As Imogen sashayed towards Reese, the linebacker glanced in her direction before turning away. Then, he did a double take and nearly dropped the soda in his hand. Imogen simply smirked, knowing that the blond boy was practically already putty in her hands.
"Hi, I'm Imogen Cadwell." Imogen held out her hand when she got to Reese. The blond boy just stared at Imogen for a second, dumbfounded.
"Uh, I know-- No, I mean, uh, I'm Reese Hale." Reese probably meant to shake Imogen's outstretched hand, but instead, he just slapped his bottle of soda into Imogen's palm. The blonde girl arched an eyebrow at Reese, who facepalmed.
"Sorry, I meant to shake your hand, but there was already something occupying it. Okay, that was awkward, sorry." Reese's cheeks flushed scarlet, but Imogen just laughed good-heartedly.
"It's okay," Imogen handed Reese his soda back. "So, we have chemistry together, right?" Imogen pretended to look unsure and bit her lip. Reese looked mesmerized for a moment, but then snapped out of his reverie to answer Imogen's question.
"Yeah, yeah we do." Reese nodded and put his hand in the pocket of his letterman jacket.
"We should totally talk more. I'd like to get to know you, Reese." Imogen quipped. The blonde girl did want to get to know Reese, but not in the way that he would think.
"Wait, really?" Reese looked at Imogen with wide blue eyes. "I mean, yeah, I'd also like to get to know you."
"We could talk in chemistry sometime. Maybe you could do a lab with Kaya and I." Imogen suggested.
"Yeah! Although, I'm not very good at chemistry. Actually, I really suck at chemistry." Reese laughed a bit, but looked at the rubbery floors so Imogen couldn't catch a glimpse of his smile.
"Really? I'm excellent at chemistry." Imogen paused a the perfect plan popped into her mind. "Actually, I could tutor you. I mean, if you wanted." Imogen spoke suggestively, but Reese seemed oblivious to it.
"Yeah, that would be great!" Reese's expression resembled an excited puppy who just got a treat. Imogen just gave the linebacker a bewildered look. Did he really not understand what she meant?
"Wait a second, didn't you set something on fire last week?" Reese tried to suppress a smile but failed. Imogen honestly hadn't paid much attention to the blond boy before tonight, but she did know that he didn't smile often. She thought that his smile looked nice.
"Yes, I did, but I also have never gotten below an A- on any of my chemistry tests. So, I'd say that I would be a great tutor." Imogen returned Reese's smile.
"Okay. Tutor me then?" Reese seemed to have finally gotten his bearings around Imogen, and the blond boy was more confident than before.
"I'll see you Friday after school." Imogen winked and then spun on her heel, her hips swaying as she walked away. Reese watched the head cheerleader disappear into the sea of people and wondered how a girl like that could ever notice Reese. Sure, he was a linebacker and part of a more popular group at school, but girls were a mystery to Reese. Especially Imogen Cadwell.
***
Imogen pulled into the driveway of the enormous house and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that not a single light was on. She didn't feel like dealing with her father and his absurd questions tonight, and she was glad that she wouldn't have to.
Imogen walked silently through the echoing, labyrinthine hallways of her father's mansion. She even took off her heels so the clicks of her footsteps on the marble floor wouldn't wake her father.
When Imogen arrived at her room, she flopped down on her silky, bedspread and pulled her laptop out from under her pillow. Imogen knew that Kaya and Adhara would be online, and she needed to tell them about what had just happened with Reese. The blonde girl clicked on Adhara's name, knowing that she always picks up faster than Kaya. Imogen heard the upbeat dial call of the video chat program before Adhara's violet eyes, which were way too close to the camera, popped up on her computer screen.
"Imogen! Look at my smokey eye! I finally perfected it tonight." Adhara said gleefully and then enthusiastically blinked. Imogen saw Kaya suppress a smile in one corner of her screen, but Imogen only giggled.
"It looks great, Hara, but why are you doing smokey eyes at ten at night?" Imogen cocked her head to the side.
"Pfft, why not?" Adhara rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Changing the subject, Kaya tells me that you trained your sights on a new target. Who is he?" Adhara looked at Imogen through her screen in anticipation.
"Kaya, you suck. I wanted to surprise Adhara." Imogen playfully glared at the brunette, who simply smirked. "Anyway, she's right. His name is Reese Hale, blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and he's one of the linebackers on the football team. We have a study date planned tomorrow after school. He also seemed pretty intimidated by me." Imogen informed her friends.
