Red Herring ✔️

38. Funny Valentine

9 Days to Halloween

"I'm not your mom so I don't mean to nag you, but are you sure this is the best idea?"

"I'm not going to change my mind."

"I am but a mere small teenage girl. If you start hitting him, I can't stop you," Mazie warned him.

Christian rolled his eyes. "You're acting like I have no self-control."

"On multiple occasions, you stated how much you wanted to throttle him," Mazie reminded him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Christian leaned into her space and peered around the corner. When he drew back, he paused briefly by her face, dropping his gaze to her lips. "I'm not gonna kill him."

"I just don't want to be an accessory to a crime before the age of eighteen," she mentioned sarcastically, shying away from him. If he touched her, she couldn't focus anymore. Boy cooties and all that.

Christian checked his watch. "Now is the best time. It won't go on your permanent record if you're under eighteen. You can get it expunged. And..." Christian rolled his shoulders back and stared intently at the wall in front of him, mentally preparing himself for an interrogation. "...hate to get your very hot panties in a twist but we've already committed a few crimes."

"I deny them entirely!" She whispered harshly, pointing a finger firmly at her own chest in indignation. "And you have no idea what my panties look like."

Narrowing his gaze, Christian speedily glanced up and down her body as if there were no time to spare. "In my head, I do."

"Mind out of the gutter, Christian," she muttered between clenched teeth.

He swiped a hand over his face to cover his laughter. "I'm as focused as ever, sweetheart."

The waiting killed her slowly. She wanted to get this over with. "So how are we doing this? Good cop, bad cop?"

"Sure," he agreed with zero conviction in his tone.

Mazie shrugged. "Okay, but I'm playing bad cop."

Christian chuckled, glancing at his watch again. "I'd like to see that."

She liked when he wore watches. Firstly, he wore expensive watches in pristine condition that matched his outfit. Secondly, there was something about it that was uniquely male and just...hot. It was the weird things about him that she noticed and liked that let her know just how much she actually liked him. She didn't notice other boys and whether or not they wore watches.

"You're sure he's going to come this way?" Mazie inquired, wondering what was taking so long. It was well past the time that football practice ended.

Christian nodded. He glanced around the corner again. "I asked my friend. He's on the team. He told me that he always comes to the coach's office after practice to watch film for thirty minutes to an hour." Christian studied something far off in the distance. His smell was intoxicating and terribly distracting. "I think I see them coming. Remember the plan?"

"No, I forgot from five minutes ago when we went over it. Twice."

"I'm gonna let that sarcasm fly this time," he mumbled.

Mazie rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm so scared," she responded blandly.

The door to the side entrance of the school squeaked open. Mazie listened for voices but didn't hear any which meant he was alone. Everything became easier from this point since he was alone.

Christian flexed his fingers and waited patiently for their victim to round the corner to the hallway where they stowed away.

Lonny Harrison ambled around the corner, gaze focused intently on the phone in his hand where he was texting and walking at the same time. Mazie nodded to Christian, alerting him that she spied Lonny a few steps away. Waiting impatiently, ready to pounce, Christian bounced on the balls of his feet, anticipating the attack.