• “You’re kidding me right?”

    Ryder laughed. “Come on! Like you haven’t done this before.” I looked at him then at the cart.

    “No, I haven’t.”

    He sighed dramatically and laughed. “I do this all the time, its fun. Mr. Garden even saw me once when he came in to shop.”

    I laughed. “You mean our Biology teacher?”

    He nodded grinning.

    “And why aren’t you fired?” I asked.

    He smirked. “I suck up to the boss,”

    I rolled my eyes.

    “Just come on, I promise, its fun.” I looked at him then to the cart. Unsure.

    “Fine,” I said.

    He smiled. Before I knew what he was doing he picked me up by my waist and put me in the cart.

    I gasped.

    He laughed. “Now take hold of the stick and push it on the floor as you go, okay?” he instructed. I nodded a little nervous. He ran over to his cart and jumped in then got his stick ready. “Okay…go!” he yelled and started pushing his cart.

    “Wait…what?!”

    “Let’s go, Adams!” he yelled.

    I laughed and started to push myself trying to get the cart to move.

    Who knew acting like an idiot would actually be fun? If my dad had seen me, he would have died! Ryder beat me but ran into an aisle and knocked all the paint cans over making a mess. I jumped out of my cart and ran over to him.

    “Ow,” he groaned as he pushed a paint can over. His face had pink paint on it along with an orange.

    “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” I asked as he sat up. He was covered in different colored paints! I pressed my lips trying not to laugh at how pathetic he looked.

    “Yeah, I think,” he mumbled touching his head. Paint seeped under my toes and I moved back squealing.

    “Jeez, do you always make a mess?” I asked laughing.

    He rolled his eyes at me.

    “Yes. Because I crash into aisle with paint in them just to make a mess,” I looked at him and thought of how hot he looked even looking like a paint store blew up with him inside. I couldn’t help it. I laughed and fell back on my butt and couldn’t stop. He just looked at me with a cold look.

    “I’m sorry…” I laughed again and held my hand across my mouth to try to muffle it out. It didn’t. Wow! I hadn’t laughed in so long it felt like! Like actually laughing! He narrowed his gaze on me and before I could giggle anymore he threw paint at me. It slapped across my face and I closed my eyes just in time.

    I gasped and opened my eyes.

    Ryder smirked.

    “B*st*rd!” I yelled and lunged at him. He was so surprised he didn’t have time to push me back before I fell on top of him and pushed his hand down to his sides and put my knees on them to hold them down. I glared down at him as he looked mad and surprised all in one. “You don’t mess with me,” I said.

    He then laughed just a little and my anger grew.

    “You know green really is your color. Goes perfect with your hair.”

    I gasped again and put my hand on my face then looked down. And so it was. Green. I glared.

    “You as*h—“ he got his hands out from under my knees and grabbed behind me, his hands touching my butt and flipped me over. I landed on my back with paint splashing me all over! Before he could grab my hands, I reached up and tried to rip him off me as my legs thrashed trying to get me back on him. He laughed as he got a grip on my legs with his and took hold of my arms. He raised them above my head and pressed himself against me to keep me from moving. I gave up with an angry sigh and glared up at those purple eyes.

    “Not far! I took 5 years of karate! I should be kicking you’re sorry a*s!” he just smirked. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter what lesson you took, it just matters how you fight.” I wiggled but no such luck. He just looked down at me with a small smile.

    “You’re pretty good,” he said huskily.

    “Ugh! If you get up I’m kicking you’re a*s so hard you fly to the f*cking moon!”

    He laughed throwing back his head. And just then I had my time and got control. I flipped him over and tied my legs around his pressing my stomach into his belt. I pushed his elbows back onto the tile and smirked down at him.

    “Got ya!”

    He smiled softly at me. “You got me,” he said quietly. His words made butterflies in my stomach. I haven’t had this feeling since I saw Orlando Bloom’s butt in Troy when my friend told me it was the greatest old movie ever. She was right. But this feeling was deeper. “You going to get off me now?” he asked with a laugh.

    I nodded and unwinded myself from him and sat back. He sat up and smiled at me. “Lets go for another ride.” He stood up and grabbed me as I started to stand.

    “Wait, what?” he picked me up again and put me back into the shopping cart. “What are you doing?” I asked with a laugh.

    He smiled as he started to push the cart. “Just hold on,” I screamed as he flew the cart with me in side, fast down the middle of Wal-Mart. I held on laughing hard from the thrill.