Dare You to Date the Point Guard (Rock Valley High Book 2) Read online

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  He shrugged and picked up the pace a little. “Nah, it’s just me and my mom.”

  The silence that followed his statement made me cringe. Mason was so not the chatty type. If I was going to learn anything, I had to pry a little harder. I had twenty feet left and counting.

  “So...you and Polly Thompson, huh?”

  Not exactly the smoothest segue, but it got the job done.

  He wrinkled his nose. “We dated for a bit, but now we’re just friends.”

  “Really? How long were you together?”

  He winced and worked his jaw. “Technically, two years. We met at a summer camp after freshman year.”

  I raised my eyebrows. That was a long time to date someone. I’d be heartbroken, too, if I were him. “What was it? Some kind of cheerleader and athlete matchmaking camp?”

  He smirked. “That’s not actually a thing.”

  “Well, maybe it should be. Seems like cheerleaders and jocks always end up together. What was it, then?”

  “Is this some sort of interrogation?” He stopped short of the front door and glanced back at the bustling hospital. “Or do you always quiz the guys in your classes?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him my most innocent, wide-eyed smile. “I’m just trying to get to know you, Mason. I told you, you have potential.”

  “Yeah, we’ve established that.”

  His gaze took in my face and seemed to linger on my lips for just a second longer than anywhere else. It was nothing amazing or shocking, but for some reason, my body decided to respond like a human furnace. A flush worked its way up my chest and I was pretty sure I was radiating heat.

  “What kind of camp was it?” I asked again, desperate to stop whatever this reaction was.

  An exasperated sigh left his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his weight. “It was a camp for kids that have had cancer in their families. It’s supposed to help them deal with death and stuff.” He glanced at me with an unsure expression, as if he couldn’t believe he’d just told me that. “For the record, my mom forced me to go. Polly was the first friend I made.”

  The air went out of my lungs. Mason went to cancer camp? That was seriously dark.

  I knew that Polly had lost her dad to cancer in middle school. My parents had sent Beth and me to their house with a casserole after the funeral. I’d never seen anyone as sad as Polly and her two little sisters that day, huddling on the couch, their toys abandoned on the ground.

  The fact that Mason had lost someone close to him with cancer too was starting to make sense. His whole brooding thing was a product of loss. Was it his dad? I couldn’t imagine going through that.

  “That’s really crazy,” I said in a hushed voice. I wanted to know more, but it didn’t seem right to ask. Not here, in the middle of a doorway. “And then after all of that, you moved to the same school as her?”

  “That was just coincidence.” He looked at me with narrowed eyes, as if I were accusing him of being a stalker. “My mom got a job here at the hospital and that’s how it worked out.”

  Audrey had written a song about two people ending up together like that. She called it fate. Mason and Polly had met at camp, fallen in love, and somehow ended up at the same school together. The cheerleader and the point guard. Who could argue with that?

  For some reason, the discovery didn’t sit well with me. My stomach tightened and a sudden, nauseating taste filled my mouth.

  “But you guys broke up? What happened?”

  I couldn’t believe I’d gone there. Just after the guy practically told me he’d lost someone from cancer. It was stupid. It was mean. But for some reason, I couldn’t stop myself.

  Mason stuffed his hands in his pockets and his shoulders drooped. Looking up at the ceiling, he clicked his tongue and exhaled loudly.

  “If I answer this question, will you finally let me go home and stuff myself with Domino’s pizza?”

  I bit back a smile. He was trying to sound annoyed, but I could hear the humor in his voice.

  “Promise.”

  His gaze met mine again and I held my breath. “I guess I’ve been so focused on my basketball game lately that Polly felt like I didn’t spend enough time with her. But to be honest, I just didn’t fit in with her crowd. She wanted me to dress flashy. To be someone I wasn’t. And we fell apart. It wasn’t a big deal. Sometimes, in real life, the cheerleader and the jock don’t work out.”

