Flirting with Danger Bk 1

“Johanna.” Dale smiled at everyone.

“Johanna,” I said, “Well, maybe you could get her to do it.”

“No, she’s in the contest with her friend.” he said and looked down.

“You know what?” Jason said. Everyone looked at him. “Well, to make sure we’ll definitely win, we need two sculptures.”

“What should it be?” asked Chase.

“You know, what Kota said about making a bunch of guys watching TV would be good. It’s funny.” said Jack. He looked over at me and winked.

“Yeah, but what we need is something that’ll evoke a stronger emotion.” said Jason, looking down in thought. All the other guys looked around, thinking too. I looked at them all, my mind blank of things to sculpt. I took a sip of my drink.

I looked over at Jason and he looked at me, but not like I looked at him. He looked at me like he was thinking something. Then he looked around at the other guys, and back to me. A smile spread slowly across his face, and I’ll admit I was a little scared about it.

“I have an idea.” he said. Everyone looked up at him.

“A dance.” he said.

“What?” asked Jack, looking a little confused.

“We’ll sculpt a dance. With Kota.” Jason said, looking at them all with a broad smile now, like he had solved their problems.

“Yeah, but who’ll dance with her?” asked Chase. All the guys looked at each other like they were rivaling them. I was surprised by this; I had never seen them act like this, but it looked like they all wanted to be the one with me, which kind of annoyed me. Does no one remember that I have a boyfriend?! I thought.

“Connelly.” I said and everyone looked at me. “What?”

“We are not sculpting Connelly.” said Louis, the loathing in his voice. I gave him a sharp look.

“Not Connelly.” said Jason. “It has to be someone in this group.” He looked at me and I nodded, sighing.

“So? Who?” asked Dale.

“I say I should be the one.” Jack said, looking over at me, smiling and winking. I smiled, looking down slightly and shaking my head. I glanced across the table at Louis, whose expression said he wasn’t at all happy with that idea.

“No, me.” said Chase, giving Jack a reproachful look.

“No, me!” said Louis, standing and looking livid.

“HOLD ON!” Dale’s voice cut through the yells and everyone looked at him, Louis lowering like he was going to sit back down.

“It was Jason’s idea, so he gets to pick.” Dale said and then looked over at Jason, followed by everyone else.

Jason looked around at all the guys, going back to me after each one until he got to the last one, Louis. He looked back at me for the last time, and a smile spread across his face.

“What? Who is it?” Jack said urgently.

“Yeah, who?” Louis said forcefully. He looked eager, frustrated, nervous, angry, and scary all at the same time.

“Louis will be with Kota.” said Jason. My eyes widened and I stopped breathing for a minute. He couldn’t have picked a worse person.

“Yeah!” Louis jumped up, his fist in the air. “Yes.” he said, bringing his fist back down like he’d just scored a touchdown. Jack sighed exasperatedly and slumped in his chair angrily.

“That’s not fair Jason.” Jack said, looking at Jason like he had betrayed him.

“How? I picked someone from the group Jack.” said Jason.

“Yeah, but why him? Why not me?” asked Jack.

“Because they look best together.” Jason said and gave Jack a look that said he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Louis looked up at me and smiled. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what to think about it, my mind still numb from the shock. So I just smiled back.

Then he walked over and hugged me around the shoulders, his cheek rubbing mine, his breathing in my ear, both giving me goosebumps. “Wait a minute.” he said in my ear and then stood back up. I looked up at him in question.

“Kota said she didn’t want to do it. We have to find someone else.” he said, looking down at me with a smart-elec smirk. I spun back around and made a face.

I was in a difficult position. On one hand I had Connelly, who was not welcome with my friends, or at least Louis, and I didn’t want him to feel like he was left out. And on the other hand, my boys needed me and to be perfectly truthful, I really wanted to do it.

I was the one who did the stuff for these guys, no one else. Not even Sue. Me. And if I wasn’t going to do it, then nobody was. When I looked up, everyone’s eyes were on me.

“Come on Kota.” said Dale, looking at me pathetically.

“Admit it Kota. You love doing stuff for us, with us.” said Jack, smirking at me as he leaned on the table with his elbow, his arm slightly hiding his face.

I looked around at them all and then up at Louis, who wore a desiring look that scared me to death and then back up at Jason. “Well, if I’m the only the one who can save you guys.” I smiled when they yelled and jumped up they were so happy. Louise even grabbed me up out of my chair and swung me around.

***

It was really late when I got home and was just shy of being late for my curfew. All the boys walked me to my door and hugged me before leaving. Louis was still standing there, holding my hands after his hug. He looked at me and smiled. “Thanks Kota, for doing this with me. It really makes me happy.”

“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for the guys.” I said, hinting to him that we were not going to be together, especially since I had a boyfriend!

“Which includes me.” he said, still smiling.

“Yes, but I’m not just doing it for you is what I meant.” I said, getting angry at him for ruining my whole effect.

“Yeah, well, anyway. Thanks for doing this for us.” he emphasized the last word and then leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. He paused an inch away from me, turning slightly towards my lips, but I turned away.

“Louis,” I said. He leaned away from me, his smile gone and what he really thought on his face. It was eager and sad, but angry as well. “I have a boyfriend.”

“Why him?” he asked angrily.

“Because he’s the one I chose.” I said, upset, on the edge of tears, and feeling like just beating his head in for doing this.

“But why? He’s not like us, Kota. There’s something not right about him.” Louis moved his arms up and down as he spoke, looking at me like he was trying hard to make me understand.

“That’s no reason not to like him. Besides, the rest of the guys like him. Just because you don’t doesn’t mean that I can’t date him.” I said sharply.