"What boy isn't intimidated by you, Imogen? Even Kaden Gray is, his face when you were talking about pouring scalding liquids on him was priceless." Kaya threw her head back and laughed at the memory.
"Alex Deven isn't intimidated by me." Imogen smirked at Kaya, who slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned.
"Okay, I am clearly missing something. What happened?" Adhara's violet eyes flicked between Imogen and Kaya's virtual faces.
"Alex Deven is an asshole." Kaya started.
"Correct." Imogen nodded, cutting Kaya off.
"He's annoying, arrogant, and argumentative." Kaya continued and ticked the adjectives off on her fingers as she spoke.
"All very true." Imogen agreed.
"And get this, Adhara, Imogen wanted to set us up together!" Kaya said with a pointed frustration directed at the blonde girl. Adhara let out a low whistle.
"Honestly, I can kind of see it." Adhara sounded amused as she spoke while tying her long, black hair into a ponytail. Kaya put a pillow to her face and screamed. Her muffled shriek couldn't even be drowned out by Imogen and Adhara's laughs.
"How well do you even know him, Imogen?" Kaya's voice was still being muffled by her pillow since she hadn't removed it from her face.
"Very well." Imogen said with a sly smile.
"Fling?" Kaya took the pillow off of her face and looked at the head cheerleader.
"Fling." Imogen confirmed and Kaya groaned again.
"Perfect. This means you know a lot about him, and that means that you won't stop trying to set us up."
"Precisely." Imogen grinned and picked up a nail file, trying to decide which of her nails needed filing.
"Give it a chance, Kaya." Adhara urged. "Relationships could be fun."
"Oh, sure, Adhara. Have you even spoken to Mark yet?" Kaya asked the black-haired girl. Adhara opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Imogen.
"No, the interview doesn't count. That was school business, not regular talking." Imogen said in a singsong voice.
"No," Adhara humphed and her cheeks reddened. "But I will! If he talks to me first."
"Oh, Adhara. You can't just wait for a guy to come to you, they're pretty clueless most of the time. Go to them if you ever want a chance, otherwise they'll just keep on messing around with their friends." Imogen inspected one of her nails, and then proceeded to file it the tiniest bit before deciding it was perfect. Kaya and Adhara both rolled their eyes because they knew how much of a perfectionist the blonde girl was.
"Yeah, right. That'll totally happen." Adhara sighed and rested her chin in her hand. "I wouldn't even know what to say to him without him thinking that I'm a total weirdo."
"You are a total weirdo, but it's a good weird and we love you anyway." Kaya winked at Adhara, who only laughed. An idea popped into Imogen's head.
"Adhara! I could set you and Mark up!" Imogen said eagerly and clapped her hands together. Adhara's eyes widened with panic.
"No! Imogen, no." Adhara's voice raised a decibel or two.
"Yeah, Imogen. You have a full plate right now, between You and Hale, Tessa and Kaden, and the sore attempt of Deven and I. And I'm sure that tonight wasn't your last attempt at any of those." Kaya pointed out with a warning glance.
"Please, both of you know that I could handle twice that," Imogen huffed. "You just don't want me to set Mark and Adhara up."
"Exactly," Adhara said sweetly and smiled.
"I had a totally cute idea, but whatever," Imogen muttered and rolled her eyes.
"Save the cute idea for the linebacker or the lovebirds," Kaya suggested.
"Or, I could save it for you and Alex." Imogen chimed gleefully.
"Or, you could give up on Alex and I. It's not gonna happen, Imogen. I think that's the only thing Alex would ever agree on with me." Kaya grumbled.
"Maybe, maybe not," Imogen smirked cryptically and Kaya put the pillow on her face again.
"Whatever, I'm going to bed. Adhara, I love you. Imogen, not as much right now." Kaya's voice was muffled as she fumbled to click the 'end' button. After she finally found it without removing the pillow from her face, Kaya's view disappeared from the screen.
"I'm gonna go too, Adhara. Night."
"Night, Imogen." Adhara blew a kiss before ending the video call. Imogen shut her laptop and slid it back under the spare pillow.
Imogen stood up and padded into her en suite bathroom to proceed with her nightly routine. Change into pajamas, neatly braid her hair, take off her makeup, brush her teeth, wash her face, exfoliate, and then sleep.
Imogen went back to her bedroom and switched the lights off, climbing into her plush bed. The blonde girl squinted into the brightness of her phone as she set her alarm.
Imogen fell asleep being completely ready for whatever tomorrow would hold, just as she always did.
