Book Sexy

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to be sexy? Like drop dead gorgeous with the power to attract and drive any man crazy? That with one flick of your hair and with one look you could stop a man in his tracks and have him stuttering and bumbling over something nice to say to you? I sooooo wish I could do that. I would do anything to be that sexy.

But, gawky glasses and with my nose stuck in a book 24/7 isn't really sexy, at least not to any of the guys I know. The one guy who I have been crushing over for years, the boy who I would kill to hear him say he loves me, has never paid me any mind. Not like that anyway. Being my best friend and wanting help with his homework and being the guy who comes to me every time his heart gets broken doesn't count as attention, not really. I know him better than any of those girls he winds up with, and still he refuses to see the light. If only I had that sexy allure that I was talking about before, that BAM! power that would make him see me in a whole new light.

Sixth year I was the top of the class. I had everything going for me; my grades were the highest they could get. But still I had never been on a single date. Sure he'd say we could meet up at the Three Broomsticks on every Hogsmeade trip, but he would always drag some girl or another along with him. I would smile and engage the new girl—usually someone I knew from a class—in conversation and pretend that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. But at the end of the day, I would be the one sitting at the end of his bed and talking with him into the night. He would fall asleep and I would tuck the covers under his chin before tip-toeing out of the room. It was just really hard to make this man, the hottest and most charming boy in school, look at me for what I felt inside.

That's probably why, during the summer when he went back to Ireland and I went home to Cambridge, I decided that the upcoming year was the year when I would transform from the awkward caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly.

Contacts replaced my glasses. I let my usually short and fluffy brown hair grow and then had it cut and styled to frame my face. I went to a local muggle beauty course where I learned how to apply make-up such as eyeliner, mascara and blush. Living with a single male parent never helped me out in the beauty department. Adding to that was the fact that Dad was always buried under a pile of archeological tomes about a hundred years old. He encouraged the whole book thing, which I will never regret because I simply love books. But that's also why most guys didn't go for me. A bookworm.

And when looked in my mirror for the first time after I'd made all these drastic changes I felt for certain that he would recognize me this year. This was the year going to be different.

I knew I wanted to set the perfect stage for my big reveal. I knew that I wouldn't be able to hide my haircut as easily, but I knew that if I wore my glasses until the right time and ditched the make-up 'til then, I would have a pretty good chance. I wanted to see his eyes pop out of his head and his mouth drop open when he saw me. I'd see that exact same reaction in a musical once. Annie Get Your Gun. Betty Hutton who played Annie Oakley, always did it when she saw Frank Butler, played by the famously handsome and talented singer, Howard Keel. When Jason saw her me decked out for the first time, he would do that, I would put money on it.

Oh yeah, his name is Jason by then way, Jason Eaven. Like heaven without the 'H'. He'd been my best friend since our first day on the Hogwarts Express, and he'd been my secret crush since our fourth year. I fell off my broom trying out for our house's Quidditch team that year and when I opened my eyes he was leaning over me calling my name. I knew right then I was a goner, for two reasons. 1. Because a girl who reads about Quidditch in a book and thinks she'd be good at it should never have been talked into trying out for the team by her best friend; and 2. Because when I looked up and our eyes met, I had this shattering-glass feeling as if someone had let light into a small, dark space. Finally it dawned on me: I loved him."

Needless to say I did not make the team. Jason made the team. He was made captain the following year and has been ever since. He's athletic and brilliant, which is probably one of the reasons I adore him so much.

It's funny; I didn't realize it until I hit my head, so I kept wondering if it was all just a part of some mental problem from that injury. But then I hit my head again in the library one day when my book dropped underneath the table. Jason had snuck up behind me and scared the bejeezus out of me and I think I whacked my noggin harder than I had when I fell off my broom. After the buzzing noise and the blurry pictures stopped, I looked up at him and I was still in love. But again, he still looked at me as he had always done; like a really good friend.

