Wanna Bet?

Cover

Wanna bet?

By R.S Burnett

Copyright 2013 R.S Burnett

License Notes
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then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
respecting the hard work of this author.

Everyone who emailed me and answered my
questions via twitter.

Dave for putting up me when I regularly
checked out of the real world to live inside my head, even though I
shouted at you a lot when you kept trying to talk to me, I love
you. I’m sorry.

My mum for letting me rant and rave and cry
and laugh whenever I felt like it, and for passing on your love of
a good book to me but please don’t read anything I write, it would
be like reading my diary or something. I’m sorry.

Most importantly, you, for reading this
book.

Much love and I hope you enjoy this book as
much as I enjoyed writing it.

I lower my head as I make
my way into the café avoiding the eyes of the other students. I
make my way over to my usual table in the corner noticing that
Sophie is already seated. I glance up and look around the room. I
know I don’t have to keep my head down to avoid conversation; no
one is really that interested in talking to me. I’m not typically
pretty and wear baggy clothes to cover my figure.

I sit down next to Sophie
and start picking at my lunch while she tells me all about the
party she’s headed to this weekend, I honestly can’t keep up with
her social life, she seems to go to a party every other night.
Sophie’s not the typical type of girl that I’d get along with but
as soon as we came here and were put in a dorm together we quickly
became close friends. She’s popular where I only have a few
friends, she’s loud to my quiet but she is also one of the most
caring people I have ever met, apart from her long term boyfriend
Matthew.

We are soon joined by one
of Sophie’s friends from the dance club and Matthews’s cousin
Tucker, they both sit on the opposite side of the table rather than
take the empty seats next to us which I appreciate.

“
Who’s your friend
Soph?”

I look up to see him
staring at me, knowing we have met many times before at parties but
he has always been pre-occupied with his entourage of girls. I roll
my eyes and return my attention back texting my mum trying to get
out of going down there this weekend.

“
Brooke. You two have met
before right?” Sophie asks me looking confused.

“
I’m not sure” I mutter not
looking up from my phone.

“
No I would definitely have
remembered you, I’m Tucker” I look up to see his hand
outstretched.

“
Pleasure, I’m sure” I say
shaking his hand briefly then turning my attention back to my
phone.

“
What’s going on, you’re
very occupied this afternoon” Sophie asks me trying to peak a look
at my phone.

“
Trying to get out of a
party tomorrow at my mums” I explain dropping my phone back into my
bag at my feet.

“
Is
he
going to be there?” she asks but
the concern on her face is quickly replaced by an adoring smile as
Matthew takes the seat next to her.

“
Hey baby, who’s
he
?” Matt asks her,
using the same emphasis and pulling the same face Sophie did
moments ago referring to our conversation.

“
He is no one” I quickly
put in before Soph can give away too much “And yes he most
definitely will be there” I add to Soph.

“
I can go with you if you
need me, you know that right” she whispers to me while Matt talks
to Tucker about their weekend plans.

“
I know but if I do go I’ll
ask Luke so it’s not a problem I know you have plans this weekend
anyway”

“
Hey, how come you never
come out with us lot?” Tucker asks me while staring at my chest
that is thankfully completely covered in the baggy hooded jumper
I’m wearing with my baggy jogging bottoms, It’s not that I’m
ashamed with my body it’s just that I hate men staring at it and
checking me out so blatantly.

“
I’m busy” Is all I offer
as an excuse, no need to explain that I only go out about once a
month.

I reach into my bag to get
my phone that’s just started ringing. I freeze when I see the name
on the screen, I snap my head up and start looking for an escape
knowing that there is no need but rational thought escapes me.
Tucker and Matthew are exchanging confused glances between staring
at me but Sophie reaches over takes the phone from me and answers
it smoothly. I faintly listen to her side of the conversation and
try to appear normal.

“
Hello” she smiles at me as
she chirps happily into the phone.

