I ran to the girls' locker room hoping it would be empty—thankfully it was. I curled up on one of the benches and tucked my knees in. I lay my head on them and let out the pent-up tears. I felt awful.

I had practiced so hard for that routine and Karen just dissed me there in front of everyone! This was way more humiliating than getting my hair caught in the locker. I had wanted so badly to be a cheerleader and be able to express myself through the dance moves while supporting my school... And now I couldn't for the fourth time in a row thanks to Karen. Darn her! And such bad luck that Coach had to get called away today!

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Jules asking me where I was and if I was alright. My bestie was always a good friend who cared. But right now I wanted to be alone. I let her know that and told her to go home without me today. I would take the bus later after everyone had gone home.

"Thea?" a soft voice suddenly called. My head shot up and I saw Matteo standing inside the locker room, looking worried. I hurriedly wiped my face and looked away.

"You can't be here, it's the girls' locker room," I said, wishing my voice didn't shake so much.

"Normally I agree, but I think they can make an exception in this case," he said, sitting down on the bench next to me. I stared at him.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked. "I want to be alone."

"I know you do," he said softly. The next minute he shocked me by putting his arms around me. "And I don't think you should be," he continued, hugging me.

"Wha—" I tried to speak but found my voice caught in my throat. He withdrew after a moment and caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers, wiping away the smudges of tears. I backed away a little, unused to his touch but he didn't stop.

"You were amazing today. I'm sorry you didn't make the squad but I thought you should know that," he said kindly. Wait a minute, was he—comforting me?

"Are you alright? Shane said you had an accident in gym class today," he said, sounding concerned. My expression twisted in confusion.

"I don't get it. Why are you here?" I asked. "You're Matteo Sterling, we're not even supposed to be seen together!" He merely smiled.

"I don't see who could stop us," was his answer. He took advantage of my speechlessness and helped me up.

"Get changed and meet me outside in ten, okay?" he said. "I'll be waiting."

"But why—" I began, but he had already left. I stood there, bewildered for a moment. What just happened?

I was still in a daze when I stepped out of the locker room after changing and was surprised to see all three of the golden boys apparently waiting for me outside.

"There she is! Hey gorgeous, you feelin' better now?" Shane asked me.

"I doubt it but that's what we're here for," Pierce said, wrapping his arm around me. I stared at him in shock. Since when was this allowed?!

"Give her some space, Pierce," Matteo said, dislodging his arm from me. "You don't want to scare her off." He smiled at me.

"You ready?" he asked.

"For what?" I asked, looking at them, confused.

"To be cheered up by your very own golden boys! Congratulations, you just won an evening out with the three of us, all expenses paid!" Shane said with a wide grin on his face. I thought he sounded like a lottery announcer and wanted to laugh.

"Look at that, we got her smiling already," Pierce said, eyeing me. "Let's go before they close up the school." And just like that, I was led away by the three of them. I don't know how I got dragged into this, but I found myself unable to resist. They seemed so eager; I didn't even know why they bothered with me.

They bundled me into Shane's sparkly white four-seater convertible, With Matteo sitting beside me in the backseat.

"Let's roll! Whooo!" Shane hooted as he put the top down. I had never ridden in a convertible before and the feel of the cool evening breeze through my hair felt deliciously exhilarating. I found myself enjoying it and raised my hand to feel the wind whip against it like a high-five.

"Now for some mood music!" Shane said, turning up the radio. One Direction's 'Live While We're Young' boomed out and I could feel the beat pumping in the car.

"Hmm. Not cliché at all," Pierce said sarcastically. I giggled. Matteo turned to me.

"That's Pierce. Always the king of sarcasm," he said. I couldn't help smiling at him.

"So, where are you taking me?" I asked.

"Uh-uh. It's a surprise," Pierce said.

"Aw, can't we tell her?" Shane asked.

"No, we already went over this, Shane," Matteo said.

"You guys kidnapped me right out of school and now you won't tell me where we're going?" I asked, blinking. Shane began to jitter in his seat.

"Oooh—I can't take it! We're going to—" Shane began, but Pierce slapped his hand over his mouth.

"Shane!" Matteo said in annoyance.

"Eyes on the road, dude," Pierce said. I laughed. Goodness gracious, what happened to me? Was I really hanging out with the golden boys, listening to their comical banter and laughing?

"Wait... I know this road we're going to—" I stopped as I saw the signboard as we passed, declaring the seaside amusement park up ahead.

"Damn, she figured it out," Pierce mumbled.

"Good, because I couldn't keep that a secret anymore," Shane said. "Now let's go live while we're young! Whooo!"

