Studying Boys (9 page)

He snorted. "I don't think so."

"I do." I felt Allie and Blue watching me, but I didn't dare look at them. I kept my gaze fixed on Theo and tried not to feel terrified.

"Why would I?" he asked. He wasn't taunting me. He appeared genuinely curious, as if he couldn't imagine why he would ever do what I wanted him to do.

"Because you want to play lacrosse."

He laughed. "What? Are you going to ban me from playing lacrosse?"

"No, but your parents will."

The smile dropped off his face. "What are you saying?"

I'd never realized how good it felt to be evil. I was going to have to incorporate this into my life more often. Total power. "Your parents. You have do what I want, or they'll get an earful about your behavior that might or might not be exaggerated. Whatever it is, it'll be enough to keep you off that team." That was the beauty of being so close to the Waller family. I knew what his parents were like, and they'd never stand for him letting down his sister, or one of her friends. Like me.

Theo narrowed his eyes. "You can't do that."

"No?"

He glared at me.

I glowered back.

"You'd really try to get me in trouble with them just because I didn't help you with your homework club?" He did not sound happy. Good.

"Yes. But only because you made me. Blame yourself."

For an instant, I could have sworn I saw a flash of admiration in his expression, but he shoved it away and replaced it with a scowl. "Fine."

Fine? He was surrendering? Impossible. It couldn't be that easy. "Fine, what?"

"I'll come."

"And bring friends?"

He frowned at me. "Yes."

"And not party?"

He looked at me for the longest time, and I could see a tendon flexing in his neck. Finally he said, "We'll have to negotiate."

And then he left.

Wow.

I immediately sank down on the bed, my knees trembling. Allie and Blue stared at me. "What was that?" Allie asked.

"Desperation," I said.

"I guess so." Allie sat down next to me. "I do believe we have a problem. Blue."

"What problem?" Other than the fact I'd become possessed by some psycho girl? But it felt good. I wanted to grab one of Blue's pillows and waltz around the room with it. I'd stood up to Theo all on my own, and it felt awesome!

Blue sighed. "I know, Allie."

"Know what?" I asked, still dancing. "What problem?"

"What are we going to do?" Allie asked Blue.

"I don't know," Blue said.

"About what?" I asked again, my excitement fading. What did they know that I didn't know?

They ignored me. "We should call Natalie," Blue said.

"Yeah. We may have totally screwed up," Allie said.

Blue's mom shouted up the stairs that it was time for dinner, and my friends got up to walk toward the door.

"Hey!"

They turned around and looked at me.

"What's going on?" I hoped I sounded demanding enough.

Allie and Blue glanced at each other, then back at me. Allie sighed. "The way you just told off Theo?"

"What about it? It was brilliant, right? Totally shifted the power to me?"

Allie bit her lower lip and glanced at Blue, then back at me. "See, here's thing, Frances. By yelling at him, you made him notice you."

"Of course he noticed me." I frowned. "Why is that a problem?"

Blue sighed. "No. Not just notice you. Notice you."

I stared. Did they mean that Theo had noticed me as a girl? As someone other than his sister's friend? A shiver of excitement went through me, and then I thought of how he'd ruined The Homework Club. I lifted my chin. "Well, it's too late for him. I already know what a jerk he is. He should have noticed me a month ago." And it was true. He'd pushed me too far.

Allie studied me for a long moment, then she relaxed. "Well, good then. Nothing to worry about."

Why did I feel like she was totally wrong?

* * *

A few minutes later, I sat down at dinner across from Theo. He nodded at me, with a nervous flick of his eyes toward his parents.

How about that? He was afraid of me. Or at least, he respected my power. Interesting.

The question was, what happened now? I had no idea what to do with power. Guess I'd better figure it out.

* * *

Five after seven on Wednesday night.

No one present for The Homework Club except me and my friends.

And George Moon. He and I were in the kitchen, working on an English paper I needed to write, but I couldn't concentrate. I kept listening for the door. Was Theo going to show up? What was he going to do once he got there?

"So, Frances," George said.

"What?"

He touched my arm, and I looked at him, with his glasses and short red hair. "I was, um, thinking."

I sighed. "About what?"

"Do you want to maybe... sort of go to a movie with me on Friday? My mom will drive us."

A date? Like my first real date? I almost fell off my chair.

George's cheeks were bright red and he looked like he'd rather be anywhere but in that kitchen with me.

For an instant, I thought of Theo. And there was nothing. No yearning. No crush. It was over. He'd cured me of my obsession by showing me the selfish, arrogant side he'd showed everyone else for so long. Which meant I was free. For George.

George was perfect for me. Studious, serious, and a dedicated student. He was my type of boy. So I nodded. "Sure. I'll go." My first date.

George grinned and I smiled back, my heart racing. My first date. My first date. My first--

Then the front door slammed and I heard loud voices. George's face fell, and our moment was broken. "They're back?"

Oy! Theo and his friends! Could they have timed it any worse? "Don't worry. They'll study this time." I jumped up from the table and walked to the front hall. All of the same people from last time were there, carrying pizza and soda, CDs and even a Nerf hoop.

Allie jumped in with a couple lacrosse players who were heading off to the living room, while Blue and Natalie sat down on the foot of the stairs.