  There it was. Somewhere between the cancer in his family and the breakup with Polly, I was sure Mason had picked up this growling, brooding attitude. Who could blame him? At that moment in time, all I could think of was wrapping him up in a hug and making him feel better.

  I didn’t — duh. That would’ve been weird. And obviously, I couldn’t trust my emotions. It was a well-known fact that I had a soft spot for the injured. Mandy and Audrey were constantly accusing me of feeling too much empathy.

  That had to be the reason Mason affected me so much. I’d picked up on his tragic past from a mile away. My heart had recognized his need before I even knew the whole story.

  “Thanks for telling me all that,” I said, rubbing my hands up and down my arms as a blustery cold blast shot through the sliding glass doors of the hospital.

  The right side of his mouth twitched in a smile. “I answered your questions. Am I allowed to leave now?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Thanks.” He rubbed a hand over his head and then pinned me with a thoughtful frown. “See you in class?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Better have your project picked by then.”

  “I will.” I ran my tongue over my lips, my mouth suddenly feeling parched.

  Truth was, I didn’t know what I was going to do for my Research Methods project. It would come to me soon though, I could feel it. Probably in the middle of a dream. That was when I got my best ideas.

  “Go donate some blood while you’re here,” Mason said, walking backwards out the door. His lips twitched in a smile. “And tell me how it goes on Monday.”

  I shook my head and laughed. “No way. If I faint, I’m not telling anyone.”

  “Boring!” he shouted back, almost to the curb. “I expect a full report.”

  My smile wouldn’t leave my face as I watched Mason turn and head toward the parking lot. He was a good sport about all of my questions. I’d unearthed a lot today. It was definitely progress.

  But the one area I had yet to progress in was Research Methods. Our project ideas were due on Monday and I had nothing. Without it, I’d never get into that art camp and my last chance to do something I loved would be lost forever.

  Inspiration had better come soon.

  Chapter Eight

  I couldn’t wipe this wide grin off my face. People were starting to stare at me in the halls. I was pretty sure it was because I hadn’t slept for more than four hours last night.

  As I’d suspected, the answer to all of my problems came to me in a dream. It was a fuzzy one that I was pretty sure involved a unicorn at one point and me flying over the mountains like Super Girl, but the thing I could remember most clearly was seeing Mason and Polly together. And Mason had the biggest, most sincere smile on his face. He looked happy. Genuinely happy.

  At that point, my brain started churning. I shot straight out of bed to scribble in the dream journal I kept on my nightstand. Ideas flowed from my fingers and onto the pages like water. I was on fire. I was brilliant. When six o’clock rolled around and my alarm went off, the adrenaline rush was just starting to wear off.

  By the time I marched into Research Methods class that afternoon, I had two energy drinks under my belt and a matcha protein cookie from Mandy’s secret stash. My body was practically buzzing. And when I plopped excitedly into the seat across from Mason, he shot me a concerned and grumpy expression.

  “You’ve got crazy eyes,” he said, rubbing his forehead.

  “Not crazy.” T
he words tumbled out of my mouth in a rush. “Just totally and fantastically excited because I’ve got an amazing project idea but it won’t work unless you agree to it.”

  His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “I didn’t catch a word of that. How do you talk that fast?”

  “It’s the caffeine. I needed the energy.”

  “You on caffeine is scary. I’m pretty sure you’re going to explode into a billion pieces of glitter or something. You’re a walking hazard. The whole town should be evacuated.”

  I shot him an even wider smile and tossed my notebook on the table. As I leafed through the pages, I didn’t miss the teasing smirk he directed my way. Nothing he said at this moment could dampen my enthusiasm. Ignoring him, I found what I was looking for and then turned the notebook for him to see.

  “This is going to be my project,” I said, stabbing the page with my index finger.

  He squinted at it, his lips forming a frown. “Project Happiness?”