The amusement park turned out to be a blast. There were dozens of rides and the boys seemed to want to take me on everything.

"What do you say, Thea? Bumper cars? Or bumper boats?" Matteo asked me.

"Boats!" I said, my eyes shining. I can't believe I'm giving in to this!

We took two rounds on the bumper boats because I couldn't get enough. Shane wouldn't stop whooping every time we bumped into each other, our boats rocking to and fro on the rippling water.

Next, we hit the merry-go-round, the Viking, and even took a roll down the giant slide. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. Matteo bought us cotton candy and Shane insisted we all take group photos. It was really sweet—the boys made all sorts of silly faces and I couldn't stop laughing. It was nearing sunset before I was aware of how long we had been at the park.

"Okay, we're down to the last ride—the Ferris wheel," Matteo announced. We started walking towards it when I noticed Shane didn't come with us. He stood rooted in one spot a little way behind, looking fearfully up at the Ferris wheel.

"Shane, aren't you coming?" I asked. Pierce walked back and patted him on the back.

"Hey buddy, it's okay if you don't want to go," he said. He called out to us, "You two go on, We'll sit this one out."

"Is Shane okay?" I asked Matteo once we had gotten into a Ferris wheel pod.

"Yeah he just—" Matteo seemed hesitant.

"It's okay if you can't tell me," I said, sensing there was a secret.

"No, it's—I trust you," he said. I blinked in surprise but let him go on. "Shane once got stuck on a Ferris wheel when he was seven—alone," he said. "He's had a fear of them ever since."

"Oh, he must have been so scared," I said, understanding immediately. To a kid, an experience like that must have been traumatic.

"He was. He's edgy around heights because of that," Matteo said. "That's why he was pretty worried about you falling in the gym today." So that's why... Shane was more sensitive and caring than I thought. I gazed out into the sunset, the orange light throwing a bridal path across the sea. We were pretty high up.

"Everyone has something they're afraid of," I said quietly.

"It seems unavoidable. An unpleasant experience can turn into a bad memory," Matteo said quietly. I nodded.

"Do you mind not telling anyone about this?" he asked me, his eyes earnestly gazing into my face.

"Don't worry, the secret is safe with me," I promised. I leaned back, twiddling with my thumbs.

"You okay?" He asked me when I went quiet.

"Yeah, it's just—" I looked up to speak to him and was startled to find his face an inch from mine, his warm brown eyes the only thing I could see. My words got lost from my throat to my mouth. A strange pounding filled my chest and ears. I felt heat creep to my cheeks. Oh my God, was I blushing?

"Thea..." he said my name so softly. Oh no, he couldn't be... he was leaning closer to me...

The pod lurched and came to a stop. I almost fell off the seat and his arm came around my waist at once, steadying me.

"I guess that's the end of the ride," he whispered. He looked disappointed at the fact.

"Oh, I guess we better go then," I said quickly. We got off and joined the others.

"That was quick," Pierce said. He and Shane were seated on a bench under a willow tree.

"Yeah... Let's go get some food," Matteo suggested. Shane shot up on his feet at once.

"Yeah, Dairy Palace here we come! I've been craving a barbeque sandwich all day," he said longingly.

"You guys go ahead, I think I need to catch my breath for a second," I said as lightly as possible. I needed a minute away from Matteo—I hoped that didn't show on my face.

"I'll stay with her. I'm too lazy to get up anyway," Pierce said, stretching his long legs in front of him like a cat.

"Okay... we'll be back soon," Matteo said, looking uncertain. When he and Shane had gone, I exhaled heavily.

"He's getting to you, isn't he?" Pierce asked me. Crap, I'd completely forgotten that Pierce was next to me!

"What?" I asked, playing dumb. He smiled lazily.

"You can't fool me, babycakes. You've been charmed by Matteo and you know it," he said, crossing his ankle over his knee. I scoffed, hoping it would cover my blush.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said, staring at the pavement.

"Oh yeah? Then how do you explain that pretty blush on your face?" he asked, taking my chin and turning it towards him. My eyes widened and I backed away.

"Would it hurt if you kept a little personal space?" I asked, frowning at him. He looked away pretending like he hadn't heard me.

"He's into you, you know," he said carelessly. I stared at him. "Matt I mean," he said, as though to clarify his point. "This whole outing was his idea. He wanted to cheer you up after that blowup with Kensington. Course, I suggested the amusement park but, you get the sentiment." I didn't know what to say to that. I felt all sorts of mixed emotions that I couldn't explain swirl inside me. I didn't know whether to believe him or not—and if I did, what then?

"Even if he is, and I can't believe he is, There's no way we can be together," I said, letting my common sense take over.

