High School Hero (Forest Ridge High Book 1) Read online

  High School Hero

  By Sherri Renee

  High School Hero

  By Sherri Renee

  Copyright © 2018 Sherri Renee. All right reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, locations and events in this book are either fictitious or used fictitiously. Any similarities to real persons either living or deceased, locations or events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 1

  Some girls cried. Others broke things. I, Kristen McDonald, cleaned when I was mad or upset. Which accounted for the lemony fresh scent that permeated the entire bedroom and crept out into the hall. My room was a girly combination of light pink, light green, and crisp white, and I loved every inch of it. I swiped my hair off my face with the back of my hand and surveyed my work.

  I’d already dusted almost every surface in my room but had saved the collection of perfume bottles that filled the corner of my dresser for last. I choose perfume based on fragrance, of course, but if it came down to two and one happened to be bottled in an awesome container that’s the one that would be coming home with me. I lifted a bottle shaped like a diamond, swiped underneath with the blue cloth I was using then slammed it back down before reaching for the next one.

  If George Masterson wanted to date a bubbly, overenthusiastic sophomore, that was up to him. The fact that he was still “officially” my boyfriend was the only part that ticked me off. This was my year. I was a senior at Forest Ridge High, head cheerleader dating the star quarterback. Everything was supposed to be perfect.

  I slammed another bottle down just a little too hard this time and the entire thing shattered in my hand. “Argh!” A sliver of glass sliced my palm leaving an instant beading of blood. I didn’t think the cut was too bad, but it stung. “Crud!”

  “Everything all right up there, honey?” Dad called from downstairs. I could picture him sitting on the couch with the news on TV and his head stuck behind a newspaper. It was a wonder he even heard me.

  “Fine, Dad.”

  I mopped up the perfume and glass with my dusting rag and dropped the whole mess in the trash. I stomped to the bathroom holding my wrist and rinsed my hand under a stream of cool water. As I’d thought, the cut wasn’t deep just annoying so I patted it dry and stuck a bandage on it. I added this to the list of strikes against George. Not that making out with another girl wasn’t a doozy in itself.

  We’d had a good thing going. The perfect couple, everyone loved us. The votes for homecoming king and queen were almost guaranteed, but oh, no! George had to follow his male body part where it led, and from what I’d heard about Misty Holly it had led straight to “easy.”

  I looked up and caught my own eyes, burning with anger, in the mirror. Brown shot through with flecks of gold rimmed with naturally dark, long lashes. My nose just started to turn up at the end. Not too much where you could stare down my nostrils or anything gross. Just enough to earn me the label of “cute” every time.

  My hair almost matched my eyes. Brown with golden strands highlighting it. I knew I wasn’t supermodel gorgeous or even as pretty as my best friend Michelle, but what I had worked just fine. Misty Holly was pretty in a more painted and obvious sort of way, but I knew her looks weren’t why George had gone sniffing after her.

  And boy did I sound snippy. I decided to blame that on George too.

  I trudged back to my room. George and I had an understanding. At least I thought we did. Our school didn’t vote for the prom king and queen individually but as a couple. We’d planned to capitalize on our combined popularity to make everyone love, or at least envy, us and secure the crowns at prom. George wanted the title, along with the included scholarship, just as much as I did.

  Where on earth could I find another “perfect” boyfriend to help maintain my popularity once George and I broke up so I could still win prom queen and ensure this was still the best year of my life?

  Music filled with entirely too much bass thumped from the street below. I squeezed my eyes shut as the offensive noise twanged on my last nerve. Matt Brady had been a thorn in my side since the day his family moved in next door two months ago.

  He was a senior like me, but we didn’t have any classes together. I barely knew the guy, but what I did know was annoying as all get out. He walked down the halls with a swagger that said he was too cool for anyone, and he dressed like he was the angst-filled star of a 50’s teen movie complete with the fitted t-shirt, loose jeans, and black leather jacket.

  Which was almost funny since his parents were clean cut, upstanding citizens. From what I’d heard, his dad was some kind of lawyer and his mom worked at a doctor’s office. I didn’t know if he really thought his thuggish look was a good one or if he dressed and acted the way he did to tick off his parents. The fact that the look really worked for him was something I would never admit to anyone and was beside the point as far as I was concerned.

  The music finally stopped vibrating the pictures on my walls when Matt turned off his car. I eased back my frilly lace curtain with one finger and peeked out the window. Matt was parked in the driveway next door. After a minute he got out of his car then stretched with one arm in the air, the other behind his head. His black t-shirt rose just enough to let his six-pack abs peek through.

  My face heated as I stared at that bare strip of skin and wondered what he looked like without a shirt. Pretty darn good, I decided, unconsciously nibbling my lower lip. He would look really, really good without a shirt. As a matter of fact, there should be a rule that he never wore a shirt again. My lips curved into a slow smile at the thought.

