“Pretty sure the captain dream is fairly dead,” she says, winding her arms around my neck. “But that’s okay. The odds of winning a scholarship are, like, one in a bajillion anyway. I think I just wanted … something, you know? Something of my own. Something that maybe certain family members couldn’t ignore.”

“And you’re over that now?”

“I am. Turns out, there are people who actually like me just as I am and don’t require I win any special prizes for their affection.”

“Like who? I’m only in this for the crown, baby.”

She smirks. “You were that confident I’d win, huh?”

“I voted for you at least twice.”

“I really hope you play football more honestly than you vote for homecoming queen.”

I shrug. “Eh. If Tom Brady doesn’t, I don’t see why I should have to.”

“Touché.” She pulls me down for a kiss, and if I hadn’t known by this point that this was all worth it, I sure as hell do now. “So, am I remembering correctly that you have your entire apartment to yourself tonight?”

God, I love the way this girl thinks. “You are.”

“Good, good. The Rainbow Brigade is gonna need a bigger meeting space. I don’t think Drip is gonna cut it anymore.”

“Amber.”

She flutters her eyelashes innocently. “Did you not want to continue this double date all night?”

“I’m going home.” I turn to leave, and let Amber immediately pull me back.

“You can’t go yet,” she says in a teasing voice. “I still have the limo for another hour.”

“Just sitting there empty?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Just sitting there empty,” she confirms.

We hold a shared gaze for a few seconds that feel like an hour, and then we’re out of there, Amber holding on to her crown for dear life as we tumble into the parking lot and I give Stefan an extra twenty to take a hike somewhere.

“This is a little cliché, don’t you think?” Amber says as she drops her heels on the floor of the car and helps me out of my jacket. “Quarterback and cheerleader doing it in a limo at a school dance?”

“They really do call you Loud McCloud for a reason, don’t they.”

She gives me an impish smile, sly and innocent all at the same time. “Why don’t you find out?”

I unbuckle my mammoth watch, leave it on top of the jacket, and turn around to see Amber’s already shed her dress. I am going to die. “What does a girl have to do to get a personal cheer?” I ask, my voice gone embarrassingly raspy.

“You seem pretty good with your playbook,” she says, pulling me down on top of her and pressing her mouth to mine. “Let’s see if you’ve got one more win in you.”

-The End-

*waves pom-poms*

Acknowledgments