I managed to grab two doughnuts before they disappeared. Missy must’ve spent a fortune. I excused myself from the table where Max and I were trying hard to draw two junior varsity cheerleaders into conversation. I grabbed another cup of coffee from the cafeteria’s urn. A slightly burnt but comforting smell wafted around me when I hit the spout. It looked like jet fuel and I was sure it tasted as bad. Two sugars and two creamers couldn’t kill the bitterness, but I needed the caffeine to get me through Algebra in thirty minutes.

“It’s horrible coffee and yet here we are, lining up for more.”

I turned to find the new girl standing in line. “Anything to keep me awake. Are you on the squad?” We both knew I knew she was, but she played along.

“Yes. I’m new to Oak Grove. I’m Parker O’Neal. And you’re Sutton.” I smiled at her smugly. She took the time to find out my name. That was promising. But then she pointed to my name tag. “It’s hard to miss.”

“Right.” I blushed and took a sip of coffee that was unbearably hot. I turned my head and coughed as it scalded my throat. Fuck, that hurt.

“Are you okay?” Parker asked.

I waved her off as though this happened a lot. “I’m fine. Still not awake and still making bad choices.” The smile she gave me took my breath away. I was already nervous to talk to her, but now that we were in each other’s personal space, I felt skittish and wanted to bolt back to the table. “How’s cheerleading?” Hayley would kill me if she knew that was my opening question.

“It’s good. How’s football?”

“Painful, but I’m excited about the new season.” I took another sip of coffee and tried to mask the burn but failed.

“You should probably wait to drink that,” Parker said.

“I keep telling myself the caffeine will wake me up, then I forget it’s hot as fu—” I stopped myself. I wasn’t around the guys. I was standing in front of a new cheerleader and I was trying to make an impression. “It’s just too hot.”

She smiled. Her smile was beautiful and made my stomach do backflips. She wasn’t like the other girls at Oak Grove. She seemed more refined and delicate. Even her clothes weren’t casual for school. I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and she was wearing pants and a sleeveless top. Her arms were toned and tanned. She looked amazing. Her flats screamed money whereas my Converse should’ve been tossed over the summer. I looked worn and I had never been so self-conscious in my life.

“Have fun making posters. I’ll see you on the field, quarterback,” she said.