The Bad Boy and His Cheerleader

Chapter 3: Yep, I'm her boyfriend

Jordan’s POV

I was leaning by the food section with Ryker, halfway listening to him go on about some girl he’d been checking out, when that girl suddenly crashed into me.

My instinct kicked in when I caught her before she hit the ground.

And damn. She was fine.

Curves in all the right places, soft skin, the kind of body that made you forget your own name for a second. I tried to play it cool, but my eyes definitely lingered longer than they should’ve.

She mumbled an apology and rushed off toward the beach, and I was left standing there, smirking like an i***t.

Theo had asked us to meet him here earlier. He’s a good guy...quiet, kind of an outsider. Doesn’t hang out much with the jock or cheer crowd. That’s one of the reasons I like him. No drama.

A few minutes later, I spotted him walking toward us with a girl by his side. She was small, cute, wearing jean shorts and a red bikini top.

“Hey guys, this is my sister, Theresa,” Theo said, introducing her. “Theresa, these are the guys I was telling you about, Jordan and Ryker.”

“Hey,” she greeted, her voice light but polite.

“So…” Ryker grinned, “you got a boyfriend?”

Theo groaned and laughed. “I’m gonna get a drink. I can’t sit through this again.”

I shook my head, chuckling as I took a seat on a nearby bench. I scanned the area for a No Smoking sign...none in sight. So I lit a blunt and took a slow drag.

The air smelled like salt, sunscreen, and summer. It had been three years since I’d been back here, and even though I knew a few people would recognize me eventually, I wasn’t worried. Let them talk. I wasn’t here to impress anyone.

“Yo, Jay. Check it out,” Ryker said suddenly, nodding toward the food stalls.

I followed his gaze and froze.

Two girls.

Twins.

The same one who’d fallen into me earlier and her sister. They were walking this way, one holding a hotdog, the other a box of wings. Up close, they were even prettier.

The one with black hair waved, smiling like she already knew she had everyone’s attention. Ryker grinned and waved back before I could even react. She grabbed her sister’s arm and walked over.

“Hey, guys,” she said, her tone confident but friendly. “I’m Adrianna, and this is Arianna.” She nudged her sister, who was too busy eating her chicken to respond. Arianna glanced up, waved quickly, then went right back to her food.

“Hey, Theresa,” Arianna said a minute later, noticing Theo’s sister. “I haven’t seen you all summer. Were you on vacation?”

“No,” Theresa replied shyly. “Just buried in books, as usual.”

Adrianna looked at Ryker, her smile playful. “So what’s your name?”

“Call me whatever you want, baby,” Ryker said, flashing his trademark grin.

She snorted. “Can I call you asshole?”

He laughed. “Fair enough. It’s Ryker.”

Arianna finally looked over at me, her head tilted slightly. “You’re quiet,” she said, her tone curious. Then her gaze flicked to the blunt in my hand. “You know, smoking’s bad for you.”

I smirked. “You didn’t think about my lungs when you fell on me earlier.”

Her eyes widened. “I told you, my sister pushed me!”

“I know,” I said, leaning back lazily. “But maybe you just couldn’t resist getting close.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she sighed. “I apologized.”

“I’m not complaining,” I said, dropping the blunt and crushing it beneath my shoe. I pulled out a pack of mints, popped two into my mouth, and offered her one.

She hesitated—then took it.

Before either of us could say more, a tall blond guy in orange shorts walked up. No shirt, full confidence. The way his eyes locked on me told me everything I needed to know—this was the boyfriend.

He stopped right behind Arianna and wrapped his arm around her waist, all possessive and territorial.

I couldn’t help the low chuckle that escaped me.

“Babe, can I talk to you for a moment?” he said, his voice tight.

Arianna didn’t even look up from her food. “I’m eating. Can it wait?”

Ryker coughed to hide a laugh, and I bit back a smirk.

As the boyfriend stood there glaring, I caught Arianna’s eyes for a split second. There was something there—curiosity maybe. The kind that lingers.

She tilted her head slightly, like she wanted to ask me something. And then she did.

“So… where are you from?”

Her voice was lighter now, but the look in her eyes wasn’t casual. It was intrigued. Studying me, like she couldn’t quite place my features.

“Out of town,” I said simply.

“Mixed, right?” she asked, her tone more curious than cautious. “You look… different. Like—your eyes, your skin tone.”

“Yeah,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Dominican and Black.”

