Billionaires Don’t Fall For Awkward Girls by Emma Dalton

Chapter Eleven

The hallway is bustling with kids, but the person I’m seeking right now hasn’t shown up. I dig around in my locker just to have something to do before I lose my mind. He’s not here. He promised to be here on time and the bell will ring any minute.

A hand rests on my arm. “You okay?” Ally asks. “Deep breaths.”

I shake my head, continuing to rummage in my locker and making a mess of everything. “He ditched me. He totally ditched me and now I’ll have to do the presentation on my own, in front of the whole class. Ugh!” I bang my head on the locker next to mine, then rub my forehead. “Ow.”

Charlie, Kara, and Ally exchange a glance. “You don’t need him,” Charlie tells me. “You can do this on your own. Get that A, and he’ll fail the class because he’s so irresponsible.”

But it’s not just about the grade. He promised he’d be here. But why should I believe anything that came out of his mouth?

The bell rings and my friends hug me. “Don’t give up on him yet,” Kara whispers in my ear. “He might still make it.”

I tell my friends I’ll see them later, then go to the classroom and plop down at my desk. My gaze is trained on the door and every time a kid walks in, my body inflates with hope. But he doesn’t walk through that door.

Ugh. Why am I hanging onto that promise? I’m sure someone like him breaks many promises.

When Ms. Young sweeps into the room and announces we’ll start presenting the reports, I nearly lose my mind. Public speaking is not my specialty. How can I go up there in front of all those kids and talk about how history is relatable to me? And without Easton here to discuss his side, I’ll look really silly.

Ms. Young calls on the first group and they finish their report fairly quickly. My eyes are glued to the clock at the front of the room, watching the minutes slowly tick by. Why in the world is the time moving so slowly? We might not get a chance to go through everyone’s report today and will continue tomorrow. Maybe Easton will show up then?

But more and more teams are being called and I realize that it’s not taking long at all. Ms. Young might manage to get through every team today after all.

“Danielle Wood and Easton Knight?” the teacher says once the last group is done with their presentation. There are none left other than me and my invisible partner.

My stomach drops to my toes. The time has come, and my so-called partner isn’t here. Why was I hoping he’d miraculously show up in time?

Ms. Young scans the room. “It seems like Easton still hasn’t arrived.” She frowns, rubbing her chin.

My insides fill with relief. Phew. She won’t make me do this on my own. There’s always tomorrow.

“I suppose you’ll have to present by yourself, Danielle.”

My gaze snaps to hers. “What? By myself? But…”

“Come to the front of the room, please.”

I shakily get to my feet, glancing at the door like I’m wishing he’d beam himself over here. But nope. No one walks through the door. Sighing, I grab my papers and head to the front of the room, feeling all eyes on me. As an invisible girl, I’m not used to being the center of attention. I feel naked. And when I face the room and take in all the pairs of eyes staring at me? I want the ground to swallow me up. How could he do this to me?

“Whenever you’re ready, please,” Ms. Young says. “We don’t have much time left.”

Too bad I can’t stall until the bell rings, but you know something? Screw him. Like Charlie said, I don’t need him.

But when I clear my throat and take in all the eyes boring into me, I lose whatever confidence I had. No, no, no. I can’t do this.

“Danielle,” Ms. Young says with a smile that’s telling me to get moving.

Glancing down at the papers in my hands, I tell myself I’ve got this. I’m strong.

Just as I part my lips to begin, the door swings open and in comes Easton, riding in like my freakin’ knight in shining armor.

“So glad you decided to join us, Mr. Knight,” Ms. Young says as she sweeps her hand toward me. “Are you prepared to join your partner and present?”

He drops his things at his desk, slipping his papers from his bag and dashing over to the front of the room. I look at him, expecting an apology or some sort of explanation, but he keeps his gaze on his papers.

“Danielle, if you would…?” Ms. Young gestures for me to start.

All that new confidence I had minutes ago vanishes into thin air. I can’t help but wonder how he can be so careless. So selfish. Here I am, standing before all these kids and about to do something that gives me nightmares and he doesn’t even apologize?

