Daphne's Questionable Bet, page 19
A smile landed on his lips—his crooked, nose inched up, adorable one. “I don’t mind Veronica and Taylor knowing. I really like them.”
“Hey, me, too!”
He took a step closer to me. “Thank you.”
I squeezed his hand. “Weston, you can talk to me about anything. No judgment here. I mean, I had a freaking panic attack in the middle of a bookstore. After I ripped my pants and practically exposed myself to you.”
“About that. Are we ever going to talk about the Care Bear—”
“Nope. Not happening.”
He nodded. “Got it.” He lifted his other hand, lightly placing it on my cheek, his thumb caressing my skin.
I smiled at him, letting him know he could kiss me. At least, I hoped that was what he’d read out of it. I could move in for the kiss myself, but I didn’t want to spook the guy.
His nose brushed against mine, and, oh boy, it suddenly got way hot out here. My heart raced just thinking about his lips on mine.
With the perfect moment lighting up the night, “Young and in Love” by Ingrid Michaelson ran through my mind. I didn’t want the night to end. This overwhelming feeling of finding your perfect person. The ability to talk to someone about anything and everything, no judgment attached. It was a rare, uncut gem, and I had it in my grasp.
Weston closed his eyes, his lips centimeters from mine. Closing one’s eyes during a kiss was typical. I knew that. But a part of me wanted to keep watching and make sure it was really happening. That I wasn’t just dreaming or imagining it.
“Weston!” Bentley’s voice broke through the night, ending our moment. “Daphne!”
It was too dark for Bentley to have seen what we were about to do. No way Bentley would intentionally break up a kiss between Weston and me.
But it still sucked.
With a small sigh, Weston took a step back from me, removing his hand from my waist, leaving the spot cold.
Bentley jogged up to us, smiling. “I just wanted to make sure Weston was okay.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You know you don’t have to do karaoke, right? I have no idea why Sierra is pushing it so much.”
“Yeah, I know,” Weston said. “I think we’ll sit this one out.” He looked at me. “If that’s okay.”
“Yep,” I said.
Bentley opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but then snapped it shut.
“What?” I asked.
He sighed. “Nothing. I just.” He sighed again, deeper and longer. “Sierra’s acting kind of weird. And her new … look … is kind of throwing me off.”
“It’s so not her,” I said.
Bentley threw up his hands. “It’s not! But when I mentioned something, she scowled at me.”
Weston sucked in a sharp breath. “Never comment on a girl’s clothes, man.”
I chuckled.
Bentley looked at me. “Do you think you could ask her about it? Make sure she’s okay? I just don’t know why she changed her look. I liked it the way it was.”
I pointed a finger into my chest. “You want me to talk to her?” I bit back a laugh. That sounded like a terrible idea.
“She seems to really value your opinion,” Bentley said. “She talks about you all the time.”
Her talking about me didn’t surprise me. But the fact that Bentley was acting like the things she was saying weren’t mean or anything was beyond weird.
No way Sierra would listen to me.
“Yeah, sure,” I said. “I’ll see what’s going on.”
Honestly, I was dying to know myself. Maybe I could get her so mad, she’d yell the truth at me. It was probably the only way it would happen.
“Thanks,” Bentley said. “You guys coming back? There’s so much food.”
Weston patted his stomach. “I’m starving.”
“Me, too,” I said.
When Bentley turned around, heading back to the firepit, I looked over at Weston. “You sure you’re okay going back?”
Nodding, Weston took my hand. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll smother you like a burrito.”
He broke out in a laugh, causing me to do the same.
My, oh my, I really liked this guy.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Mr. Buckley wore a royal blue suit, the tee underneath a light pink. He grinned at the class for a second before he put on his super serious face that made me want to crawl under my desk and hide.
“I have a project for all of you,” Mr. Buckley said, the sternness in his eyes not lightening. “Something fun.” His tone and grave face told me otherwise. “You’ll split into groups of four and prepare a skit together. You can pick any scene from the book of your choice, old or new, and act out the scene.”