She nodded, looking almost too interested. “That’s… really nice.”

Her boyfriend tightened his grip around her waist. She didn’t move.

I grinned slightly, leaning forward just enough for him to notice. “You’ve got good taste,” I said quietly, then stood and stretched the pain in my back before sitting down.

"Don't you see us having a conversation and eating? You always try to kill the whole mood, don't you?" Adrianna said, shifting from beside her sister.

She slid into the seat next to Ryker and Theresa, unwrapping her hotdog while Ryker watched her with way too much interest.

"Alright, I’ll wait," Jake muttered, then nodded toward us. "Who are your friends?"

"That’s Ryker and…" Arianna glanced at me, her eyes meeting mine. "What’s your name?"

"Jordan," I said with a smirk.

She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips as her cheeks turned a little pink. Cute.

"This is Jake," she added, pointing behind her.

"Yep, I’m her boyfriend," he said, his tone stiff.

"Nobody cares," Ryker said with a short laugh.

Jake glared at him, then turned and walked off toward a group of guys.

"See? That’s why I don’t like him," Adrianna said, shaking her head. "He’s too good to be true. You didn’t even need to tell them he’s your boyfriend."

"You don’t like anyone," Arianna shot back.

"I like them, and I just met them," Adrianna said easily. "Ryker’s funny, and Jordan doesn’t talk too much. They don’t look like the typical prince charming type with their tattoos, but I like them better than your perfect boyfriend." She shrugged as if it were nothing.

"Adrianna, can I ask you something?" Ryker said.

"Shoot."

"You know Theo, right?"

"As in Theresa’s brother?" she asked, and he nodded. "Yeah, I know him."

"You play soccer?"

"Yes, I do," she said, smiling.

"Arianna, you’re a cheerleader, right? Captain?"

"Yes, I am. How did you know that?"

"Oh, so it’s you then," he said with a grin.

"Me then what?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"You’re the cheerleader. My source likes your sister and can’t stand your boyfriend," Ryker replied bluntly.

"Who’s your source?" Adrianna asked curiously.

"Do you kiss and tell?" he teased.

"No, but tell me anyway," she said with a grin.

"It’s Theodore. He likes you. Told you so," Arianna said quickly, her voice full of excitement.

Theresa snickered and shook her head.

"Is that true?" Adrianna asked Ryker.

"I can’t say," he replied, keeping his grin.

"It’s true," Theresa said.

"Oh, okay," Adrianna said softly, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

"So, you like him?" I asked.

She looked at me for a moment before nodding. "I do. He’s cute and nice and—oh, Theo, hi," she said, noticing him walking toward us.

"Hey," Theo greeted, handing Ryker, Theresa, and me each a can of Coke.

"We were just talking about you," Arianna said with a teasing smile.

"Were you? All good things, I hope," Theo said, sitting beside me on the bench. Arianna sat on my other side, and her leg brushed against mine.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

We sat there for about an hour, talking and laughing. They were cool—funny, relaxed, easy to be around. Adrianna went off about how much she hated Jake, and I chimed in here and there. Arianna kept stealing glances at me when she thought I wasn’t looking, smiling whenever our eyes met.

She was even prettier up close. Two deep dimples appeared whenever she smiled, and a small beauty mark rested above her left eyebrow. I was still watching her when I noticed her boyfriend standing a few yards away, glaring at me like I had committed a crime. I had to laugh quietly. What was this guy’s problem?

"Which one of your parents is Black?" Arianna asked suddenly.

"My father," I said.

"Your mom’s from a Spanish country?"

"How did you know?" I asked, curious.

She studied me for a second. "Your hair and eyelashes are thick and curly. Your eyebrows too. Your eyes are a really deep brown, and your skin is flawless. You just have a… warm look."

"Thanks," I said, amused. "And which of your parents is French?"

"My father. My mom’s mixed too. Her mother’s Black, her dad was white. She’s about your complexion, maybe a little darker."

"You get your curly hair from her?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Adri has the same hair, but she dyed and straightened it. Makes it easier to tell us apart."

"Her eyes are brown, yours are green with brown. She has one dimple, you have two. You’ve got a beauty mark above your eyebrow, she doesn’t. You’re taller, calmer, protective. She’s blunt, reckless, and fiery," I said.

She blinked, smiling. "You’re observant."

"Comes with the territory," I said with a grin.

