Double Date (4 page)

I
t was only the first week of November, but as Bryn pointed out at the student council meeting after school, it was not too soon to be working on the Christmas ball. “In fact,” she declared hotly, “I think we should've started on it weeks ago.” She pointed a manicured finger at Jason Levine. “As president, you should know better than put it off this long.”

“Wow,” he said smoothly. “You feel pretty strongly about this, don't you?”

She waved a paper in the air. “You didn't even put it on today's agenda, Jason. Never mind that you have no committee—I'll bet you haven't even reserved a location yet.”

“Why reserve a location for an outdated event that only a handful of people will attend anyway?”

“That's so not true,” Bryn declared. “Lots of us look forward to the Christmas ball.”

“It's the least attended event at Northwood,” he said with nonchalance. “I already had a conversation with the administration about canceling it this year.”

“You want to cancel the Christmas ball?” she demanded.

“I didn't say I
wanted
to cancel it. I said we discussed it, that's all.”

“Well, the Christmas ball is a tradition at Northwood. We're one of the few schools that even have a
Christmas
ball. Everyone else calls theirs a
Winter
ball. Like they're afraid of the word
Christmas
! And I for one am not going to take this sitting down, Jason Levine. I will not let the Christmas ball go without a fight.” She shook her fist in the air for emphasis.

He smiled as if amused. “Wow, Bryn, why don't you tell us how you really feel?”

Some male members of the council just laughed, but she turned to the crowd with a passionate plea. “Okay, so maybe you guys aren't into this dance—as usual. But how about you girls? Are you ready to kiss the Christmas ball good-bye? To give up a time-honored tradition just because Jason Levine thinks it's outdated? Really?”

Several of the girls, who outnumbered the boys by about two to one, shouted out their support for the dance. Bryn turned back to Jason. “Should we put this to a vote?”

He shrugged. “Nah. I get your point.”

“So we need to jump on this,” she told him. “Do you know how hard it can be to book a decent ballroom in December? Everyone is having Christmas parties. Remember?”

“Fine. We'll save ourselves some money and hold the ball in the gym.”

“In the gym?” she shot back. “Seriously?” She turned to look at the other council members again. “How many of you girls want to go to the Christmas ball in a gym that reeks of smelly basketball players?” The girls made disgusted faces.

“We can fumigate,” Jason said. “Knowing how you girls drench yourselves in perfume, it probably won't even be necessary.” Naturally this brought out the chuckles from the few guys present.

As Bryn turned back to Jason, she tried to remember why she'd ever found him attractive before. The guy was a jerk. She grimly shook her head. “You may go down in Northwood history, Jason Levine, as the worst student council president of all time.”

“Why, thank you, Bryn. Thank you very much.” He stood and made a phony bow, then checked his watch. “Now that we've heard Bryn's complaints, does anyone else have anything to add to today's meeting or should we close this—”

“I want to nominate Bryn Jacobs as chairman of the Christmas ball,” a girl called out.

“I second the nomination,” another yelled.

“All in favor?” Jason asked before Bryn could object. Everyone yelled “yea,” and now Jason turned to Bryn. “There you go, Bryn. If the Christmas ball is a flop, you'll only have yourself to blame.”

“But I—”

“Thanks for coming, everyone,” he called out. “Meeting dismissed.”

“Wait, everyone,” Bryn yelled as the chairs screeched and people stood. “Before you guys leave, I'm going to put a sign-up sheet by the door. Anyone interested in helping with the Christmas ball, please, talk to me. We can make this an unforgettable night—for everyone.” She hurried to the door, planting herself beside it with an open notebook and a pen in hand.

“Come on,” she coaxed as people walked past her without signing up. “It will be fun, and it will look good on your college applications. I promise I'll bring food to planning meetings.”

Lane Granger lingered, looking curiously at her. “Okay,” he said a bit reluctantly as he reached for the pen. “I need more volunteer projects in my college bio.”

“Thanks, Lane.” She grinned. “It'll be fun. I promise.”

Amanda Norton paused by the door as if considering.