“Um…” I study the papers, but because I’m so nervous, the words blur into one big glob of text. “Um, the topic we chose is, um…” I glance around the room, at the snarls on some kids’ faces, the grins on others. Oh my gosh, my brain is flat. I have no idea how to talk or think or do much of anything.

Murmurs fall over the room as everyone laughs and whispers about me.

Easton clears his throat and starts, introducing the topic we chose and explaining what it means to both of us. He’s so captivating and eloquent as he talks, like a mini version of his dad. I can’t help but stare at him, and I know all the other kids are entrapped too.

When he’s done his part of the report, he nods for me to begin mine. I have no idea how I can continue after he gave such a good performance, but I’ll do my best.

My mouth opens and a squeak comes out. After taking a deep breath and trying again, only gibberish comes out of my mouth.

Easton slides over to me, his face so close to mine I feel his warm breath on my cheek. “Relax,” he says softly. “You’ve got this.”

Staring at his face, I notice his is filled with sympathy and pity. For me. For the poor little Awkward Girl who can’t manage to present a report to the class.

I flinch away from him. “I don’t need your help,” I say through gritted teeth.

Lifting a hand in defense, he steps away from me. I study the students in the room and my stomach twists over itself. Darn it. I hate that I talk a big talk, but can’t deliver on my words. Ugh! Why is this so hard for me?

Somehow I force the words out. I might not be as captivating or eloquent as my partner, but I get the job done and that’s all that matters.

When I’m done, some kids give small, awkward claps. Yeah, yeah. I was a train wreck. I get it.

“Good job,” Easton says as we make our way to our seats. I have no idea if he’s making fun of me or is serious.

I don’t say anything as I drop down at my desk and wait for the bell to ring. Once it does, I scurry out of the classroom.

“Wood!” Easton calls after me.

I turn around and cross my arms over my chest.

He grins. “Ms. Young just told me she liked our report best.”

“Glad to give you an A.”

His grin drops. “Why are you so mad at me?”

I roll my eyes. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because you totally ditched me!”

“I made it on time.”

“Barely. I sat there for nearly an hour going out of my mind that I’d have to present on my own.”

I can feel the many kids in the halls watching us, but I don’t really care.

“But you did great,” he says.

“I bombed it.”

He casually shoves his hands into his pockets, tilting his head to the side. It’s crazy amazing how his hair manages to not move a centimeter. “I think you did great.”

I study him. “And?”

“And what?”

“Don’t you think I deserve an explanation why you practically abandoned me?”

He thinks about it for a bit. “Nah.”

“Nah?”

“Mhm.” He bends close to my ear and whispers, “Catch you later, Wood.” He draws back, winks, then saunters off in that manner that forces every single person to ogle him.

And I do too until I come to my senses. The nerve! Whispering things in my ear like that. Like I’m some weak girl who falls for the rich, handsome guy’s BS. No way!

A hand wraps around my arm. “What’s up?” Kara asks. She and Brayden stand before me.

“I heard you and Easton are doing a project together,” Brayden says. “You’re lucky you teamed up with him. He cares about stuff like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“About not letting his teammate down,” he explains.

Uh…are we talking about the same dude? Because Easton sure as heck let me down today.

Laughing lightly, Kara takes her boyfriend’s hand. “You’re too late. They already presented.” She faces me. “I told Bray you were having a hard time with Easton and he told me he’s reliable and that you shouldn’t worry.”

I snort. “He’s so not reliable, but I don’t want to talk about him right now.”

Kara nods in understanding as she wraps her arms around me. “We’ll talk at lunch and you can tell me and the others how it went.”

“Sure.”

She and Brayden wave before walking off. I go to my locker to get my things for my next class. The good thing about the project? It’s over. Now Easton and I are done with each other for good. And maybe next time I’ll grab a partner before I’m stuck doing anything with him again.

***

The lunch line is taking forever.

I shift from one foot to the other impatiently as my stomach tries to eat itself. After the crappy morning I had, I sure have an appetite. But this line is moving at a snail’s pace and I’m in the back because I had to speak to one of my teachers about an assignment. Lunch period has never been a dog-eat-dog scenario, but it feels like that right now.

“Hey, how are you, Vivian?”