There were some murmurs around the classroom, everyone taking it in. It actually sounded pretty fun to me. Aside from the whole getting up in front of the class and having everyone stare at me thing.
“You’ll perform the skit this Friday in class,” Mr. Buckley went on. “I want each of you dressed in character.” He folded his massive arms together. “And since I’m in a good mood today”—it was slightly terrifying that he considered this a good mood—“I’ll let you choose the groups.” He glanced at his watch. “You have five minutes.”
He went to his desk, ending the conversation.
Bentley reached over, tapping my arm. “We should be a group. Sierra, me, you, and Weston.”
Zander glanced back at me. “Hey, you and Weston should join us.” He motioned to his friend sitting next to him.
I liked the option of not being with Sierra, but she shot me this look like working with her and Bentley would somehow help with the bet. At least, that was what I read from the two-second smirk. It was amazing how much Sierra could say with just a look.
“She’s with us already,” Bentley said.
Zander arched an eyebrow at me, waiting for my response. He was probably used to Taylor, who would never let a guy dictate her life like that. She’d choose whatever team she wanted, not caring about others’ feelings, even if it meant being in a different group than him.
“You’re with us, right, Daphne?” Sierra asked, all light and airy like we were BFFs.
I had a feeling working with her could be disastrous, but I couldn’t turn down the challenge in her eyes.
I licked my lips, turning to Zander. “I’m going to join their group, but thanks.”
Mr. Buckley had us rearrange our desks so we could brainstorm.
“What scene should we do?” Bentley asked, all smiles. He sat next to Sierra with me across from him and Weston next to me.
“There’s always Romeo and Juliet.” Sierra set her hand on Bentley’s arm. “We can be star-crossed lovers, you weeping over my dead body. Then I wake to find you dead and kill myself.”
“So, we’re going for something light and happy,” Weston said.
I turned to him. “Lord of the Rings. You can be Samwise. I can be Frodo.” I looked at Sierra. “You can be Gollum. We can fight over the ring until you plunge to your death in the flaming hot lava.”
Both Bentley and Weston chuckled. Sierra, on the other hand, didn’t find it funny. Huh.
“What’s the one they made a movie of?” Bentley asked.
I took a strip of my hair into my hand, twirling it around my finger. “That doesn’t really narrow it down for us. I mean, what books haven’t they made into a movie?”
Bentley snapped his fingers. “The Giver.”
Sierra sighed. “Boring. Let’s stick with Romeo and Juliet.”
“Who would Daphne and I be?” Weston asked.
Sierra waved her hand. “The cousin or priest or something.”
“Attention!” Mr. Buckley belted out. “Romeo and Juliet has been taken!”
Sierra growled, taking us all by surprise. She quickly covered it up with a smile. “We need to act quick before all the good stuff is taken.”
Bentley raised his hand. “My vote is The Giver.”
“Lord of the Rings,” Weston said with his hand raised.
Sierra’s eyes lit up. “Gone with the Wind! Such a great kissing scene.”
Sierra knew the classics, impressing me. I was expecting her to suggest Twilight or The Fault in Our Stars.
“I think we should do something funny,” Weston suggested. “What about Diary of a Wimpy Kid?”
Sierra scrunched her face, not liking the option. She wanted something romantic. Something where she and Bentley could showcase their amazing relationship. We needed a book with multiple couple options. If Sierra and Bentley were going to do a romantic scene, so were Weston and me.
My cheeks flared, everything in me warming up. I snatched a notebook from my desk, using it to fan myself. I wasn’t sure if I could do a romantic scene with Weston in front of the entire class.
“What’s that other book they turned into a movie?” Bentley asked. “Divergent or something like that.”
“What? No!” Sierra said. “The ending of that series was tragic.”
“Uh, so was Romeo and Juliet,” I said.
“That’s totally different,” Sierra said.
“Was it?” I asked.