  “Yep.” I bit back an excited smile. “I got the idea from a Harvard study that said how happy we are depends on our relationships to the people around us. The stronger our relationships with friends and loved ones, the happier we are. Makes sense, right?”

  “Yeah.” He crossed his arms over his striped blue sweater and shot me a look. “I guess so.”

  “So, I’ve decided that I’m going to put together a prototype of a research project that would study teenagers and their relationships with those around them. See what it takes to increase their happiness. There’s no way I could do it on a grand scale, but I figure I could do a test run with a single subject to show the panel how it works.”

  Mason nodded his head and hummed. It thrilled me to see that he hadn’t rejected it yet. “Sounds a lot more impressive than my idea to improve free-throw accuracy on the court. Who’s going to be your test subject?”

  I drummed my fingers together like an evil villain in a cartoon and grinned. Excitement coursed through my veins.

  “I’m looking at him.”

  There was a long pause that followed my declaration. For a moment, Mason just looked confused. But then, understanding seemed to enter his eyes and he waved his hands in front of his chest.

  “What? No way.”

  “Come on!” I slid off my seat and rounded the table toward him. His dark eyes followed me suspiciously. “You’re the perfect subject for this. It has to be you.”

  “Why?” He crossed his arms and his frown deepened. “Why can’t you just ask one of your friends?”

  “Because, neither of them have recently broken up.”

  Disbelief washed over his face and his hands fell to his sides. “Wait — what does that have to do with anything?”

  I shook my head, smiling softly. He didn’t know it yet, but this was going to benefit both of us. Not only did it give me the perfect research project, but I would also get to help him get back with his ex. It was all in my notes and part of the brilliant plan I’d concocted last night.

  “I need to study how your relationship affects your happiness,” I explained slowly. Mason was giving me a look that said I might spook him off if I spoke too quickly. Now was not the time to screw it up. “We’ll do some assessments on your current level and then once you’re back with Polly, we’ll see how much happier you are. It’s easy.”

  “Easy?” He was looking at me as if I’d gone crazy. “Did you forget the part where she dumped me? We didn’t work, Trina.”

  “But what if I could change that?” I slid into the seat next to him and gestured with my hands. “You said she didn’t feel like you tried hard enough. Like you didn’t want to be around her. I could help you change that. I know what girls like Polly want. Just give me a couple weeks and I know she’d give you a second chance. You’ll be a new man.”

  The outrage in his eyes dissolved into confusion. He tilted his head and looked into my face, hesitation written in the lines around his mouth. “Is that what you really want, Trina? To get me back with my ex?”

  “Yes. Definitely.” I swallowed down the strange acidic taste that had filled my mouth and ignored the twinge of pain in my gut. “And to ace this class. If you agree to help, I just know I’m going to rock it.”

  Hopefully I didn’t sound too desperate, but in all reality, my entire plan was hinging on him. There was no plan B. And there was definitely no way I was going to miss that art camp this summer. Mason had to say yes. He was miserable without Polly, that much was clear. If only he’d let someone help him, I knew he’d be happy again. And that someone was me.

  “Trina, I don’t want to be your guinea pig.” He pushed my notebook across the table, as if it disgusted him. His gaze trailed it and he took a deep breath, all the while avoiding my eye contact. Finally, after a long moment of silence in which I thought my heart would explode, he looked over at me and his shoulders drooped. “But I guess if you need to do this to pass, I have no other choice.”

  A mini squeal burst from my lips as I bounced in my chair. He shot me a disgruntled look, but I couldn’t contain myself, not even for him.

  “I’m only going to do it on one condition,” he added, holding up a finger.

  “What is it? I’ll do anything.”

  He could’ve asked for me to do his homework for the rest of the year and I would’ve said yes. Anything would be worth nailing this class project and seeing Mason happy. Despite his outward appearance, he was a good guy and he deserved that.

  “If I’m going to do this, then you’re going to finish your senior class sculpture for Savannah.”