“Come on, Amanda.” Bryn pushed the pen toward her. “You were on the committee last year, weren't you?”

“Yeah.”

“I bet you've got some great ideas.” Bryn smiled brightly. “I'd love to have you as my co-chairwoman.”

Amanda's mouth twisted to one side as if weighing this invitation.

“Co-chair for a big event like this would look good on college applications,” Bryn pointed out.

“I wasn't even planning on
going
to the dance,” Amanda said dourly.

“Why not?” Bryn asked. “I realize your boyfriend is in college, but won't he be home for Christmas break? Wouldn't it be fun to get dressed up and go to the Christmas ball with him? And to know that you helped to make it the wonderful night that it will be?”

“Who says I'm even still going with that guy?” Amanda flicked her eyes toward the ceiling then reached for the pen. “Whatever.”

“Thank you so much!”

Amanda handed the pen back. “I'll have to coerce Tristin into helping too. And maybe Sienna Abernathy.” She pointed at Bryn. “You better get some of your girlfriends to sign up too. The more workers we have, the less work there will be for us.”

Bryn beamed at her. “See, already you're acting like a good co-chair. Thanks, Amanda.”

“Yeah, I hope I'm not sorry.” Amanda glared over to where Jason was still up front, gathering up some papers. “I almost quit student council,” she said quietly, “after I heard Jason got elected president. What a farce. Like he really cares about student government. He just thinks this will look good on his college application.”

Bryn shrugged. “He's just a figurehead,” she whispered. “No one really listens to him anyway.”

Amanda snickered. “Let's keep it that way.”

Bryn managed to coerce a couple more volunteers to sign up and was just getting ready to leave when Jason came over to look at her sign-up sheet. “Not bad, Bryn. Looks like we got the right person to chair this gig. Thanks for stepping up.”

“Thanks to your lack of leadership,” she said as she shoved the sign-up sheet into her bag.

He leaned forward to peer closely at her face. “Why do you hate me?”

“Hate you?” She shrugged. “I'm sorry to disappoint you, Jason, but I've never given you enough thought to actually hate you.”

He shook his head with narrowed eyes. “That's not true and you know it. You really tore into me up there today. Everyone could see it. And that makes me curious.”

“About what?” She pushed a long strand of blonde hair behind an ear as she stepped away from him like he was poison. She hadn't forgotten how he'd treated Devon after the homecoming dance. Bryn wouldn't touch this jerk with a ten-foot pole.

“Usually when a girl pushes as hard as you did, she's secretly trying to send a guy a signal.” He smiled. “Like she's really interested and just wants to cover it up.”

Bryn laughed. “You're totally delusional, Jason. You're about as interesting to me as a bad case of head lice.”

Jason looked offended. “That's not very nice.”

“You're right,” she admitted. “But it's what you deserve.”

“What do you mean?” He looked truly perplexed now.

She narrowed her eyes. “I know what happened with you and Devon after homecoming. It disgusted me.”

He tipped his head to one side. “What exactly did she tell you?”

Bryn tried hard to remember. The truth was, Devon hadn't told them a lot. She'd clearly been upset and crying, and her clothes were messed up as if there'd been a tussle at the very least. All in all, it had seemed a pretty bad scene. One that Bryn didn't care to see replayed—with anyone. “Thankfully, I don't recall all the gory details, Jason. But it made you look like a total lowlife. One thing I do remember though—I wanted to call the police.”

“Are you kidding?” He looked shocked.

“Not in the least. But Devon wouldn't let us.”

“Well, did Devon tell you about anything she'd done? Did she describe how she'd led me on?”

Bryn just shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, uninterested.

“Did Devon tell you how she got me to go out with her?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don't you remember how Devon was doing your bidding, Bryn? She was supposed to get me to go out with you.” He made a slightly hangdog look. “That would've been so much better. Trust me. Devon was a huge mistake. I should've known better.”

“Yeah. Right.” She folded her arms in front of her. She was so not going to be reeled in by this jerk.

“Instead of setting me up with you, like she was supposed to do, Devon enticed me to take her out. Remember?”