  His shirt fell back into place covering those amazing abs when he lowered his arms. I let out a disappointed sigh. Looking away from his stomach my eyes roamed up his broad chest, landing on his face. He was staring straight at me. He smirked when he caught my eye and jerked his head in his typical head-tilt nod. My entire body froze. I could feel my appreciative smile morph into a small “o” of dismay.

  Forcing myself to move, I swished the curtains back into place and spun away from the window looking for a place to hide. I ended up plastered against the wall next to the window so he couldn’t see my shadow.

  “No. No. No. No,” I chanted, pressing my palms to my burning forehead. How utterly humiliating. How could I have let him catch me watching him? My breaths came fast and my heart knocked around in my ribs like I’d just run a mile. Stupid!

  I lightly pounded my head back against the wall. Now he would be even more insufferable than before! Every other girl in school—including most of the female teachers—already fawned all over him. The last thing I wanted to d
o was add my name to his fan club.

  But, the fact that all the girls were in love with him gave him an instant degree of popularity. That thought sprang out of nowhere, and I nibbled my lip some more. I tilted my head to the side as an idea unfurled.

  If I could convince him to act like we were dating, at least until after prom, there was a very good chance I could still walk away with the crown even without my cheating-dog-of-an-ex-boyfriend, George.

  At the thought, my heart, which had just started to calm down kicked its beat back up a notch. Could I do it? Would he go along with a plan like that simply because I asked?

  I carefully pushed the curtain aside with one finger before peeking back through the opening. Matt was still there staring up at my window. No! He gave me a cocky wave and a smug grin before turning and jogging up the steps to his front door before going inside.

  I stood frozen in the window this time. There was no sense trying to hide now. I was simply going to stand there and die from mortification. Or kill him for being so cocky. Either choice was as likely as the other. My knees started feeling rubbery, and I plopped down on the floor with my legs straight out in front of me.

  That boy was absolutely irritating!

  There was no way I could involve myself with someone like Matt. I clenched the shagging lime green throw rug in my fists. Doing that would be like playing with fire. I knew good and well that when you played with fire someone got burned. I wasn’t taking a chance on that someone being me.

  Chapter 2

  “Hey, sexy.”

  His low voice was a caress against my cheek. I recognized it instantly and felt myself shudder. I spun from my locker with a stack of books pressed against my chest like a shield. My cheeks flamed when I found Matt hadn’t moved back when I turned, and we were now almost nose to nose.

  Locker doors clanked up and down the hall as students grabbed the books they needed for class. The volume was at its typical low roar with a combination of everything from low whispers to a short female scream followed by a ripple of laughter coming from the sophomore section. Just another day at Forest Ridge High. Well, other than the fact that the hottest guy in school was well within my personal space.

  His dark almost black hair showed hints of brown where the light hit it. It was perfectly tousled in an I-don’t-care-that-I’m-gorgeous kind of way. I couldn’t decide if it was the result of careful styling or if he was naturally blessed with beauty. He leaned one hand on the locker beside my head and fixed his slow lazy smile on me, revealing the sexiest dimple in his cheek.

  I sucked in a breath and pulled my books tighter against my chest. What on earth was he doing? He bent his head even closer while I simply blinked at him. He was going to kiss me!

  Rather than give him the tongue lashing he fully deserved or walking away without a word and leaving him standing, my traitorous eyes fluttered shut and my tongue darted over my lips, eagerly awaiting his touch.

  Only nothing happened. The hall grew quiet and the last few lockers slammed as the warning bell rang for class. I opened my eyes a crack, and there he was, still inches from my face, silently watching me.

  His dark brown eyes searched mine without a hint of their usual cockiness before he reached up and smoothed a strand of hair off my cheek leaving a trail of tingles where his fingers met my skin. My breath caught in my throat at the unexpectedly gentle gesture. I clung to my books, thankful to have them because without them I was pretty sure I would be pulling him closer right now.

  “What are you doing?” My voice came out as a breathless whisper.

  Matt’s eyes lit, and he leaned in even closer. “Letting you get a closer look.” His sexy voice rasped against my ears, and it took a second to comprehend his words. When I did I frowned and tilted my head in question.

  “What?” I choked out.

  “Last night you almost fell out of your window staring at me, so here I am.” He moved back far enough to wave his free hand down his body like a game show host announcing a prize. “You can look to your heart’s content.” He grinned. “I don’t mind a bit.”

  Blood sizzled under my skin. How dare he call me on that? He was looking too, or he wouldn’t have seen me looking. “Don’t flatter yourself,” I snapped, regaining my senses. “I just wanted to see what fool had his music so loud it made the windows rattle in my house.”

  He smirked and leaned back in. I pressed myself harder against the lockers, trying to put more space between us. Oh, my. He was going to kiss me. My heart fluttered, and I licked my dry lips again.

  “You’re going to be late.” His voice was so low and tender I almost missed the words.