I folded my arms across my chest and waited.

Theo was the last one in the door, and when he saw me, he stopped.

Dammit. For someone who was totally over Theo, my heart was really pounding right now.

But I lifted my chin and met his gaze. "What's up with all the food and the music?" Which was already blasting through the house.

He narrowed his eyes. "Get off my case. I'm here, aren't I?"

"That wasn't the whole deal."

He walked in, threw his backpack on the ground, grabbed my arm and pulled me into the living room. "Look."

I looked. The Nerf hoop was set up and some people were dancing. The pizza was open on the table and people were eating. "Looks like last time."

"Look closer."

I realized that Theo's hand was still around my arm. Not that I cared.

"Are you looking?" he said again.

I forced myself not to think about his hand, and I looked. Interestingly enough, just about everyone had textbooks open. Most of them weren't being read, but they were open. I did hear one couple discussing a paragraph in their physics book.

Progress, but hardly enough to make The Homework Club a success. I turned to Theo. "Is that it?"

He frowned. "What do you mean? They're working."

"You call that working?"

"Yes." He met my gaze.

"I have different rooms assigned for each of the subjects. You can't have things combined like this. It's too confusing!"

"For who?"

"Everyone!"

Theo rolled his eyes. "Listen, Frances, I'm helping you out here, but you need to take a chill."

I needed to what?

"You want this thing to succeed?" he asked.

"Of course I do. That's the whole point of blackmailing you!"

"At least you acknowledge it."

"What?"

"The blackmail."

Well, of course I acknowledged it. "I'm not stupid enough to think you'd actually help me out because you liked me, if that's what you're talking about." Oh, I knew the score now. My heart might still throb at the sight of him, but there were no more delusions. He cared only about himself, and not about me, or anything else.

Something crossed Theo's face, but he didn't respond to my statement. Instead he said, "If you want this homework thing to succeed, then you have to relax."

"No, I have to push harder." I fisted my hands. "You guys have no idea how to study."

He ran his hand through his hair in a move that I used to think was cute. Now it made me wonder whether he had dandruff. Well, not really, but it was a good try. "No," he said. "You're the one who has no idea about how anyone else in this world actually thinks. You're the only one like you."

"Like me in what way?" This was not sounding like he was about to shower me with compliments. I glanced back over my shoulder, but George hadn't emerged from the kitchen to leave yet. So, I still had time to get this settled before I lost the one attendee who actually valued it, and me, for what it was.

"You're a study freak."

"I'm a freak?" I mean, I was well aware I was hardly a social diva and I knew that boys weren't exactly falling all over me, but a freak? How could I ever have liked this guy? I scowled at him. "George doesn't think I'm a freak."

"George?" Theo looked completely confused. "George who?"

"George Moon." I lifted my chin. "He asked me out on a date."

"Well, good for him." Theo didn't seem to care at all that I was being sought after by other guys, which was fine. I didn't need him to care. Not anymore. "It doesn't change the fact that if you want this thing to work, you need to change." He glowered at me. "Even I can't get people to show up for the kind of night you want to organize. Lighten up, or you're out of luck."

"I don't need to lighten up!"

"No?" His eyes were flashing a challenge.

"I'm perfectly light."

He actually grinned. "Frances, you're the most uptight person I know."

I set my hands on my hips. "I'm not uptight."

"Want me to prove it?"

"You can't." Theo proving I was uptight? That didn't sound like a good experience.

"Friday night."

I blinked. "What about Friday night?"

"Be at my house at seven."

"Why?"

"You want my help on this thing?"

"No, I don't want your help." Not like I had a choice. Theo was the only pied piper of teenagers I knew. "Besides, I have a date Friday night at seven." Did I sound cool or what? I had a date.

He narrowed his eyes. "With George."

"Uh huh."

"Where?"

"Movies."

He lifted a brow. "You really do have a date?"

"Well, of course I do. Apparently, being studious is attractive to the right type of guy." I glared at him. "So there."

He shrugged. "Whatever."

He started to turn away and I grabbed his arm. "So, are you going to make them turn off the music and put away the food and work? I have a schedule."

"No."

"No, what?"

"You're pushing it too far. Change or fail. Call me when you decide." And then he walked out the door and slammed it behind him.

And to think Theo had girls falling all over him. I simply couldn't see it happening.

But that was fine he was gone. The Homework Club was all mine now.

I walked over to the stereo and turned it off, prompting a number of protests. I held up my hands,

and suddenly realized that I was a freshman in a room full of seniors, and I'd just turned off the stereo.

Had I lost my mind?

This was why I needed Theo's help.

Then I scowled. I didn't need his help. I'd show him I was right. People would discover how much fun it was to study. And everything would be good. I held up my schedule. "Thanks for coming. There are specific rooms designated for each subject." I started to rattle them off, but no one moved. They just stared at me.

I cleared my throat. "We'll study for forty-five minutes, and then there will be a rotation." I sought out Allie, who was in the corner with some guy. "Allie, will you take down the Nerf hoop, please?"

Some tall guy moved in front of it to block it, and Allie glanced at me, and sat down.

Great. Mutiny by one of my best friends.

"So, where's the fun?" a redhead asked.

"This isn't about fun. It's about homework. You guys will get better grades. What more do you need?"