Kissing the Skater Boy

It all started at our small private school, Hidden Shores Academy, on the first day. The new kid was texting as he came down the stairs. His longboard slipped out of his fingers, smacking me right in the face.

His first reaction should have been to check if I was okay, but no, his gut instinct told him to check and see how his precious board survived the attack.

Of course, he ended up in almost all my classes.

No matter what I do, he keeps finding ways to talk to me.

But I’m not interested in him. I’m trying to stay focused on my position as head editor of my high school’s newspaper.

I have dreams to chase. I’m applying for a Journalism scholarship. I don’t have time for a know-it-all boy like Justin.

Besides, I had a boyfriend before. It didn’t end well.

The last thing I want is more drama, and I can tell by the smug grin on the skater boy’s face that he’s full of it.

He may be my worst enemy, but there’s something about the way he hasn’t given up on me that makes me wonder if he’s not that bad after all.

Chapter 1
McKayla

It was just my luck when a skateboard fell out of nowhere and smacked me in the face. Books flew from my arms, scattering and rolling down the stairs ahead of me. My head throbbed with pain, and blood dripped from my nose. Through blurred vision, I saw a guy with wavy brown hair hurrying down the stairs, but instead of coming to my rescue, he stepped past me.
He snatched up the skateboard and clutched it with a pained expression. “Aw man, I got a scratch on my new board.”
I fought the urge to kick him down the stairs. The punk had thrown his skateboard at me and didn’t care how I survived the attack. “Do you usually drop your skateboard on innocent bystanders trying to get to class?”
He looked up at me and gasped, noticing me for the first time. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“If it wasn’t for you and your stupid skateboard, I’d be fine.” Okay, so maybe that was a little harsh, but he seriously needed to be more careful.
“Technically, it’s a longboard. There’s a big difference. It has bigger wheels, and it’s better for going down hills.” He smirked. “Get your facts straight.”
Something about the smug look on his face enraged me. He was taunting me. “I’m so sorry if I offended you,” I replied sarcastically, searching for a tissue to stop the blood from running. “I’m a little out of it at the moment, considering you just tried to knock me out with your precious board.”
“My bad,” he said, biting his lip. “I was texting, and the board slipped out of my hands.”
“You shouldn’t be texting at school.”
“School hasn’t started yet, so I think I’m good.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Actually, you’re not good. Your skateboard smacked me in the face.”
He rolled his eyes. “Was it really that bad?” He took a step closer and examined me, noticing the blood for the first time. “Wow, it’s worse than I thought. You should go see the nurse.”
“No. I’ll be fine.”
“Let me at least help pick up your things.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he had already grabbed up a few books. He flipped through one of my notebooks and asked with a grin, “You’re in Journalism?”
“Yes, I’m the editor.” I snatched my binder away from him. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
He put his hands up in defense. “Sorry, I was just trying to help.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ve done enough already,” I said.
He turned to walk in the opposite direction and said over his shoulder, “Whoa, Okay. I’ll see you later?”
I glared at him. “Whatever.”
He laughed as he descended the stairs. I couldn’t stand that guy. Who was he, anyway? I was surprised I hadn’t seen him before, considering Hidden Shores Academy was a small private school in California where most of the student body knew every detail of each other’s lives.
I ran into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I examined my reflection and grimaced at the fiery red splotches around my nose. I ran my hand through my natural curls, only to watch it frizz up even more.
The bell rang.
“Great,” I muttered. “It’s the first day of school, and that skater boy is going to make me late for class.”