***
The blaring, screeching pop melody coming from Imogen's phone woke her up with a groan. Obnoxious pop music was the only thing that could get her to leave her comfortable bed. Imogen may be an early bird, but she was also grumpy until she could get her hands on a cup of black coffee.
Imogen strode into her bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water heat up. Adhara once asked Imogen why she took such hot showers. Imogen replied that she liked to practice burning in hell.
Steam quickly filled the bathroom, fogging the glass shower doors and the mirror. Imogen stepped into the shower and let the scalding water run over her body. She quickly washed her hair and body before stepping out of the shower and wrapping a fluffy robe around herself.
As soon as the mirror was unfogged, Imogen pulled out her hair dryer. After her hair was dry, she shook out her shoulder length blonde waves before quickly applying her make up. Imogen stepped back into her bedroom to find an outfit. She decided on a pink, flowery, and high-necked crop tank with a pair of white skinny jeans and strappy pink heels. Imogen didn't even care that the temperature wasn't the warmest. Fashion over practicality was one of her many life mottos.
Imogen grabbed her phone and keys and bounded down the stairs into the kitchen. As she rounded the corner of a hallway, her phone rang out in her hand. It was Kaden.
"Hello?" Imogen answered as she arrived at the pantry and grabbed a coffee filter for the machine. She put the brew in and pushed the button for a large cup.
"Imogen, I need your help." Kaden almost sounded desperate on the phone. Imogen rolled her eyes as the last drops of coffee sputtered out from the machine.
"Clearly." Imogen muttered and took a sip of her coffee.
"I need to know how to ask Tessa on a date. I really need your opinion on this. What if I buy her a pizza and write on the inside of the box, "Will you go out with me or is this too cheesy?'" Kaden sounded like he had spent all night thinking of the absurd idea.
"No!" Imogen nearly spit out her coffee. "Kaden Gray, don't you dare do that! Tessa would more likely than not rather have you just get straight to the point and ask her out. The girl doesn't beat around the bush."
"Way to shoot down my idea."
"It was weird," Imogen stated as she left her house and walked towards her car in the driveway. "Don't ask her out just yet. Get closer with her as friends and she'll fall for you as hard as you fell for her. You guys have a lot of classes together, right?"
"Right." Kaden confirmed as Imogen turned over the engine and began her short journey to school.
"Offer to study together. Invite her to your football games. Talk to her about the school play, she loves theatre. When you've become good friends with her, then you can ask her out."
"Okay, I can do that. Thanks, Imogen." Kaden said gratefully.
"Don't mention it." Imogen quipped and then hung up. She pulled into the school parking lot and coincidentally parked right next to Kaya.
"Hey, Imogen." Kaya greeted kindly.
"Still mad, Ky?" Imogen asked, a little hesitantly. Kaya's temper was never to be messed with.
"Nah, but I might be if you continue to try and set me up with Deven." Kaya shrugged.
"Good," Imogen looped her arm through Kaya's as they walked towards the door. "Because it's Friday and I have a study date with a certain blonde boy. And I need to be able to tell you and Adhara about it."
"Speaking of the linebacker, he's right there." Adhara fell in step with Imogen and Kaya, nearly scaring the pair out of their skin. The girl had a serious habit of sneaking up on people and surprising them. Kaya and Imogen's eyes followed Adhara's pointing hand to see Reese talking with Kaden and Mark.
Then I guess that I will see you two later." Imogen smirked and broke off from the group, walking towards Reese. The blonde girl blew a kiss over her shoulder at her best friends.
"Hey, Reese." Imogen greeted as she approached the group of boys. Kaden raised his eyebrows while Mark wore a shit-eating grin. Reese looked slightly nervous.
"Hey, Imogen, what's up?" Reese held his chin a little higher when he spoke.
"Just checking to make sure we're still on for studying tonight?" Imogen smiled playfully.
"Of course!" Reese said eagerly. "I mean, yeah, if that's cool with you." The blond boy looked slightly embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's very cool with me. I'll text you my address later." Imogen patted Reese's chest and then spun on her heel.
"You don't have my number!" Reese called after her.
"I'll get it eventually!" Imogen called back over her shoulder, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips as she walked into the high school. She wasn't lying when she'd said that she would track down Reese's number. It would be easy since she has connections everywhere. She would probably ask Tessa for it during their third period.
***
Imogen would be lying if she said she wasn't eager for her study date with Reese. Of course, she wasn't excited in a lovey-dovey way because that wasn't who she was. She was just excited to have a game to play again. That's what every relationship of hers had been: a game. Except for Alex, theirs was more a "no strings attached" fling, but even that was over now.
