Billionaires Don’t Fall For Awkward Girls by Emma Dalton

Chapter One

Two months ago, first day of junior year

I love being president of the Edenbury High School book club.

Just the fact that I can keep one of the best things in the world alive feels like a huge honor. I can’t believe the club only came together last year when I got fed up that I couldn’t find at least one person in the entire school I could be friends with. So I asked Vice Principal Nakamura if I could form one and she said yes! Sure it took a few months before Charlie Raine joined and then Ally Bensen, but it wasn’t long before we became the Three Musketeers.

I don’t know why I have this sensation that we should be the Four Musketeers, though. Like I’m supposed to have a fourth friend. Weird, I know. But when I used to imagine what it would be like to have a group of friends, there were always four of us. I don’t know. Mom says I’m psychic sometimes so maybe it will come true? If not, I’m glad to have Charlie and Ally. They have become my best friends—no, my sisters.

Clutching the piece of paper in my hand, I enter the office and sit on one of the chairs. The secretary tells me the vice principal will be with me shortly. For the hundredth time, I study the list, a smile tugging my lips. I can’t wait for the books to be approved. My friends and I made the list together last night, with Ally super excited about a new Regency series she’s had her eye on and Charlie choosing some of the best classics.

The door to VP Nakamura’s office opens and someone steps out. My eyes widen and my jaw falls open when I take in the yummy specimen of man meat standing before me. Holy heck, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so good-looking in my life. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, tall with strong features that pop off his face. And his clothes? Neat and put together, every article freshly pressed, like he just stepped off a runway. Everything about him screams wealthy.

“I know you’ll do very well here,” VP Nakamura says to the guy with a large smile—like she’s trying to impress him or something. “Your parents want you to receive the best education and experience here.”

The guy nods, no expression on his face. Sheesh, even without an expression he’s super hot.

“I’ll ask one of the students to give you a tour,” VP Nakamura continues. Then her eyes land on me. “Danielle, hello. Are you here to see me?”

“Yes.” I get up and hold out the piece of paper. “Here’s the list of books we chose for the book club.”

“Wonderful. I’ll review it as soon as I can. Danielle, this is Easton Knight. He’s a new student here. Would you mind giving him a tour of the school?”

I gape at him, sucking him in through my eyes and into my brain, where things settle down and start to make sense. Easton Knight Jr.? Son of the richest people in the universe?

Maybe not the richest, but pretty close. His dad, Easton Knight, is the creator of Spill it!, one of the most successful social media apps in the world. I knew the guy standing before me was wealthy, but dang.

His eyes land on me, where he once again shows no expression.

“Sure,” I tell VP Nakamura with a smile. “I’d love to give the new student a tour.”

“Great. Ask Jane to hand you a late pass just in case. And Easton, make sure you get your schedule and locker from Jane.” She returns to her office and shuts the door.

Mr. Gorgeous and I stand before each other in silence.

I laugh lamely. “Hi. I’m Dani. I’m a junior. You?”

“Junior.”

Wow, even his voice is sexy. Deep and clear, and with an air of importance.

“Cool. Maybe we’ll have some classes together. Speaking of which, you need your schedule and locker, right?” I step up to Jane and smile. “Hey, Jane.”

She lifts her head from where she’s typing on the computer and grins. “Hi, Danielle. New book list?”

“Yes! We chose some awesome books. I can’t wait to dive into them and discuss them with my friends.”

She winks. “I get you. I’m meeting with my book club this weekend. Ms. Nakamura told me you might need a late pass? For you and Mr. Knight.”

“Yep, thanks. And he’ll need his schedule and locker number.”

“Of course.” She hands him his stuff and smiles. “We’re so happy to have you join our school, Mr. Knight. No doubt you’ll have an amazing time here.”

He doesn’t say anything, but I’m pretty sure I heard a small groan. But maybe I imagined it?

“And your late passes.” She gives them to us with a smile. “Enjoy your tour, Easton.”

He and I walk into the empty hallway. Seems like first period started already. That makes me a little uneasy because I don’t like to miss class—especially on the first day—but I’m super happy to give the new kid a tour.

I turn to him with a smile. “So you’re Easton Knight. So cool. Your dad made Spill it! It’s like the best app in the world.”

“Can we start the tour?”

Whoops, I’m so insensitive. He’s probably nervous for his first day. “Sure, sorry. Let’s start. So as you can see, this is the hallway. Lots of classrooms.” I laugh lightly. “Um, down there are the bathrooms. Oh, and here are the lockers. Do you want to put your stuff inside?”

Without a word, he marches over to his locker and unlocks it, dumping some stuff inside. Even with his sharp movements, not a single strand of hair falls out of place. How does he get his hair to look so good? Mine looks like it went through a storm.