“That's not exactly the version I heard,” Bryn argued.

“Sure. Why would Devon tell you that she was making the move on your man?”

“My man?” Bryn glared at him. “Ha!”

He laughed. “Okay, that was an overstatement, but I know the games you girls are playing in your little club.”

“What games? What little club?” She feigned an oblivious look.

“Okay, maybe I don't know everything, Bryn Jacobs, but I do know you girls have been up to something—since the beginning of the school year.”

“That's right,” she said sharply. “We've been up to being friends. You got a problem with that?”

He held up his hands defensively. “No problem. I just have a problem with being on your most-hated list. I don't think I deserve that.”

She considered this. “Fine. I'll take you off my most-hated list.” She moved toward the door. “Satisfied?”

“Better than nothing. But it would be nice if you could give a guy a second chance. I mean, we're in student council together. Might be nice if we could be friends. Who knows, I might want to help with the Christmas ball.”

“Yeah, right.”

“If it would help us to be friends, Bryn, I would.”

She pulled out the sign-up sheet and thrust it at him. “Fine. Consider yourself officially on the committee.”

He wrote down his name and phone number and handed it back. “Thanks for giving me a second chance.”

She shoved the paper back into her bag. “I guess everyone deserves a second chance, Jason. Hopefully you won't blow it.”

A smile lit up his face, and there was no denying the boy was good-looking. With his short black hair and electric blue eyes, he was strikingly handsome. Still, Bryn knew enough about him to know she needed to be careful.

“I hope I can prove to you that I'm not the guy you think I am.”

“Time will tell,” she said lightly, heading for the door.

“Maybe you can help to rehabilitate me,” he said in a teasing tone as he followed her out. “I have a feeling that a girl like you can bring out the best in a guy.”

She shook her head with narrowed eyes. “You, Jason Levine, are a cad.”

“A cad? Seriously, you're calling me a cad?” He laughed as he walked with her. “What's a cad?”

Now she laughed. “That's a guy who'll say anything to win a girl's trust—when he is clearly not trustworthy.”

Jason looked so crushed that Bryn felt a bit guilty. “Okay, that was a bit harsh,” she admitted. “But be warned, I'll be keeping my guard up around you, Jason.”

He just nodded. “Okay. I get that.”

Despite her strong words, Bryn knew that she was softening up toward him. Oh, not soft enough to be anything beyond a cautious friend. But as he walked her down toward the PE department, chatting amicably all the way, she knew that she needed to be careful. Jason had the kind of charm that could wear a girl down, and she had no intention of getting involved with him.

“What are you doing in the girls' gym?” he asked as she paused by the door. “You're not a jock.”

She made a face. “Not that it's any of your business, but I'm waiting for Abby to finish practice so I can give her a ride.”

He nodded. “Oh yeah. That's right. I better get going. I already missed most of practice myself.”

As Bryn went into the girls' gym, she tried to figure Jason out. Why was he being so nice to her? Was he really the kind of person she'd assumed he was? She wondered about what he'd said about Devon. Was it possible that Devon had pulled a fast one on Bryn? Not that Bryn had cared particularly—her initial attraction to Jason had been purely superficial. She knew that he and Amanda were history, and it had seemed like an opportunity at the time.

She'd been a little irked at Devon, but then after that fateful first date when Devon had called the DG in distress, Bryn had simply counted her lucky stars that it hadn't been her. Now she wondered . . . perhaps Jason wouldn't have acted like that with her. Perhaps because Bryn tried to maintain herself as a “lady,” he would've treated her as such. It was possible.

She knew Devon well enough to know that girl was as predictable as the November weather. Hadn't she proved it to the DG enough times? Maybe it was unfair to put all the blame of the night onto Jason. After all, there were always two sides to every story. As Bryn took a seat on a bleacher, watching as the girls' team finished up a scrimmage, she decided that the fiasco that had erupted between Devon and Jason a couple months ago could've been the fault of both of them. They were simply a bad combination—like oil and water or, perhaps more fitting, gasoline and matches.