"So, you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

"I don’t. Are you interested?" I teased.

"I have a boyfriend," she said quickly, looking down at her food.

"I know," I said. "A very dangerously toxic one."

She looked up, confused. "Why do you say that? You just met him."

"He’s insecure. Either he doesn’t trust you or he’s hiding something. When you introduced me, his body language said everything. And since you’ve been sitting here, he hasn’t stopped staring at me like he wants to fight."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You think you’ve got him all figured out already, huh?"

"I don’t have to think," I said, smiling. "I see things."

She laughed again, the sound light and natural.

"Your laugh is pretty," she said.

"Pretty? That sounds like an insult."

"No, I mean it’s soothing. It makes people feel comfortable. It’s a good laugh."

"Thanks," I said. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Christina. She wanted to meet up.

Arianna leaned closer, trying to peek at my phone. "And you said you don’t have a girlfriend?" she teased, laughing.

"She isn’t my girlfriend," I said, texting back.

She laughed harder when she saw my message:

To Christina: Sure. Wear something sexy and save me the time.

"Oh my God, you’re an ass," she said, shaking her head.

"It’s just casual," I said with a small shrug. "If I ever get into a relationship, it has to be with someone loyal. Someone who accepts everything I am and everything I do. I’m not ready for that right now."

"And what if you meet that person while you’re not ready?" she asked softly.

"Then I’ll probably be ready by then," I said.

"I’m gonna go get our stuff. It looks like your friends are leaving without telling us," Adrianna said, standing. She jogged off toward the beach and came back a few minutes later carrying two bags and a soccer ball.

"Jake left too?" Arianna asked.

"Dayna said they went to get food, but she’s not sure when they’ll be back," Adrianna said.

"And here comes Patrick," Arianna said with a groan.

Some guy with messy brown curls walked over. He was taller than Adrianna, good-looking in a clean-cut way, but his face gave away too much arrogance.

"Adrianna, can I talk to you for a bit?" he asked. She nodded and stepped aside with him.

"That’s Patrick?" I asked.

"The one and only," Theo said.

"Can’t see what she saw in him," I said.

Arianna folded her arms. "You know he used to bully Theresa? One time he dumped a bucket of green slime on her assignment and said, ‘Oh look, Frankenstein had a baby.’ He makes me sick."

I glanced back just in time to see Adrianna slap Patrick across the face. It echoed, loud and sharp. I laughed. The girl had a strong arm.

"You’re worrying about what I can’t get? Don’t forget how many of your friends are in my DMs begging for a chance. You should worry about what you lost, not what you think I can’t get. You can have any girl you want, but you still can’t fit a condom size past small. Screw you, Patrick," she said and walked away.

"We’re going to change," Arianna said, following her sister.

As they left, Ryker turned to Theo with a smirk. "So, Theo, do you wear a condom size past small?"

Theo laughed. "That’s a weird question, but I actually do, yeah."

They fist-bumped, both laughing like idiots.

After a while, the girls came back dressed in high-waisted denim shorts and white T-shirts.

"Did you guys drive here?" Arianna asked.

"We rode bikes," Ryker said.

"Can you give us a ride home? Please?" Adrianna asked.

"They rode here on motorcycles. I’m not going," Arianna said.

"Okay, fine. Walk then," Adrianna replied.

"I can’t walk," Arianna said, glaring.

"I’ll take you," I said.

"But you rode too," she pointed out, crossing her arms. She clearly forgot she wasn’t wearing a bra, which didn’t make focusing any easier.

"I’ll ride slow. That’s the only way you’re getting home."

"I can take a cab."

"Yeah, with the food money you already spent," Adrianna said.

"Fine," Arianna said with a sigh. "But promise I’ll make it home alive."

"I promise," I said. "Let’s go."

The ride took nearly thirty minutes, though it would have been half that if I were alone. When we reached her house, she loosened her grip and got off, handing me my helmet.

"So, can I get your number?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I don’t know if I’ll see you again, and I’d like to hang out sometime," she added quickly.

"Your boyfriend won't mind?" I asked.

"I am not doing anything wrong so I don't see why he should," She replied.

We exchanged numbers.

"I’ll see you around," I said.

"Thanks for the ride. And for keeping your promise," she said, smiling. "Text me when you get home safe."

I chuckled and started the engine. As I rode away, I couldn’t help but grin. I had a feeling this wasn’t the last time I’d see Arianna Monet.