Usually we spend a few weeks together every summer between school terms, but not the interlude between sixth and seventh year. Instead he was heading back to Scotland and then he and his family were traveling to Australia for the holidays. So I had lots of time to prepare. I had a notebook full of one-liners that might tell him how I was feeling, such as, "Hey handsome" or "Where have you been all my life?" Some of them only worked for after he had done something truly heroic, like the line: "My savior". But then some of them opened the conversation to ideas like, "If you had one wish and one person you could share that wish with, what would it be and who with?" I didn't know how well that one was going to turn out though. It was a little cheesy. But then again, half the sayings in my notebook were the cream of the crop, i.e. the cheesiest lines ever said. Believe me; I got some of them out of a book entitled The Greatest Love Quotes of All Time. Oh yeah, if you want cheese on that sandwich, ask me, I'll dish it out.

I received a letter from Jason a couple of weeks back and he told me all about his trip. I sent him back a short letter telling him a little about the book I was reading and a little about how boring my summer had been. I didn't tell him anything about my new look, I didn't want to give anything away. He sent me a single line after that letter: Same old Allie, nose buried in a book. See you first day. Jase. .

Yep, same old Allie, at least on paper, but when he saw me on the first day, I hoped that he wouldn't see the same old Allyson Graham. I wanted him to see someone else. I prayed with all my might that he would see someone changed, altered…and maybe even a little bit sexy…hopefully.

Chapter One: Nikki

I found a compartment no problem. I had to drive myself to the train station because my dad was working all night at the museum. He told me that he'd pick up the car when he got off work at eleven. I had to be on the train for eleven so although I was a little peeved that my dad hadn't seen me off on my last first day of school I didn't really mind. It gave me a chance to get my head together for the first time I saw Jason.

In my compartment I fiddled with the tassels on my new tan suede jacket that my dad had brought home from one of his digs in Texas, U.S. at the end of July. He'd only been gone for a few weeks, and in those weeks I had gone for broke and transformed myself. He was surprised when he saw me, a reaction I was banking on today.

I took a deep breath and to calm myself I pulled out the new book I'd bought for the first few weeks of school. They were always the most boring weeks of the school year, when everyone is just getting into the schoolwork and the teachers aren't assigning too much. I always read a book in those weeks and then again at the end of the year in between studying. It was my good luck charm during exams. At least that's how Jase saw it, especially after he saw the number of OWLs I received the previous year. This year NEWTs was a way bigger deal, but I felt worrying about it now would be counterproductive and I would turn into a big nervous wreck, which was twice the amount of nerves I wanted to be dealing with.

I flipped open to the first page and looked down at the chapter title when a gummy bear dropped out of the sky. I picked it up frowning and then turned towards the compartment door. Jason was standing there with his hair longer than usual and draped over his baby blues with a cocky smile on his face. "Figured a bribe was as good as any to get you outta that bible you're reading."

I held up the page for him to see, "First page, numb nuts. I haven't even started." Laughing I popped the gummy bear into my mouth and smiled at him.

Rising I set my book down on my seat and he came fully into the compartment. Holding a small carry-on bag in one hand he enveloped me in a one-armed hug, which I would take any day of the week, one armed or any other way. "Mmm," he whispered in my ear, "home. Good to see you Allie"

"You too," I replied, utterly breathless. He thought I was home. Eeee!

I let go of him and he set his bag down opposite me. I sat down—on my book—and when Jase moved away from the compartment door I saw someone else behind him. She was…my worst nightmare. Liltingly beautiful and emanating sex appeal, she walked into the compartment and Jase put his arm around her. I felt my hopes and dreams crashing down, tumbling full tilt down a jagged and rocky slope with no hopes of stopping except bruised and broken at the bottom of a lake somewhere.

"Allie, I would like you to meet Nikki." Jase introduced her possessively and I knew my worst fears had been realized.

"Nikki?" I squeaked.

Nikki held out her hand to shake. I stared down at her perfectly polished and manicured nails. "Hi, I'm Nicole Delarouso."

I could tell from her accent that she was definitely Australian and as my hand lifted to shake hands with her I could feel all my efforts from the summer, all the changes I had planned to make, slip away into the abyss. She was beautifully perfect, nails, blonde hair, bright blue eyes and body that any man with a dick would say was to die for. And her smile, despite how sweet and innocent it seemed on the outside was nothing but on the inside. I could almost feel her sneer leering out from behind her perfect teeth. It was decided before we'd even met that we'd be enemies from day one.

"I'm Allyson Graham," I managed to say, not quite sure if there was a shake in my voice.

Nikki let go of my hand, "Yes, I've heard all about you. You're practically all Jase talks about." They both sat opposite me in the compartment and Nikki's hand rested on Jase's jean-clad thigh.

