Point Of No Return

Chapter 5: Temerity

"What is this?" I asked, nudging the bag with my pencil.

Alex barely glanced at me. "A delivery."

I narrowed my eyes. "For me?"

He smirked. "No, for the other Amara Lawson sitting next to me."

I exhaled sharply through my nose, deciding not to dignify that with a response. Instead, I peered into the bag, immediately spotting a small folded note sitting on top. My stomach sank. I already knew who this was from.

Unfolding the note, I found an obnoxiously cocky scrawl:

Didn't think I'd forget, did you? ;) 

P.S. Don't even think about chickening out.

I groaned. Of course Finn had found a way to get to me. And of course, he had roped Alex into it.

I shot Alex an unimpressed look. "You're his errand boy now?"

He shrugged, still not looking up. "I had to meet up with him after school anyway. He told me to pass it along."

I sighed, already regretting my life choices, before pulling the contents of the bag out. The second I saw it, I regretted them even more.

Because in my hands was a maroon and gold football jersey.

Lexington High. Finn's school. His team's jersey.

Number 14.

Finn's number.

I stared at it. Then at Alex. Then back at it.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Alex finally looked up, took one glance at the jersey, and let out an amused huff. "Wow. He really committed."

I groaned. "I can't wear this."

Alex snorted. "Hey, you're the one who flirted with him."

I blinked, taken aback. "What?!"

"You heard me." He shrugged. "You practically batted your eyelashes at him all night."

I gawked at him, offended. "I did not!"

Alex smirked. "Mhm. Whatever you say."

I groaned, shoving the jersey back into the bag. There was no way I was wearing this.

✺✺✺✺✺✺✺✺✺✺

I barely made it to our usual lunch table before Tessa spotted the bag. Her eyes locked onto it instantly, then flicked to my expression. She knew me too well—because the second she saw my scowl, her face lit up with anticipation.

"Oh, this is gonna be good." She leaned forward, practically vibrating with excitement. "What's in the bag?"

I groaned, slamming it onto the table. "Finn Reed is the worst."

Tessa gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "Oh my God, what did he do? Because I know you don't actually hate him."

I shot her a glare before yanking the bag open and pulling out the jersey. She took one look at it and immediately burst into laughter. Not just a chuckle, but a full-body, wheezing kind of laughter that made her shake.

"Oh my God," she choked out between laughs. "You're wearing his jersey? No, wait—you lost a bet and now you have to wear his jersey?" She wiped at her eyes, still laughing. "This is so much better than anything I could have imagined."

I groaned, dropping my head onto my folded arms. "I can't wear this."

Tessa poked at the jersey. "Oh, but you have to. This is the law of the bet. You agreed to this."