When he’s done, he comes back to stand next to me. He still doesn’t have much of an expression, but I do sense something…maybe a bit of resentment? Bitterness?

“Cool,” I say with a smile as I head down the hallway, with him following. “Let’s continue with Dani’s Grand Tour of Edenbury High.”

He doesn’t smile. Sheesh, tough crowd.

After pointing out a few classrooms on this floor, I lead him downstairs. “This is the gym,” I tell him. “Also known as the place that enjoys torturing Dani Wood. Well, I guess it’s not the actual room that likes to torture Dani Wood. That job falls on Coach Brown. She’s such a beast, like a super super amazing PE teacher, but when you’ve got someone uncoordinated like me? Yeah, sports and I do not mix. Well, unless you count dance as a sport, which you should because dance is totally a sport. Do you have any idea how hard dancers train? Anyway, yeah, so I can’t fault the gym for torturing me. How can I when it’s the place that holds all the games? But I’m not really into watching the games. You? We’ve got an amazing football team.”

He stands there with his arms folded as he stares inside. Not even a peep out of him. Maybe he’s shy?

“Okay, let’s move on to the cafeteria. Also known as the best place in the whole school, after room 1B of course.”

He raises a brow. “Room 1B?”

“That’s where we hold the book club meetings! I’m the president. We just formed it last year and only have three members, but we’re an awesome bunch. You want to join? We love accepting new members.”

He makes a face like he’d rather eat worms. “Pass.”

“Oh, okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”

I walk into the cafeteria and gesture around. “Pretty big, right? For a small school, they sure provided us with a big cafeteria. That’s my table over there.” I point to the back of the room. “And the food? Delicious. You know that disgusting goo students are forced to eat? Well not here in Edenbury High. Because we have the most amazing cook in the world. One of my friends looks forward to school every day just so she could eat lunch,” I say with a laugh. “Trust me, you won’t go hungry here.”

“I bring my own lunch.”

My lips snap shut. Then I say, “Oh, cool. Well, you won’t have to do that anymore. One taste of my m—I mean, one taste of the food and you’re sold. Guaranteed or your money back.”

No smile. Nope. Sheesh, this guy…

“One time, the lunch lady called in sick so they had to hire a temp. The food was so bad that no one ate anything. You ever seen an entire student body without food? Talk about another world war. Everyone was at each other’s throats. So as soon as I came home, I told my m—I mean, the next day when we saw the lunch lady was there, the kids cheered. Actually cheered. It made her feel so good, you know? Like so many people take her for granted, but they don’t realize how important her place is at the school—”

“Don’t you ever shut up?”

I freeze in place, my lips opened in mid-sentence. Blinking, I slowly turn to him. “What?”

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much? I know how a freakin’ gym looks like. There’s one in every school. And I don’t care about your stupid school lunch. I told you I bring lunch from home. And I sure as heck couldn’t care less about you and your friends.”

My lips move, but no sound comes out. Who the heck does this guy think he is?

“I only agreed to this tour to get out of class,” he continues. “I can find my way around. This place isn’t that big. So can you do me a favor and keep your big mouth shut?”

Jerk! Who the heck gives him the right? Here I am, sacrificing my time—and missing class!—to help him adjust and make him feel welcome, and he has the audacity to tell me off? I should slap him across the face. Hard.

But I just stand there with my lips trying to form a sentence. And failing miserably.

“You know what would be helpful on The Most Boring High School Tour in History?” he goes on. “If you can show me an exit I can sneak out of. Because another second with you and I’ll pull all my hair out.”

Oh, what a shame if he would lose a strand of his precious hair! Maybe I should do it for him. Pull them out one by one until there’s nothing left but a bald head.

But like the awkward person I am, I mutter, “Yeah, you can sneak out this way.” I lead him toward the stairs. “There’s a door in the basement. Just go past the…never mind, I’ll show you.”

I start to descend the stairs, but my foot gets caught in the other and I trip, knocking into Easton. He quickly grabs hold of my shoulders before I knock the two of us down the stairs. “Watch where you’re going!” He pushes me away like he touched something contagious.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

“Just stay there before you break something. I mean something of mine, not yours. I can find the exit myself.”

I watch him go down until he’s out of sight. Then a door slams shut.

I stand there at the top of the stairs with steam shooting out of my ears. He thinks he can say whatever the heck he wants to me because he’s the son of multi-gazillionaires? He had no right to treat me like that.

But darn, why couldn’t I say it to his face? Why do I have the perfect words in my head but don’t have the courage to say them?

Well, one thing’s for sure—for the rest of my Edenbury High School life, I’ll never say a single thing to him ever again.