anyone know I was affected by Ty’s blatant infidelity.

  Startled by the knock at my bedroom door, I was grateful I had turned the lock after entering. I stood as still as a statue until I heard a voice.

  “Bailey, it’s me,” I heard Lexy say. “Let me in.”

  Letting out the breath I didn’t know I was holding, I moved toward the door. “Are you alone?” I asked.