Mr. Buckley clapped his large hands together, getting everyone’s attention. “You have two more minutes to decide, otherwise I’m choosing for you. Also, Twilight and The Fault in Our Stars have been taken.”
I held in a snort.
“Princess Bride?” I said.
“One of us can be Westley, the others the three men that abduct Princess Buttercup?” Weston said. “We can reenact the scenes where Westley fights each one of them.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “He said one scene. Not three.” Her eyes lit up. “What about The Hunger Games?”
“You have a weird idea of funny,” I said.
“Harry Potter is taken,” Mr. Buckley announced. “One minute.”
“Well, we need to hurry and pick something!” Sierra said. “Otherwise, Mr. Buckley will pick for us, and who knows what he’ll give us?”
“Maybe we should let him choose,” Bentley said. “Make our job easier.”
Weston nodded in agreement.
My mind reeled, trying to figure out what to do. We were overthinking the whole thing. We needed to simplify.
What costumes did Grams have? The Regency Era, of course. I could find enough for everybody. Probably. Plus, the book I was thinking of had two endless love stories in it.
“Ten seconds!” Mr. Buckley said.
I smiled at my group before shouting out, “We’re doing Pride and Prejudice!”
Mr. Buckley nodded, accepting our book.
Then I raised my arm, waiting on him to call on me. “Instead of doing one scene, can we act out the entire book in five minutes?”
Others in the class chimed in, saying it would be funny to try to cram an entire book in five minutes. Plus, the faster we moved, the less likely I would get nervous. Same with Weston.
Mr. Buckley grinned widely before switching to his serious face. “Five-minute storylines it is.”
Weston held up his hand to high-five, which I happily did.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
I invited Sierra, Weston, and Bentley over to my house after school, but with Sierra’s basketball practice, we had to move it to the evening.
Since I had a bunch of costumes, plus every version of Pride and Prejudice—movies and books—I figured it would be a good place to meet. Mom was a fan of anything Jane Austen, which she passed on to me. Mom had finished with my dress for the ball this weekend, so we had spent Sunday night in our dresses, watching Northanger Abbey, and munching on snacks. I told her we needed to make it a monthly tradition to dress up like characters from a movie and watch it. She was totally on board.
Bentley sat on the couch, throwing his arm up and resting it on the back. Sierra took the spot next to him, cozying into him like they were some long-term couple. He seemed a little surprised at first, but then his natural smile came, and all was right in the world.
Weston took a seat on the loveseat, resting his arm on the back like Bentley had his arm. Then, he lowered it, setting his hand in his lap. His arm went back and forth a few times, clearly not sure how to sit.
“Anyone want something to drink?” I asked from the kitchen.
“Cherry Coke will be great,” Weston said with a smile.
Bentley looked over his shoulder at me. “Do you have Dr Pepper?”
“You’re in luck,” I said, opening the fridge. “That’s what my mom drinks.”
“I’ll have a Dr Pepper, too!” Sierra said.
Of course, she would. Bentley could have requested goat milk, and Sierra would have wanted the same.
I brought the four bottles of soda into the family room and divvied them out. I plopped down next to Weston.
“Where should we start?” Weston asked.
He’d come a little early, so I had him get some totes down from the attic, ignoring his jabs at my being afraid.
I pointed to the totes on the floor. “Well, we can go through costumes, or figure out the skit.”
“Skit first,” Bentley said, pulling out a notebook from his backpack sitting on the floor. “We gotta figure out our characters before we pick the costumes.”
“So, I’m assuming you all know the story of Pride and Prejudice?” I leaned forward, grabbing the book and a notepad I’d placed on the coffee table.
“I’ve seen the movies and read the book,” Sierra said with way too much pride.
“I’ve seen one movie,” Weston said. Then he snapped his fingers. “Oh, and the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie.”
“Best version!” Bentley said with a huge grin. “I’ve seen practically every movie version thanks to my little sister. Did you know they have a 1940s version?”
I nodded. “That’s my favorite one!”
