Free The Touch Series: Initiation by Cecilia Lonski Page A

So you two are getting along?
                 
                  Quinn: I think so... Which is good.
     
                  Artie: ???
     
    Damn. He knew something was up. It was hard to lie to Artie but I had to in this case. He would kill me if he found out that I was crushing on his friend – and hard, at that.
     
                  Quinn: It would suck if he hated me and was mean. Would make me hate “The Club” more.
     
                  Artie: You hate it?
     
                  Quinn: I just don't like Gwen and some of the other girls. That's all.
     
                  Artie: Not gonna argue with you on that one. Janel is nice though.
     
    Okay, this time I was gonna tease him. I noticed how he looked at Janel at the club. He couldn't keep his eyes off her after their conversation about law school. He was a huge flirt and I knew he wouldn't back down for anything if he really liked a girl, not even if it meant breaking the club's rules.
     
                  Quinn: ???
     
                  Artie: What?
     
                  Quinn: So...Janel...huh?
     
                  Artie: You lost me.
     
                  Quinn: You're breaking the rules. #BadBoyArtie
     
                  Artie: Don't know what you are talking about? #HashtagsAreStupid
     
    I was about to respond when he sent another text.
     
                  Artie: Gotta go. Meeting clients for lunch. Talk later.
     
    Damn it. I wanted to ask him whether there were anymore plans. I'd have to ask him later. I couldn't go on being constantly distracted over it all.
     
    I ran my fingers against the sides of my pencil, and all the dents and holes gave the once-smooth yellow piece of wood a new textured surface. I added more to the new landscape as I bit on it once again.
     
                                                                                        ***
     
                  When I got home, my mother was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Nicholas was sitting at the bottom of the stairs enjoying a slurpee while reading a comic. I winked at him as I past him to go upstairs to my room.
                  When I came into my room, I closed the door behind me and threw my bag on the bed. I quickly got my phone out of my coat pocket and jumped on the bed. I was about to call Janel to see if she wanted to hang out.
                  Just as I was about to dial her number, Artie was calling me. I quickly responded.
                  “Hi”
                  “Hey, are you free this weekend?”
                  “Yes.” I said it way too quickly.
                  “Good. Because we want to get out of here for the entire weekend.”
                  “The entire weekend?” Where were we going?
                  “Yep. We are dying to go golfing. How does Oahu, Hawaii sound like?”
                  My heart stopped. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.” He had to be playing me.
                  He laughed. “I knew you would say that. You'll love it. Start packing. It's all been paid for and when I pick you up on Friday afternoon I'll compel your parents.”
                  “I can't believe this. Hawaii!” I was practically jumping up and down on my bed like a little kid. I had never left the state of Illinois before, let alone to a place like Hawaii. I had only ever dreamt of it.
                  There was a knock on my door and I immediately knew it was my mother. “Hey, I'll call you back later. It's my mom.” Just as we hung up on each other, she walked in.
                  “Mom, I didn't say 'come in'.” She always did that. There were no boundary rules with