CHAPTER FOURTEEN: RESTART THIS GAME

Adam's POV

"And to Clare Edwards, my gorgeous girlfriend," Eli spoke with his green eyes locked with Clare's. He held the flowers out to her with a big proud smile.

Clare's smile widened a bit as she accepted the Valentine's Day gift. "Oh, they're beautiful. But sometimes I wonder how you can hold these colorful things without getting sick."

Eli pulled Clare a little closer and said, "Well I can sacrifice a lot of things for my one and only."

This made Clare blush a little bit before Eli leaned forward and pressed a short kiss to her lips. I rolled my eyes annoyingly and tapped my foot impatiently.

"You guys make me want to upchuck." I made sure not to look at them as I said this.

Clare and Eli shared a look of amusement before glancing back at my boring face. Anyone could've been able to see that watching people make out in the hallway all week sickened me to unnatural points.

Eli must've noticed something in my face because he turned back to Clare and said, "I'll see you after class."

His blue-eyed girlfriend nodded before pressing her lips to his cheek and sauntering off to find Alli, who was probably making out with my brother all over again.

"Don't tell me that you're actually mad with Clare and I for kissing," he said with a concerned expression.

I waited a couple seconds before answering, "No, that's not it. I'm

pretty much used to both of you guys locking lips. But it kind of sucks when Bianca's hot on my trail and Fiona is a million miles away."

Eli nodded with a look of understanding. But he couldn't really understand where I was coming from. He had Clare, and she was always stuck to him like a koala and a tree.

He didn't understand what it felt like to have the hottest girl in school offering you things you'd never even heard of while your rich and gorgeous girlfriend was in New York probably enjoying brunch with some posh prince.

The only person that I knew that might understand where I was coming from was Drew. And it would be a mighty cold day in Hell when I told him that I was secretly getting steamy with Bianca, his cheating ex, behind everyone's back.

There just wasn't a lot to turn to. My options were pretty much dead.

I grumbled and pressed my back against my lockers. "Whatever. Sweetheart Week blows, and that's an understatement."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Eli encouraged. "You've had girls coming at you in almost every direction ever since you got the chest surgery."

"Fiona would kill me if I even talked to another girl, and Holly J would make sure that my death looked like an accident. I'm forever alone here."

Eli smirked and said, "Well I don't see Fiona anywhere around here, and I'm pretty sure that Holly J isn't gonna fly in from Connecticut anytime soon."

"So you're saying that I should just cheat on Fiona?" I asked in disbelief.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I never said cheat. But a little flirting wouldn't hurt anyone."

I heard giggling behind me and glanced back to see three girls talking at their lockers. They all glanced over and waved when they noticed that I was looking.

I was still examining them when Eli slapped his hand on my shoulder and said, "Good luck, grasshopper."

I flashed an unwilling smile as Eli turned to head to his next class. I was staring into space when I saw a flash of dark curls in the corner of my eye.

I turned my back and began twisting the combination of my locker as soon as I saw her turn the corner. I had just finally gotten the damned thing open when a familiar scent went up my nose.

I knew her spicy perfume all too well now, and it wasn't exactly something I was proud of recognizing.

"Hey," Bianca greeted a little too confidently.

I never responded and acted as if she wasn't even there while I dug through my locker. I had just found my textbook when Bianca gripped my wrist.

"Could you stop ignoring me now?" she asked before I eventually looked over at her.

"No," I answered quickly, "and you can stop trying to get my attention because you're never going to get it."

"Come on, Adam. I'm sorry, okay? Don't you think I deserve a second chance?"

I frowned and turned so that my body was parallel to hers. "I don't know. Do you think you deserve a second chance?"

Bianca grumbled and looked down at her feet in defeat. I was set on the fact that she was done speaking just before she said, "No, I don't think I deserve a second chance with you. I've hurt you so many times, and I don't blame you for shutting me out."

I stayed silent and waited for another apology speech. The girls who had been standing in the hall must've scattered as soon as they'd met eyes with Bianca.

She had this kind of power and the ability to make people scared of her as soon as they saw her. I was one of the few who had never been frightened of the older girl who had exposed my secret to the school.

Sure, she could be kind of scary sometimes. But the only feelings I'd ever felt for Bianca after the stunt she pulled in the hallway last year had been hatred and anger.

And then somewhere down the line I guess I realized that even though I saw her as this heartless monster, somewhere underneath she actually had feelings. I also realized that she still had the power to seduce me even after every glare, insult, and scowl we shot each other in the hallways.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry," she mumbled. A hopeful twinkle arrived in her eyes when I slowly looked over at her again.

I stared into her brown eyes a few seconds too long. "Apology accepted."

Bianca grinned for the first time since our little skirmish on the sidewalk last week. But I kept my face straight and closed my locker.

"But I suggest you think before you speak next time. I'm not gonna be as forgiving if this happens again," I lectured in a stony voice.

"I'm hoping that there won't be a next time."

She barely let me respond before leaning closer and pressing a long kiss to my lips. I didn't have a lot of time to really kiss back before she pulled away.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're amazing?" she questioned while still resting her hands on my shoulders.

I stared off into space and thought about it for a few seconds. "Yes," I finally answered a little too distantly.

This caused Bianca to laugh before she began walking down the hall with me.

So it seemed like we were playing our game all over again.