Jase? Only I call him Jase, everyone else calls him Jason. I was the only person who had ever called him Jase. From what I'd always noticed, I was the only one who could get away with calling him Jase without him having a shit-fit. Now, this Nikki was calling him Jase and his eyes merely sparkled and twinkled at her with affection. Ahh!

"Well, Allie is my best friend, so its only fitting I gab about her to everyone I meet," Jase said. For a moment I was flattered to know he told everyone about me. but then I remembered the context. When I saw Nikki's hand pet his thigh my temper instantly flared.

She looked back at me sweetly, "Would it be alright if I called you 'Allie'? I just know we're going to be great friends."

My ass! I wanted to yell at her. But Jase beat me to the punch by saying, "Sure thing sweetie, everyone calls her Allie. Of course you can too. I just know you are going to get along with each other famously."

My eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments when he did two things; 1. Called her 'sweetie' and; 2. Answered for me. I sure as shit didn't want her calling me Allie. I was Allie to my friends only, and never to Medusa Incarnate with twiggy blonde hair. But I smiled sweetly because I didn't want to disappoint Jase. "Sure."

The whistle blew and the train lurched forward. It was the best feeling in the world; a speeding train going through a new terrain every year—for some strange reason—headed for my favorite place. No one really knows exactly where Hogwarts is, but that's okay. Just so long as it exists is fine with me.

Conversation varied. Mostly it was Nikki asking me questions and instead of my answering them, Jase always seemed to get there first. Then when Nikki ran out of questions she went to staring deeply into Jase's eyes and I wanted to jump across the compartment and rip her hair out.

So, to take my mind off it, I picked up my book and replaced it in my bag before excusing myself and taking a stroll down the train. I kept on walking past gawking first years and then every year up to seven and it wasn't until the very front of the train that I found a compartment filled with people I knew.

Teddy Lupin sat inside with Victoire Weasley, his arm draped around her, as they had been quite the couple for a few years now. Across from them sat Bradley Coogan and Melody Barrows, all seventh years, and all my friends since first year.

"Allie!" Victoire said, noticing me at the door and greeting me with a big hug. I received the same from Melody while the gentlemen simply nodded their hellos and began chatting about Quidditch. "What are you doing here? Where's Jason? I didn't figure on seeing you until the feast," Victoire continued, pulling me down beside her on the seat.

I sighed, "Yeah well, Jase brought home some candy from Australia and I'd rather not share." My eyes narrowed dangerously and both girls got the idea. Girls seem to have this internal signal that brings everything into perspective for each other even without saying a word. And when guys were involved, that signal heightened twofold.

"Uh-oh," Melody said while wrapping her black hair around one of her fingers, a habit she'd developed because her mother hated when she cut her hair. It had always been down to her lower back, flipping and flopping everywhere. She usually had it pulled back in one or two braids, but today it was loose and flying free around the compartment. "Candy, that'd can't be good."

"What's her name?" Victoire asked.

"Nicole Delarouso. Australian. Blonde. Legs for days. Perfect."

"Whoa!" Melody and Victoire said.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," I replied, wrapping my arms around my stomach and shifting my weight from front to back.

"What? Why?" Melody asked.

I waved my hand, "I'll tell you later." I gestured to the men-folk beside us with a cutting motion at my neck. Both girls nodded and I sighed with relief. Despite Jase being my best friend and being a guy, it felt good to be able to gush to my girl friends.

"So Allie," Teddy spoke up from beside Victoire and me, "Are you going to try out for the Quidditch team this year again?"

"Oh ha, ha, Teddy, dream on."

Teddy, brown hair with rugged handsomeness, always got a kick out of teasing me for my rather clumsy moments in the past. Brad across from him guffawed with laughter and I narrowed my eyes at him—it seemed I was doing that a lot today. Brad had always been more intimidated by me and I couldn't fathom why. Teddy teased that it was because he had a huge crush on me, but our friendship had never gone past platonic and he seemed content with that. He was a good buddy and he stopped laughing the second I looked at him. This seemed to make Teddy laugh even more and Victoire had to smack him to get him to stop.

Conversation continued lightly and without consequence. When the light outside started to dim I found myself dreading the moment when I'd have to go back to my compartment and collect my things. The first star came out and I couldn't hold it off any longer. I got up and said my see-you-laters to everyone and started back down the train towards Jase and his Australian Barbie-doll.

