Rebound Kiss (Sweet N' Sour Kisses: Episode 3)

By Cindy M. Hogan

Brooklyn has become a social outcast at school thanks to Luke, who spent his entire weekend playing the victim and spreading rumors. And there’s nothing worse than Luke’s brand of justice. With no other way to escape her torn up, lonely life, she accepts an invitation to her cousin’s birthday party. The truth is, attending a party thrown by someone she doesn’t get along with is better than sitting home alone. The highlight of the party is meeting Riley, a boy who’s sweeter than the plate of sugar cookies he arrives with. After everything Brooklyn has been through, it seems that karma is finally on her side, but she soon learns that nothing is ever simple in the dating world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cindy M. Hogan
• Release date: Sep 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301935116

Cindy M. Hogan

Cindy M Hogan graduated from BYU with a B.A. in education. She is inspired by the unpredictable teenagers she teaches. She loves the outdoors and spending time with her husband and two daughters. Most of all, she loves to laugh.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Monday morning, the alarm on my phone sounded, and I couldn’t even bring myself to grab it and turn it off. I pulled the covers over my head, buried my face in the pillow, and tried to fight back the sense of nausea flooding my stomach. I closed my eyes tightly and willed myself to go back to sleep and forget about school, and Luke, and what I would have to face that day. The alarm sang distantly, growing louder with each loop through one of my favorite songs, but I clung to the false hope that I could ignore it and just go back to dreamland.

Brooke? Brooklyn? Hannah called quietly from behind my closed door. Um, your alarm’s going off.

I grunted something incoherent and waited for her to go away.

My door creaked open, and I heard her cross the room and pick up my phone. A moment later, the song stopped. Quiet footsteps drew closer, and the bed sank down as Hannah sat beside me and put her arm on my shoulder. She leaned over and in one swift motion pulled the blankets off my head and whispered hotly in my ear, I vant to suck your blood!

I barked out a laugh and sat bold upright, shoving her lightly as I did.

You are so weird, Hannah, I said, wiping my ear and giving her my best grossed-out face. The nausea subsided a little at the sight of my sister playfully baring her teeth like fangs in her best interpretation of a smarmy vampire.

That’s why you like me, she said, stifling a yawn. Are you going to come up for breakfast? Mom made waffles, and she made me get up to eat them with you, so you better drag your sorry butt out of bed. She wiped sleep from her eyes.

I raised my eyebrows. Mom made waffles? She must be really worried about me. My mom’s waffles were an intense affair, made completely from scratch. She grinds the flour, separates the eggs, folds each ingredient in at just exactly the right time—everything has to be done by hand. It’s an old family recipe, and she never lets herself take any shortcuts when making it. We normally have waffles about twice a year.

Well, you did spend the entire weekend in your bedroom. I can’t believe you didn’t even come with us to Timpanogos Cave on Saturday.

I sighed and pulled my knees up into a hug. I don’t want to go anywhere. Especially not school. I let my head sink down onto my knees.

Come on, Brooke, you can do it! She shook my leg, bouncing my head so much that I had to lift it off my knees and look her in the eye. Seriously. What’s the worst that could happen?

No one will talk to me.

"No one will talk to you? That’s ridiculous. You’ve got tons of friends. They’re not going to abandon you just because Luke is spreading stupid lies about you. You’ll see. Your friends will be there. She smiled at me and pulled my arm. Now get up. I want those waffles."

Half an hour later I was pulling into the school parking lot, my ‘93 Nissan Altima making a loud whining noise that made me slink down in the faded driver’s seat. My dad said it was the timing belt or something and that it would be fine until we could get it checked out, even though I had begged him to take it to the mechanic today and let me take the Honda instead.

He’d beamed at me and said, Atta girl! I’m glad to see you taking car maintenance seriously. But don’t worry, Brooke, it’s not an urgent issue. We’ll get it taken care of soon. He winked at me and patted my shoulder, completely missing my grimace as he walked away.

Swim team wasn’t practicing today because the pool had some chemical issue. It was too bad, because if I could have come earlier there would be fewer people to watch my embarrassing entrance. If only Ali didn’t have that stylist internship interview today. I could have caught a ride with her. What Luke was probably saying about me right now was bad enough. Showing up in this twenty-year-old beater just added insult to injury. I found a parking spot as quickly as possible, just to stop the obnoxious screech of my engine, and turned the key. The car’s perpetual smell of gasoline wafted up at me, and I scowled. I caught a glance of myself in the side view mirror. Ugh! I looked miserable.

Get it together! I thought fiercely at my reflection. You look like a freaking zombie. I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. Hannah was right—my friends would be there for me. I just needed to attempt to be dignified—act like it never happened. It was going to be okay. I took another deep breath and tried a smile. It came out a bit like a grimace, but it was the best I could manage. I shoved my shoulder into the door—if you didn’t body slam it, it wouldn’t open—and practically fell out onto the pavement. So much for my dignified return.

I glanced around, but it seemed no one had noticed. Thank goodness for small mercies. I said a little prayer as I walked through the parking lot that I would be strong enough to make it through the day. I figured praying for the whole thing to disappear was a bit too optimistic.

I pulled hard on the door leading to the commons, the huge main entryway to the school, and the smell, wood, metal, and paint accosted me. It took me a split second to remember that construction had started over the weekend, and for a brief moment I thought I’d been granted a reprieve—that students would have to hole up somewhere else while the work was being done. But that hope was soon shattered. As I took a step in and my eyes adjusted to the gloom indoors, I saw dozens of kids fitting themselves in around the tall wooden barriers, and they were all staring at me.

I grasped tightly to the straps of my backpack and started walking, looking around for a friendly face. As I passed, the people staring smirked, whispered, and laughed. Some even pointed. I tried to act like I didn’t notice. I spotted Parker and Mike, who I usually hung out with in the morning, looking toward me. I raised my hand in a small wave and was stunned as I watched them turn hastily around and walk away. My jaw dropped slightly. Well, they were popular; I guess they didn’t want me to bring down their reputation.

I drew a sharp