"Why not?" Pierce asked, suddenly leaning forward, bringing his hands together.

"He—he's not my type," I said looking straight at him. "And why would he be into me when the other girls in the rest of the school would die for a chance with him?"

"Is that the only reason?" he asked. I debated for a moment.

"No," I answered. It was better to be honest. And it felt strangely natural talking with Pierce. "He's Matteo Sterling. He's way out of my league. Somehow, we just aren't meant to be together. It's the way things are. And anyway, I can't say I'm into him."

"You're lying, Thea. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you're not into him," Pierce challenged. I blinked at him, shocked that he would dare me like that. But something told me there was more to his question than what appeared on the surface.

"Hmph. I knew it," he said when I didn't answer. "Are you going to let society dictate the rules of your relationships for you?" He asked boldly. I swallowed.

"I'm not his type either. I don't hang out in his—your circle. You can't deny the status quo. Honestly, I don't even know why you guys even bothered to do something this nice for me," I reasoned. In my head I added, You're the golden boys. I'm just the girl who blends into the background.

"It's because we like you," he said so outrightly that I almost choked on air. "You're worth more than half those other girls who stalk us day and night. Call me judgemental, but they're shallow and vain. The fact that you don't chase us means there's more to you. And as guys, we find that attractive." Whoa, I had no idea Pierce Hartman was so brutally honest. What do I say now?

"But those girls actually put in effort to get you to notice them," I said. "And they're prettier than me..." I added in a low voice, hoping he wouldn't hear. Unfortunately, he did hear it.

"You could be pretty if you tried, you know," he mused, staring at the sky. "You just never had a reason to try. You're already naturally beautiful." I lapsed into silence, digesting his words, a flame of red heat burning my cheeks. Did my ears just hear that right? Pierce Hartman called me naturally beautiful?

"We're back!" Shane's voice broke the tension. "We got patty melts, BLTs, and hot hams and cheeses. Oh, and milkshakes and ice teas."

"I'll have an iced tea, thanks," I said, sipping from the cup quickly. I desperately needed something to cool my face down. I saw Matteo glance at me and I looked away.

"Hope you didn't have to wait too long," Matteo said, and I could feel him studying my face.

"Nah, we passed the time with meaningful conversation," Pierce said smoothly, gulping down a milkshake. I turned quickly to Pierce giving him a sharp look, hoping he wouldn't tell Matteo about our conversation.

"Cool," Matteo said and dropped the subject. I didn't want to think about anything again until I was alone and could let my feelings show in my face.

It was well past seven when the boys dropped me home. It felt like returning from another planet, being dropped back into reality. A reality where the golden boys didn't exist in my world.

"I hope you had a good time, Thea," Matteo said, as he walked me up the driveway.

"I did, thank you," I replied, avoiding his eyes. "But—"

"See you at school tomorrow?" He asked before I could go on. I hesitated. How do I form the words to tell him that there is no tomorrow where he and I, where all of them, could be around me?

"Look, Matteo, I had a great time. And I really appreciate what you did for me today. But I don't understand why you did it. And—I think it's better if we don't hang out together anymore." He looked confused and somewhat hurt at my words.

"But why?" he asked, and the pain in his voice pricked my heart. I sighed.

"I think it's better that way," I said quietly, hoping he would leave it at that. His expression turned grieved and he averted his eyes.

"If that's what you really want." He sounded dolefully hollow. "Goodnight, Thea." He walked back to the car without another word. I could see the others gazing out to us curiously but I turned away and went inside. I slumped against the door, feeling heavy inside as I kicked off my shoes.

"Hey honey, you're home late," Mom said from the table. I saw that she was peeling potatoes. She didn't sound too worried so I knew she wasn't.

"Yeah, I was hanging out with some friends at the amusement park..." I answered truthfully. My mom knew my only friend was Jules, but fortunately, she didn't press me. That's the benefit of having a psychologist for a mom. She'd wait until I felt like talking, and she knew I would—eventually.

"Hey Thea, I borrowed your popcorn. I ran out of corn chips," Amber called from the living room couch. She had her eyes glued to the TV.

"Sure, that's okay," I said distractedly. I had other things to think about right now.

I almost headed upstairs when Pierce's words came echoing in my head. You could be pretty if you tried, you know. You just never had a reason to try. Why did I feel like he was right? And what if I did have a reason to try? Maybe that's why Karen felt threatened by me. What would happen if I did put effort into my appearance?

I suddenly turned to my mom with determination.

"Um, Mom? How do you feel about cutting my hair again?"

🌹

Oooh ya gonna love what's coming up! Did you enjoy this date with the golden boys?😏🥰