I knew it would be bad when I got back. I thought I'd get awkward looks and questions about where I'd been, which I could definitely handle. But when I stopped outside the door and slid it open without looking through the window and then looked up, I never expected to see what I saw. Nikki had straddled Jase, her lips locked with his and I couldn't see his hands, which meant I didn't want to know where they were.

"Oh, sorry to interrupt," I said, both upset and sad about finding them this way. I didn't think it took two months to get to that stage of physicality, but then what did I know about relationships.

Both stood up suddenly and straightened themselves, plastering the got-caught-with-your-hand-in-the-cookie-jar face on. With their lips swollen and faces red, I sighed and took out my robes and grabbed up my bag. I was about to leave again when Nikki spoke up, "Where's the washrooms on this train? I'd like to freshen up while I change." She winked at Jase and he cleared his throat before answering her.

She left and I wrinkled my nose, disgusted, and turned back to Jase who still looked incredibly guilty. "She seems…ahem…nice," I said.

His cocky smile appeared, "Yeah, she's great. I'm glad you like her."

I hadn't said I liked her. But saying that I didn't like her to Jase might mean Jase would give me up over her and I couldn't let that happen. Instead I just smiled as I removed my tan jacket and started pulling my Hogwarts uniform over my head. And it was just like me to get stuck and not know where the neck hole was. "Um…help?" I whispered, hoping Jase was still there.

I heard him chuckle, "Always the graceful one," he said before I felt his hands tug on the hem of the sweater and my head popped up through the neck hole I hadn't been able to find by myself and my glasses fell off.

The clingy material had made my hair all frizzy and staticky, so when I brought my hair out from underneath the collar of the sweater it when whoosh and fly-a-ways stuck up every which way. Again Jase chuckled as he pulled his t-shirt off to replace it with the Hogwarts T. My breath sucked in when I saw what he had become over the summer. His abs were magnificent, his tan was delicious and I wanted to reach out and touch. But I just couldn't. It was all I could do to just stand there, looking, with my hair frizzing into oblivion. It was over in a second though and he had replaced another T over his gorgeous body and then his sweater. I grabbed up my glasses again, pulled on my black robe and dug through my bag to find the hair brush I'd stuck in there somewhere.

"You know," Jase said from behind me as he pulled on his own robe, "you do that every year."

"I do what every year?" I asked.

"You get stuck in your sweater every year, first day on the train. Sometimes even a few times throughout the year it happens."

"Sweaters were designed by devil and I will hate them forever," I said, pulling the brush I had finally found through my hair.

Jase let out a bark of laughter and folded up his old T before tucking it away into his bag. "I have never met anyone before who disliked sweaters as much as you do, Alls."

I smiled, "Yeah well, I'm one of a kind. And sweaters can all rot in whatever pile they were dug out of all those years ago. A coat is the only way to go, I always say." I held up my new tan jacket I'd had to discard in order to put on my uniform.

"Nice. New?" Jase inquired.

I nodded, "Dad's last dig was in Texas and he brought it back for me."

"Texas. Cool. Let me guess, he brought you back another book too." He winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and my head lolled from side to side before answering, "Cowboys and Indians by Ingrid Weksby."

Jase's Cheshire cat grin always got to me, and he always did it when he was trying not to laugh at whatever book my Dad had last brought me or a book I'd picked out. So when he gave me that same grin now I leaned over and smacked him with my hair brush. "It's a good book."

Choking back his laughter he held up his hands, "Oh I believe you." I put my hairbrush back in my bag, satisfied that it was as tame as it was going to get right now. I stood back up just as we rolled into Hogsmeade station. "Hey," Jase said, "I like the hair, it suits you."

My hand went self-consciously to my head and my heart lifted with the compliment. "Really?"

He nodded, "Really. It's different, but stylish. Makes you look more grown up and yet cute at the same time." He opened the compartment door just as Nikki was strolling back up the hall. They greeted with a kiss and turned to walk down the corridor with my trailing behind them.

Cute? Cute! I wasn't trying to look cute. I was trying to look sexy, damnit! But I guess that didn't work when you wore glasses and raved about books all the time. Whoever heard of being 'book sexy' before?