Page 11 of Crash Course

“You’re right. I do like numbers.” I pause. “Like six-forty. The horsepower of a Porsche 911 Turbo.”

Jameson opens his mouth, but I speak first, rattling off specs I know by heart.

“Two-point-five seconds. That’s how long it takes to get from zero to a hundred.”

I’d never talk this much about myself, but quoting car stats in front of the class feels easier.

“Last but not least, six inches.”

I’m on a roll now. Everyone’s watching but a freight train couldn’t stop me.

“The maximum ground clearance. Although I’d say yours is…” I hold up my hand, eyeing the distance between my spread fingers. “Smaller.”

The classroom erupts with hollers and gasps.

“Enough!” Professor Vogel shoots us both a look and returns to her lecture.

Jameson stares holes in me for the rest of the hour.

When class wraps up, Jameson is out the door first, flanked by his posse.

Theo walks over to my row. “Were you waiting for the right moment to call my brother’s dick tiny?”

“No,” I admit. “It just happened.”

His eyes crinkle. “Well, it was the most entertaining class in recent memory. Thank you.”

He disappears out the door after his friends.

“That was legendary,” Megan crows.

“It’s going to come back to bite you.” Zane’s checking his phone with one ear on our conversation.

Raj shakes his head. “Are you afraid of anything?”

“Spiders. Terrified.” I don’t have to fake the shudder.

For my eighth birthday, I wanted to spend the entire weekend in the garage in a tent with my stuffed animals. I woke up with a spider on my face and screamed so loud my dad thought I’d lost a limb.

Megan packs up the pink notebook and pens into her Ashford bag. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Sleeping.” My body aches from the accident and all my shifts. Dad has the night off, which means no one’s expecting a mechanic at the garage. I’m planning a scalding hot shower, to rest my injured hand, and face-plant into my bed for at least ten hours. It’ll be heaven.

“Incorrect. The Ashfords are having a party. It’s Theo’s birthday and Luca’s out of town.”

“I doubt I’m invited.”

“The whole school is invited. It’ll be a bigger deal if you don’t go. Especially given how Theo keeps looking at you,” she continues.

A ripple of awareness hits me as I shoulder my bag. Given the choice between drinking and smoking pot and flirting with cliquey assholes, I’d rather be under a car. Still, part of me is curious.

“Don’t you want to check out the Ashfords’ mansion?” Megan dangles the possibility in front of me.

A party is objectively a bad idea, especially after the scene I caused in class. I need to fly under the radar. Get my education and get out. But maybe if I go, Theo Ashford will be there, sexy grin and all.

And that just might be worth losing sleep over.

Choosing clothes for the party is harder than I expected. Theo Ashford spends his summers on European beaches with models. I’m way out of my depth.