Free The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren by Wendy Toliver Page A

With Zach Parker!
    His arm stretches out across my shoulders, knocking my tank top strap down. Here I am, gazing into his baby blue eyes, not knowing what to do, what to say, what to think. I tug my strap back in place and bite my lower lip. Zach is frozen like a cherry Slurpee. It’s as if he’s waiting for some kind of sign.
    This is it. This is my chance to kiss Zach Parker, right here in his white Toyota pickup. But what if he pulls away? What if he laughs at me or calls me Peppermint Patty? I take a deep breath:
iiiiin, ouuuuut.
If I jump out of his truck right this very instant, I won’t sink any further into the humiliation quicksand. But if I go for it … I might actually be pulled out of the quicksand completely.
    I steal a look at myself in his side mirror. I’m not the frizzy-haired, zit-faced band geek I was yesterday. I’m a beautiful Siren.Any guy would give his sports scholarship to make out with me. (I know that sounds conceited, but I’m totally nervous and maybe if I psych myself up, I’ll actually have the guts to try to get that kiss I’ve been dreaming about all these years.)
    Go for it, Roxy.
    â€œKiss me,” I hear myself whisper.
    â€œYeah?”
    I nod, hoping it’s dark enough to hide the blush I feel creeping into my cheeks. “Yeah.”
    Zach inhales deeply and cradles the back of my head. Oh my God, it’s really happening. I close my eyes and wait, my lips tingling in anticipation. I feel his breath on my nose as he exhales…. Oh, here it comes!
    Or maybe not.
    Hey, what’s taking him so long?
    What’s wrong? Oh my God. Is there something in my nose? Is my lip gloss smeared on my teeth? Is it my breath? Has he changed his mind? Has the Siren spell expired?
    Opening my right eye just the teensiest bit, I peep at him through my lashes. He’s just sitting there, staring at me. There’s aserious expression on his face, but he doesn’t look particularly repulsed, so that’s good. He leans closer, and I close my eyes again, my heart beating in overdrive.
    Zach’s lips hit mine, his tongue banging against my teeth until I open up. He swipes his tongue side-to-side, front-to-back. Wet, hard, hot. And did I mention
wet?
    I yank my head away, pressing my fingers against my throbbing, slobbery lips. I’ve been waiting for this moment since puberty. My first real kiss. Not a forehead kiss like my mom gives me, or a cheek kiss like Alex and Natalie give me. Not a kiss mandated by those dumb kissing games we’d play at camp. A Real Kiss.
    Is this how it’s
supposed
to feel? If fireworks were supposed to go off, someone forgot to light them. Hell, they forgot to go to the neighborhood TNT shed and buy them in the first place. I feel no tingles, no sparks, no excitement. Instead, I’m rehearsing some kind of excuse to get out of his tube socks—stinky truck and into the safety of my home.
    I open the door and the interior lights come on. Something sparkly catches my eye. Reaching into the crack between theseat belt and the seat, I pull out a pretty rhinestone hair clip. Eva Nelson’s hair clip. She wears it all the time. I would too, if it were mine. Well, she won’t ever see it again if I leave it in this mess of a vehicle, right? I slip it into my pocket, making a mental note to give it back to her the next time I see her.
    â€œSee ya later,” I say, jumping out.
    Right before I slip inside the front door, I hear Zach shout, “Hey, you forgot your flute!”
    â€œOh, right … thanks.”

Eight
    I slip inside and close the door as quietly as possible, but Pumpkin hears me and comes a-prancin’ over, his tail wagging enthusiastically. Leaning aginst the door, I clench my eyes shut and try to catch my breath.
    What an unbelievable night! First, I can’t believe I showed my face at a Proud Crowd party, especially after Eva and J.T. teased me about liking Zach. Second, I