  It felt like he’d spilled a glass of cold water over my head. I slumped in the chair, suddenly wishing I had another Red Bull handy. Who would’ve known he’d ask for the impossible?

  “I’m seriously trying,” I said, pouting out my lower lip, “but between the AP classes I’m taking this semester and everything else, I just don’t know if I have the time.”

  That might have been another reason I’d had trouble sleeping last night. I’d come to the reluctant conclusion that I might have to give Savannah my notice. She wasn’t going to be happy. Heck, I was already miserable at the idea. But the senior class deserved an amazing sculpture and I just wasn’t going to be able to deliver if I couldn’t find any extra time in the day. Twenty-four hours just wasn’t enough.

  “You can if you do it during Research Methods.” Mason glanced over his shoulder at the librarian. Sure enough, his chin rested on his chest, his eyelids sealed shut in sleep. “Mr. Arnold won’t even notice we’re gone.”

  My spine straightened and I stared at Mason with wide eyes. Did he mean what I thought he meant?

  “We?”

  “Well, yeah.” He made a face. “I don’t think you’re going to get that done in time on your own. And I happen to have recently become very interested in the fine art of welding. In fact, I might even want to weld my own sculpture after this. I’m thinking my mom would like something for our front yard.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. “Really?”

  His eyes darkened with humor. “No, Trina. I was making things up again. You know, you really have to get better about not believing everything people say. Not everyone is as pure-hearted as you.”

  My cheeks warmed and I forced out a laugh. Again, with the pure thing. But this time, it didn’t feel like an insult. If anything, the soft way he’d said it made it feel like he was trying to compliment me, in his own weird way. And the longer Mason stared at me, his eyes searching my face, the more my face burned.

  “Are you serious about helping or are you still joking?” I asked. “It’s getting too hard for me to tell the difference.”

  He frowned. “Deadly serious. We’re getting this done, whether you like it or not.”

  My heart warmed at the thought of Mason helping me get this project done. It was sweet of him. He really didn’t have to help. Anyone else would’ve just left it alone. I couldn’t help wondering why Mason would do something like that.

  “Wh
y would you want to help me with my sculpture if you don’t care about welding?” I asked quietly.

  The left side of his mouth quirked. “Trina Frye, the senior class wouldn’t have picked you to do the sculpture if you didn’t have potential. I’m just helping you fulfill your high school destiny.”

  I snorted. “So now I’m the one with potential?”

  “Definitely,” he shot back, arching an eyebrow. “So if I do this — if I agree to try and get back with my ex — you have to agree to finish your sculpture in time. Agreed?”

  That was an arrangement I could agree to. With Mason’s help, I’d have it done in no time. Bonus points: Savannah wouldn’t want to have me assassinated. Add in the fact that I’d be helping Mason find his own happiness, there wasn’t a way I could lose in this situation. Everything was working out perfectly.

  My dream self was a total genius.

  “Agreed!” I squirmed happily in my chair and held a hand out for him to shake.

  He rolled his eyes, but reached out his hand to grab mine. The moment our hands touched, a thrilling sensation shot up my arm. It felt like the time I’d tried to plug in my hair dryer and got a shock instead, but this didn’t hurt. If anything, it felt good. I inhaled sharply and held my breath, hoping he hadn’t noticed my strange behavior.

  “I think I’m going to regret this,” he muttered, his large hand enveloping mine in a hand shake.

  A nervous giggle escaped my mouth and I pulled my hand out of his as fast as I could. It was still tingling.

  “Not a chance.” I grabbed my notebook from the table and wrinkled my nose at him. “You’re going to be the happiest guinea pig on the planet, Mason. I promise.”

  Despite the dark look he threw me, I knew he was happy. Or at least, on the verge of being happy.

  It wouldn’t take him long to work his way back into Polly’s heart. With a little feminine help, Mason was going to be the best boyfriend Polly could ever ask for. It wouldn’t take long.