This Means War (The Virgin Wars Contest)

Chapter Eight

"How's it coming Brooke?" Chelsea's voice was nervous with a hint of excitement.

Instead of reply with words, I creaked open the dressing room door and stepped out with my back to her. There was a conspicuous smirk playing on my lips as I spun around. Her fresh green eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Brooke, o-oh my God! You look absolutely incredible!"

Examining myself in the full-length mirror once more, I was fully satisfied with my outfit and how it could pass as both sexy and elegant. Not to brag or anything, but I looked good - I mean really good. Hopefully good enough to gain the admiration of many victims.

That tiny voice in my head was begging me to stop this now, but the bigger, stronger voice was demanding that I win at any and all costs. Eventually I couldn't even hear the small voice anymore, so I followed the only one I had left...

Handing the cashier enough cash to pay for the ensemble, telling her I'd wear it out with a dazzling smile. "Hot date tonight," she wondered lightly.

Giving Chelsea a secret look, I replied. "Something like that."

Giving back a few dollars in change, I strutted out of the store with my head held high. "Have a nice day," I called back to the woman at the register. She didn't question us about school, maybe because she thought we were in our twenties or something.

As I drove us back to the school, Chelsea turned to me. "So, you ready for this?"

"Ready for what," I questioned with a laugh.

Her face was absolutely serious as she spoke the five words I'd never forget. "All hell to break loose."

*

She had fumbled over her words when she saw me, whereas in the halls the boys fumbled over themselves. Well, that and the puddles of drool they generated.

It felt good having so much power over them all. Maybe this is how Lindsey feels about her minions. Even so, I was soaking up all of the attention like a sponge. With Chelsea beside me, I felt like I was unstoppable. All of the girls wanted to be me, and all of the guys wanted to be on me. And it wasn't the outfit that made me so desirable, it was the way I wore it.

Don't even get me started about how many tools were waiting outside of my locker by the end of the day. It was ridiculous, and completely incredible! I already had four guys ask me to prom, eight ask me to dinner, and three ask me to bang - I mean hang out with them.

I turned down the ones for prom, but I decided what's the harm in going to dinner with someone?

Cole...

There was that damn voice again! He's sweet and all, but that night I realized that I didn't love him. I think I loved the idea of him more than anything. Maybe we're just destined to be friends, though I couldn't ignore the butterflies that fluttered forensically whenever I saw him. And the way his eyes jus-

My train of though left the station as I ran into something hard, like a wall. Only, it wasn't a wall - it was a guy.

His chest was solid as my English book fell out of my hands, and my butt connected with the floor. "Learn to watch where you're going," I told him curtly, standing up and dusting myself off.

I stared at my book, now resting coolly in his hands. "I believe this is yours." I slowly grabbed the novel, never taking my eyes off of his face. "Sorry about that, I should've been watching where I was going," he admitted smoothly.

I didn't even realize that I was frozen in place until he waved a hand over my face. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly, the recognition hit me like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry," I breathed out quickly. And then I saw the same look on his face. He was that guy in the hallway. "Mainly for screaming at you in the hallway the other day."

Rubbing his stubble, he gave me a crooked smile. "Oh, that was you, wasn't it?"

"I'm ashamed to say it was. I was having a bad day and just needed to take it out on somebody, I guess." My lie came out easily as he bent down and grabbed my bag, sliding it over my shoulder. The look he was giving me suggested that everything in the past, was staying in the past.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of me. I suppose this whole endeavor was working wonders on my part. With this guy, everything was dark and mysterious, and I'll be damned if it didn't intrigue me. When he spoke, his voice was deeper than it had originally been, catching me slightly off guard.

My eyes met his and I swallowed. They were like dark chocolate, and they were smoldering. God, just looking at them made my knees go weak and my belly flip-flop. He looked at me for a few more seconds and I knew that my cheeks had started to flush.

Okay, he was hot. And I mean insanely hot. The more I stared at him, the more I agreed with myself. Dark brown hair, strong jaw-line, and slightly crooked nose revealed his type. This bad-boy was handsome, dreamy, and most definitely dangerous.

You know how they say that if you play with fire, you're going to get burned? Well, at the moment I could care less if I'm left with a few scars. "I'm Brooke," I started a little more shakily than I had intended.

Blinking a few times, he snapped out of whatever he was in. "Sorry, I think I just got lost in your eyes."

Allowing another blush to surface, I giggled quietly and took a few small steps forward. "Well, I'd better get going." I adjusted my dress and flung a section of hair behind my back.

"I'll walk with you," he said quickly. The door was right in front of us, but I didn't question it.

Like a gentleman, he held the door opened for me. "And they say chivalry is dead," I told him whimsically. Passing through the doorway, he gave me a final smile and turned. "Hey, wait!" He stopped dead in his tracks and back-tracked. "I didn't catch your name."

"Alex," he told me with the voice that was a combination of honey and outright sin. I noted the sexy smirk he was sported and passed through the doorway.

Bad-boy had never been my type...but with him, I think I'll be willing to make an exception.

               Pic to the side is Alex! >>