My head snaps up when I hear my mom’s name. My gaze shoots to the front of the line, where Easton stands before the lunch lady with his empty tray sitting on the counter and a huge grin on his face.

Mom’s face softens with a happy smile. “Hello, Easton. How is your day going?”

The kids chatter all around me, so I have to strain my ears to pick up on the rest of their conversation. But I only get bits and pieces.

“And how is your daughter?” Easton asks.

Mom’s face grows as bright as the sun as she—I assume—starts to gush about me. My brows crinkle when I catch the way Easton listens to her, soaking in every word like he’s genuinely interested in what she has to say.

Hold up. What is happening right now?

I scrutinize my mom’s face, trying to determine if that smile is real or if it’s the usual one she gives the students at school—the jerks, anyway. But nope, this smile seems authentic. Actually, it’s more than authentic. It’s like Mom’s extremely thankful to have a conversation with that boy.

As for Easton? I only see his profile, but it looks as though his smile is authentic as well. And when he laughs? That’s real too. And for some reason, he doesn’t sound like an elephant. Well, I guess he does, but why doesn’t it bother me like it had in the past?

Mom laughs too. I just gape at her. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh at school. At least not a real one.

Have I fallen into some weird alternate reality? Why is my sworn enemy talking to my mom?

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Mom says with another real smile. “Eating healthy is important, but it’s okay to cheat now and then. And you’re young.”

“I wish my mother shared your view,” he says with a light chuckle. But I have a feeling he’s not really joking.

“So what would you like?” Mom asks as she nods to the food options before her. “The meatballs are really tasty today.”

“As opposed to any other day?” Easton teases. “I’ll have a bit of everything, thanks.”

They chat some more as she loads his tray with all the goodies, but it’s impossible to hear a thing because the cafeteria has gotten so loud. Seems like two jocks are having a hand wrestling match.

“What the heck is taking so long?” a guy in front of me complains to his girlfriend. “Lunch period will be over soon and I’m starving.”

His girlfriend cranes her neck toward the front of the line. “Easton Knight’s holding up the line again.”

“Yo, Easton!” the guy calls. “Quit holding up the line! There are hungry people here.”

Easton looks at him, at the line of kids waiting to be fed, then focuses back on Mom. “Thanks for the delicious food, Vivian.” He lifts his tray. “Have a good day.”

“You too, Easton.”

I keep my eyes on him as he makes his way to his table and drops down near his friends. Lifting his fork, he digs into his meatballs immediately, his eyes lighting up like it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten in his life.

As the line moves, I watch some of the other kids interact with my mom. Most of them barely look at her as she places food on their plates and wishes them a good day. It’s been bothering me since my first day of ninth grade, but after seeing the way Easton talked to her…was he being nice to her or was this some sort of joke? Maybe a dare from his friends?

“Hello there.”

I look up and realize I’m at the front of the line. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t pay attention to the line moving.

Mom smiles as she gestures to the food. “Some of your favorites,” she whispers with a wink.

“What did he want from you?” I hiss.

“What?”

“Easton Knight. What did he want from you?”

“Easton? He didn’t want anything. He’s such a sweet boy.”

I almost drop my tray. Easton Knight sweet? That’s like saying lemons are sweet.

Mom’s brows dip. “What’s wrong?”

“So he was just talking to you?” I ask.

“Yes. He’s one of the only kids here who talks to me. His parents raised him right. They probably treat their staff very well.”

Something doesn’t add up. Why would the person who was so rude to me two months ago act like a total angel to my mom? What is he hoping to gain? An extra piece of chocolate cake?

“Dani,” she whispers as she leans forward. “Are you feeling okay, honey?”

I have to stop assuming the worst in Easton. True he treated me like dirt on the first day of school and that is unforgivable, but it doesn’t mean he’s evil, right?

“Dani?” Mom looks really worried.

I shake my head. “Sorry. I’m okay.” I force a smile. “Just confused.”

“About?”

I shrug. “Life?”

She smiles. “You’ll figure it out, honey. And you know you can talk to me whenever you want.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks.” I look to my left and right to make sure no one is looking before making a hand heart against my chest.

Mom’s face melts with a smile. “You too. Here, I know you’re dying for my meatballs.”