Imogen waited on the expensive, white couch, flipping through television channels until she landed on a cheesy romantic comedy. She even debated changing her outfit, but ultimately decided that she didn't want to appear like she was trying to impress Reese. Imogen wasn't even sure that Reese would notice because every time they spoke, it was like Reese wanted to stare into her emerald eyes for hours. His eyes didn't wander over her body or clothes in the same way that other guys' might.
Imogen smirked to herself when she heard the doorbell ring throughout the mansion. The blonde girl flounced towards the door with a skip in her step. She didn't intend to get one minute of studying in.
And there stood Reese Hale with three textbooks and two large coffees, looking as enthusiastic as a puppy when their owner came home. Surprisingly, he didn't seem nervous at all anymore.
"Hey, Imogen!" The blond boy greeted. "Ready to get some studying done?"
Imogen looked perplexed, did he really not understand that the term "study date" didn't actually hold intentions of studying?
"Yeah... Come on in." Imogen quickly composed herself and stepped to the side. Reese stepped into the house and whistled.
"Nice house."
"Thanks, make yourself at home." Imogen said sweetly.
"Oh, I got you this by the way." Reese handed Imogen one of the coffees with a goofy grin on his face.
"Thank you." Imogen said kindly and took the up from Reese. "You can just follow that hallway with the paintings to the living room."
Reese did so and Imogen followed, taking a sip of her coffee and looking confused when the hot liquid came in contact with her taste buds. It was black.
***
After four hours of actual studying, doing the equations from cover to cover in two textbooks, and two more cups of coffee each, Imogen finally called it quits.
"Okay." Imogen shoved the third textbook away from her. "Reese, if I read one more sentence about alkaline metals, my brain cells are going to explode."
"What do you want to do, then?" Reese asked.
"We could play twenty questions and get to know each other." Imogen suggested with a smirk.
"How about ten? I'm not sure that I'd have that many answers to the questions that you would think up." Reese laughed slightly.
"Deal, I'll start." Imogen offered. "What's your favorite color?"
"Yellow." Reese decided. "How about you?"
"Easy, pink." Imogen rolled her eyes. "Your turn."
"Okay, do you speak any other languages?"
"Je ne m'attendais pas votre couleur préférée pour être jaune." Imogen easily switched tongues and her words sounded as melodic as they always do.
"Holy crap," Reese said, surprised at her foreign outburst. "Is that French?"
"Yep." Imogen nodded proudly. She loved the fact that she was fluent in French.
"What did you say?" Reese looked genuinely curious.
"I said, 'I was not expecting your favorite color to be yellow.'" Imogen laughed joyfully and Reese thought that her laugh was the most beautiful thing he's ever heard.
The pair never ended up finishing the game of questions and instead let their conversation trail off to the most random of topics. It wasn't until Imogen noticed the time did she realize her mistake. 7:56PM. Her father would be home in four minutes and Imogen panicked for a moment. Part of her promise to always be a heartbreaker to her father was that she never brought boys home. Even if it wasn't for the reason her father always assumed.
"Wow!" Imogen exclaimed. "Look at the time! I have to go to Adhara's in, like, ten minutes. So we better wrap this up, don't you think?" The blonde girl stood up and effortlessly gathered the textbooks and empty coffee cups in her arms. Imogen walked through the hallways towards the front door, stopping at the kitchen on the way to toss the coffee cups in the trash. Reese followed Imogen and paused to say something when they got to the front door.
"I'll see you on Monday?" Reese looked hopeful.
"Definitely, so until then, goodbye." Imogen handed Reese his books and pushed him out the door.
"Bye Gen!" Reese called over his shoulder and Imogen managed a small wave. Imogen had never let anyone call her by the nickname, Gen, but somehow she didn't hate it as much when Reese said it.
"Imogen," A stern voice behind the blonde girl spoke and she winced. Her father had probably just witnessed everything. "Who was that?"
Imogen turned to face her father before speaking. "Just a boy from school that I'm tutoring, I swear."
"You remember all of our talks about falling in love, right?" Her father raised an eyebrow.
"Of course." Imogen mumbled, looking at the floor.
"What were they?"
"Love gets you hurt and that's why you don't let yourself get attached." Imogen recited, almost robotically. Imogen's father nodded, pleased with his daughter's answer. Imogen took this as an okay to go up to her room.
The blonde girl vowed that she wouldn't let herself fall for Reese Hale, not now and not ever.