  “What?” I asked for the second time in less than a minute. I blinked at him as what he said sunk in. “Oh. Oh!” I pushed away from the locker and brushed past him, my mind spinning with desire and confusion.

  “Mr. Thicke,” I called over my shoulder to explain my rush since everyone knew the Calculus teacher, Mr. Thicke, locked his door as soon as the bell rang and didn’t let latecomers in. I sure didn’t need Matt to think I was running from him. Even if I was.

  Matt stood with his hand still resting on my locker and tilted his chin up in reply. His look wasn’t cocky or arrogant this time. It was curious, probing. Instead of racing for class my feet slowed as I watched him over my shoulder.

  I could miss calculus this one time. Math came easy to me. I could go back and talk to Matt—find out what he was really up to—and borrow calculus notes from Michelle tonight.

  It was a tempting thought. So tempting I turned and ended up running to class, slipping in the door just before the bell rang. What was I thinking? Matt was a jerk. A really sexy jerk with an appealing bad boy image, but a jerk just the same. I needed to get my mind off my neighbor and focus on a solid plan for ensuring the crown at prom. That was top priority, and Matt was not it.

  George smiled from the far side of the room and patted the seat beside him where I usually sat. His short blond hair was damp from the shower I knew he took after practice and was perfectly combed to the side as usual. He wore a light blue golf shirt with his khakis, and his letter jacket rested over the back of his chair. He looked good as always but knowing what he’d done took the shine off for me.

  Was he kidding? Did he really think I hadn’t heard about him and his new “friend?” I shook my head with a cold look, enjoying his confused frown as I walked to an empty desk in the back of the class without another look his direction.

  Michelle quickly moved from her desk to the empty one beside her. “Hey! What are you doing back here?” she asked, her green eyes wide with curiosity.

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard.”

  “Guess not.” Michelle scooted her books to the side, pushing her dark curls off her face. “Spill.” She leaned in, eager for the newest gossip.

  “Rumor has it George was seen making out with Misty Holly.” I tried to keep the anger and jealousy out of my tone, but I wasn’t altogether successful.

  “The sophomore with the body of a porn star?” Michelle squeaked loud enough to have heads turning our direction.

  I looked around until everyone turned back to what they were doing. “That’s kind of mean, but yeah, her.” I fiddled with my pencil.

  “What about you? And prom?” Michelle’s voice rose as she realized the ramifications of me and George breaking up this close to prom. She knew prom queen had been my goal for the past three years.

  “He is not getting away with this. The jerk!” Michelle glared at the back of his head then jumped up with her fists balled at her side. Her books slid to the floor with a crash.

  “Ms. Morris, is there a problem?” Mr. Thicke raised a brow from the front of the class and waited for her reply. It was only first period and his black pants already sported more chalk than the chalkboard.

  “Um, no, sir.” Michelle gathered her books and slunk back into her seat.

  I couldn’t help but grin, wondering what Michelle would have said to Georg
e if Mr. Thicke hadn’t stopped her. Michelle was the queen of comebacks and quick replies. A skill I would forever envy.

  “Good,” he said drily. “Everyone take out your homework and pass it to the front, please.”

  Papers shuffled, and I dug through my notebook to find my carefully completed assignment. But my mind wasn’t on math. All I could think about was Matt.

  My cheeks burned again as I remembered how I’d closed my eyes waiting for a kiss that hadn’t come. Oh, my goodness. What was I thinking? How desperate could I have possibly looked?

  Maybe he didn’t notice. I passed my paper forward and frowned. There was no way he didn’t notice my reaction to him. I guess I was lucky he hadn’t called me on it and embarrassed me any more than he had. I gave him plenty of material to work with.

  What was he doing at my locker, though? I certainly wasn’t the first girl he’d caught staring at him.

  Mr. Thicke started explaining the new material. The chalk clacked against the board as he wrote out a sample problem. I tried to follow along, but my thoughts kept going back to Matt. He was too attractive for his own good, and he knew it.

  I didn’t like to think I was as susceptible to his looks and attitude as the rest of the girls at school, but apparently I was. Too bad there wasn’t some kind of defense against it. A special pair of glasses that made him look like a frog would be a good start. I bit my lip. I’d have to do something about that sexy voice of his too if I wanted to be totally immune.

  I fielded worried looks from Michelle and a couple of confused ones from George. It was funny, but I was so focused on Matt and what him showing up at my locker meant I wasn’t even mad about George cheating on me anymore.

  Oh, I’d still make him pay. I tapped my eraser on the desk with a dull steady thud. That was only fair. But I realized my feelings for him must have been pretty shallow because I felt nothing now. No pain. No anger. And thankfully no desire to try to work things out. As far as I was concerned, we were done.

  George clung to his popularity just as tightly as I did. The best way to get to him would be to make sure he wasn’t elected prom king. I nibbled on my lower lip as plans for revenge flew through my mind. I needed to find someone who I could make more popular than George in less than a month.