“
No, Brooke’s just popped
out a minute”

“
Of course I
can”

I catch her wincing and
know it’s not good. “Ok I’ll tell her, bye” she hands me back the
phone and doesn’t say anything else.

“
Thanks”

I jump when I feel to
strong hands cover my eyes from behind and almost fall out of
chair. “Guess who?” A husky voice whispers in my ear.

“
Luke!” I squeal and jump
up to wrap my arms around him, he swings me around laughing and a
settles me back on my feet with a kiss on the cheek, I sit back
down and he sits on the other side of me.

“
Missed me huh?” he smirks
at me.

“
When did you get back?” I
ask grinning before he has a chance to reply Sophie clears her
throat beside me.

“
Sorry” still grinning I
return my attention to the table “Tucker, Matt this is Luke. Luke,
Matthew: Sophs boyfriend and his cousin Tucker” I make the
introductions, Tucker looks surprised that I know he’s Matt’s
cousin and looks at me as if trying to remember if we have met
before. I smirk just as a very busty blonde comes over and sits
next to him; his attention is immediately on her.

“
Do you think Kate would
mind if I borrowed you for the day tomorrow?”

“
No why?” Luke asks while
helping himself to the burger on my plate.

“
I need you to play the
part of my very over protective boyfriend at my mums” I
explain.

He looks at me knowingly
and nods his acceptance.

“
Anything I should be
worried about?” I ask Sophie referring to the phone call she took
for me.

“
Just make sure you go to
the party” she says apologetically

“
Right I need to go, I’ll
catch up with you all later” I call as I leave to head towards my
next class.

“
So is he your boyfriend?”
I turn to see Tucker following beside me.

“
Who?” I feign confusion
just because I’ve been asked this question so many times
before.

“
Luke” he replies with an
exaggerated eye roll.

“
No”

“
Fuck buddy?” he asks
causing me to stumble

“
Friend” I say disgusted
that anyone could think I would just casually sleep with
anyone.

“
Mmm hmm” he mummers as if
in thought. I carry on walking and ignore him.

I’m completely aware that
he’s still walking next to me as we make our way across campus, not
because my body seems to be aware of him but because I can faintly
hear different people calling out greetings to him as we pass, I
put my head down and pick up my pace, not wanting anyone to notice
me, he catches up with me easily.

“
Is there a reason you are
here?” I snap at him, irritated that he hasn’t left me alone
yet.

“
I’m going to class” he
says as if stating the obvious. I throw a glare his was as he
follows me into the lecture hall. I make my way over to my usual
seat and pull out my notebook and pen, I huff dramatically when he
takes the vacant seat next to mine in the corner of my eye I can
see him smirking at me. I’m just about to make some sort of
sarcastic comment to him when my phone beeps beneath me, thankful
for the distraction I reach for it and look at the
screen.

Cassie: Who’s the hottie
sat next to you?

I turn in my seat to look
at where Cassie and two of her friends are giggling in the back,
she winks at me, I turn around disgusted at the child like behavior
coming from them and pass my phone to Tucker.

“
I have to say it normally
doesn’t take this long to get a girls number” he winks at me
grinning.

“
I’m assuming the message
is about you as there is no one else sitting next to me” I reply
begrudgingly, he reads the message and looks at me questioningly I
gesture to the back row with my head, he turns and seems amused as
he starts texting back and forth with the girls in the back.
“Please delete all the messages when you are finished”

“
Jealous?” he asks cocking
an eyebrow at me.

I roll my eyes at him
making him grin.

“
No I just like to keep my
dinner down if possible”

He flicks his eyes over my
body assessing and frowns before turning back to the texting. I
plug my iPod in and blank out the class as I wait for the lecture
to start, after about ten minutes I’m poked in the side I turn with
a restrained sigh and Tucker winks at me before standing and
leaving the class closely followed by Cassie, I sigh and shake my
head, wondering what is wrong with the world. The lecture finally
begins and I concentrate on taking notes and copying down quotes
from the studying material.