Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card

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JOSH

I walked into school feeling like I'd slept with my head in a vice grip. Every sound, every slam of a locker, and every laugh grated against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. My thoughts spun in circles, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop them from circling back to Laura.

Laura, with her paint-splattered T-shirts and oversized denim jackets, the kind of clothes that looked like she just threw them on without a second thought. The kind of clothes that should've made her blend in. Except, she didn't blend in. Not to me. Not anymore.

My chest tightened as I spotted her at her locker. She didn't notice me-or maybe she was pretending not to. She was laughing at something Jess said, her face lighting up in a way that made something twist inside me. All I could see was her in that satin purple dress from the party, the way it clung to her curves and shimmered under the lights. The way her skin had felt beneath my palm when I steadied her.

But then, just as quickly, the image of her in the dress was replaced by another memory. Her face after the fight with Tim. The way she flinched when I moved too fast.

"Fuck it," I muttered under my breath, slamming my locker shut. The sound echoed down the hall, loud enough to make Luke, who was standing next to me, freeze mid-conversation.

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288 Vouchers.

up with you?" he

"Nothing. Just

"Same. Feels like everyone's out of sync lately. You, me, even Britney's been all over the

her name, Britney appeared. She walked down the hallway like she owned it, her cheerleader uniform fitting just right,

I could respond, her hand slid across my forearm, her nails lightly dragging against

shrugged, leaning back against the

eyes sparkled, and she stepped closer, so close I could smell her perfume-a little too sweet, like candy. "You know, I've been thinking we should hang out more. You never text me back, but I'll forgive

felt tight. Britney was easy. Predictable. The kind of girl who knew what she wanted and didn't hesitate to go after it. Maybe that's what I needed right now-something simple. Something that wouldn't leave me lying awake

I said, letting my voice drop just enough to

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288 Vouchers

"What do you have in

I pushed off the lockers before she could answer and nodded toward the doors

but quickly recovered, her smile widening as she followed me outside. The cool air hit my face, but it did nothing to clear my head. Britney was talking about something- probably herself-but I wasn't really listening. My mind was still stuck on Laura. We reached the bleachers, and I turned toward Britney, my hands sliding to her waist as I pressed her against the wall. She gasped, her hands flying to my chest, but I didn't give her time to say anything. I kissed her hard and fast, hoping it would drown out the mess in my head. Her hands moved up to my shoulders, and she