Bentley and I were sharing a smile, and he opened his mouth, probably to say something about the movie, but Sierra quickly cut in.
“Obviously, I’ll be Elizabeth Bennet,” she said.
“Why, obviously?” I asked. It honestly made sense for her to be Elizabeth, me to be Jane. It was what I assumed would happen. But the way Sierra said it made me squirm. I mean, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were more likely to be crowned Prom Queen and King than Jane and Mr. Bingley.
She pointed to her head. “Brown hair. Duh.” Sierra swept a hand to me. “And since you have blonde, you should be Jane.”
“I know the story like the back of my hand,” I said. “I should be Elizabeth.”
Bentley cut in before I could list out my reasons. “Does it really matter? With all the characters, we’re each going to have to play multiple characters.”
Sierra shook her head. “I’m only being Elizabeth. She’s the main character so she’ll be in, like, all the scenes. Plus, she has a nature similar to mine.”
“Stubborn?” I said. “Hard-headed?”
Tightening her jaw, Sierra glared at me, her nostrils flaring. It took her a couple of seconds to compose herself. “She’s a strong, independent woman.” She folded her arms. “You are like Jane, humble and reserved.”
The way she said it didn’t sound like a compliment.
Bentley smiled at me. “You should be flattered. Isn’t Jane considered the prettiest of all the Bennet sisters?”
Oh, I couldn’t stop the smile that came to my face. Sierra was not happy with that comment. Her hand flexed in and out of a fist as she tried to rein in her anger.
“Yes, she is,” Weston said, his nose inching up as he smiled at me.
Though I didn’t want Sierra to get her way, I was so happy with Bentley and Weston’s comments that I agreed to be Jane. In reality, I was probably Mary. No way I was going to say that out loud.
Sierra placed her hand on Bentley’s arm. “He’ll, of course, be Mr. Darcy.”
“What’s with all the ‘of course’s?” I asked.
“He’s handsome, rich, and has dark hair.” Sierra motioned to Bentley. “It doesn’t get more obvious than that.” She smiled softly at Weston, trying to appear kind, but I could see the struggle behind her eyes. “Weston and Mr. Bingley have similar manners. I think he’d make a great Mr. Bingley.”
He would. Honestly, I liked Mr. Bingley more than Mr. Darcy. That was who I would choose.
I wrote down all the character names on my pad of paper, then wrote our names next to the ones we’d play. “Okay, what about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet?”
Bentley raised his hand. “I’ll take Mrs. Bennet. Weston can have Mr. Bennet.”
I chuckled at the thought of Bentley portraying the single-minded Mrs. Bennet, writing their names down as I did.
“Mr. Wickham?” I said.
“Guess that should be me,” Weston said. “Since he has scenes with Mr. Darcy.”
I looked at Sierra. “Are you really only going to be Elizabeth?”
“Yes,” she said.
I sighed. “Then I guess I’m Caroline Bingley, Charlotte, Kitty, Lydia, and Mary.” I bumped arms with Weston. “Wanna be Mr. Collins? Can’t have Bentley proposing to her as two different guys.”
Weston sat tall, smoothing out his shirt, his nose sticking up in the air. “It would be my honor to serve the Bennet family so admirably. There’s not a character finer than I.”
I laughed so hard, I snorted, falling into Weston, making him laugh as well. When I looked over at Sierra, she was glaring at us. Then a smirk crossed her face that made me uncomfortable and left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
The doorbell rang, so I pulled out my phone to see who it was. We weren’t expecting anyone.
Kimber Winters paced on the porch, looking frazzled. She moved like she was going to open the front door and just walk in, but she stopped herself and went back to pacing.
Mom appeared in the hallway, shuffling toward the front door and muttering like she was giving herself a pep talk. Totally didn’t blame her.
With a deep breath, she smoothed out her hair and then opened the door, smiling at Kimber. She opened her mouth to say something, but Kimber pushed past her, rushing into the house and frantically looking around.
