Playing Her Secret Crush by Casey Griffin Blog Tour and Giveaway :)
All her life, Katie has been chosen
last for everything: the last picked on the playground, the last
picked by her absent father, and definitely the last picked by
boys—even her secret crush, Alex, friend-zoned her. This senior
year, Katie is determined to come first.
But then Alex asks her to help him find
a date?!
Alex has been living life in the fast
lane, but he's ready to slow down—with a girlfriend. The last
person on earth he’d consider? The girl his brother developed
serious feelings for before he died: Katie. The only way Alex is
going to get over Katie is by falling for someone new. And who better
to help him find his new crush than the girl he can’t stop thinking
about?
What can possibly go wrong?
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***EXCERPT***
CHAPTER ONE
Fairy_gurl hovered before the enemy,
her iridescent wings beating in a blur. She nocked another arrow and
murmured the words to a spell that would ensure it hit its mark: the
fierce red dragon the size of a Wal-Mart. The tip began glowing with
her power. She held her breath and let it fly. It hit, all right, but
it ricocheted off the beast’s scales, clanging with failure. This
baddie was going to be as tough as calculus. In response to her pathetic attack, the dragon snorted,
almost laughing at her like she was a mere orchard gnome. A cloud of
smoke puffed out its nostrils, sending heat waves shifting in the air
between them. Its maw spread wide, giving a clear look at the fire
glowing deep inside the creature. Katie gritted her teeth and tapped
the keyboard buttons so hard her fingers hurt. “Come on,
Fairy_gurl. Go, go, go!” Wide eyes fixed on the computer
screen, she urged her avatar to fly away, wings kicking into
overdrive. And whoosh,
the fairy was engulfed in flames. Delicate wings sizzled. An orange glow tinted the
screen. The health meter in the corner drained of color, causing
Katie’s heart to skip a beat. “Fairy_gurl!” an anxious voice
rang through her headphones. It was Dark_Prince, a.k.a. her best
friend, Alex. Katie’s fingers moved in a blur
over the keyboard, and her avatar dove through the smoke. When the
screen cleared, she spotted Dark_Prince below with his tall, lean
body and handsome elven face. But not nearly as handsome as Alex was
in real life. Her fairy must have appeared on his screen, because he
let out a slow breath. “Oh, there you are. Are you all right?” The relief in his voice made her heart skip for a whole
new reason, but she tried to keep her voice cool when she spoke into
the mic on her headset. “Nothing a little healing spell won’t cure.” She
dropped her avatar lightly to the ground next to his. With a click of
her mouse, the fairy on screen waggled her fingers. A burst of
glitter fell over her head, landing on her smoldering wings and
healing them instantly. “There. Good as new.” “Perfect as always,” he said. She snorted but said nothing. Two
years ago, that kind of comment would have made her blush, but he
said that kind of stuff all the time. He didn’t mean it that
way. At least, that’s what she had to tell herself. If he really
meant it, they’d be together, right? That was just part of the Alex Masse
charm, something every girl got a piece of. Besides, if she were
really perfect, she’d have had a boyfriend by now—and Kyle Jacobs
in ninth grade didn’t count. But that was why she had The
Plan. Senior year was about to begin. It meant a fresh start,
a chance to really come out of her shell. This year, Katie would be
confident, sexier, funnier. She’d be a better version of herself,
someone who things happened for. She’d come first in life and not
dead last like she was used to. Last picked out of line for Red Rover
in elementary school, last when it came to her father splitting
without fighting for custody, and definitely last picked by boys. It was time Katie came first. On the screen, the dark sorceress of
their group glided into view—the mysterious Pizzalover. As she
joined Katie and Alex’s avatars, an invisible wind blew her cloak
open. The voluptuous, scantily clad female figure hidden beneath
always made Katie question the game’s T rating for teens. Pizzalover slid her hood back and slipped the tiara of
dead souls over her sleek, black locks, arming herself for the
battle. Her eyes flashed red as the accessory powered her up. She was
beautiful and feminine, but the voice that came through Katie’s
headphones was anything but that of a seductive sorceress. “Less talky talky. More stabby stabby,” said a deep
voice belonging to twenty-five-year-old Trevor. On screen, his
sorceress jabbed her staff at the empty air in demonstration. “We
need to get past this overgrown lizard if we’re going to enter the
Dwarf Mountains and search for the God Sword.” At that moment, the dragon spun,
whipping its tail. It swept over the ground in a deadly circle toward
them, rustling the tall grass like a whispered promise: you’re
dead. “Look out!” Katie hit the button for her leaf shield
and braced for the skull-crushing force, but it never came. When she
changed the camera angle, she saw a pair of thick arms wrapped around
the tail, holding it back to protect them. Those arms belonged to the fourth member of their group.
A great, purple ogre from the Porcupine Hills, one with a strength
Katie had never seen the likes of before in a level forty-six. He was
known throughout the lands as the mighty, the terrible … sugarplum. Dark_Prince whoo-hooed.
“Nice work, Sugarplum!” The giggle of a ten-year-old girl bubbled through
Katie’s headphones. “Thanks,” Penny said. The dragon released an ear-piercing screech as it tried
to flick its tail out of Sugarplum’s tight grasp. The ogre ground
his brick-like teeth and held tight, muscles twitching, bare heels
digging into the ground. “I can’t hold on for much…longer…” With a violent twist, the scaled beast finally won the
tug of war, flinging Sugarplum aside. The ogre soared through the air
and landed in front of Katie’s avatar. After she doused him with a
small healing spell, he got up and dusted himself off. Alex groaned. “This is so
frustrating. How are we… Oh…hold on a second, guys. My mom needs
me to take out the trash. I’m pausing the game.” A second later, the action froze and the Conquerors of
Caroon logo popped up on the screen. Pulled from the game, Katie
suddenly shook her head, blinking at her surroundings. As the grassy
Eternal Plains gave way to her small bedroom wallpapered with anime
posters, the world of Caroon shrunk until it was just an image on the
computer screen in front of her. It always amazed her how the game sucked her in. How
real it felt. Not like she was seeing it play out online, but like
she was actually there, living it, breathing it, experiencing it.
Like she became Fairy_gurl. As she slipped her headphones off her
ears and relaxed in her desk chair, Katie caught sight of herself in
the dresser mirror. Turning her head this way and that, she checked
her freshly applied eye shadow. She didn’t know much about makeup,
but it seemed like her practice was paying off. At least she didn’t
look like a clown school dropout anymore, which was good, since there
were only two days left to prepare, two days until the start of
senior year and the launch of The
Plan. But something was still missing…
Lipstick, she
realized. Keeping her cordless headphones
around her neck so she’d know when Alex returned to the game, she
rushed to the mirror. She grabbed a ruby-red lip liner and consulted
the magazine on her dresser already opened to “How to get Kissable
Lips.” Although she wasn’t used to wearing so much makeup,
she’d read that giving yourself a makeover gave you a boost of
confidence. When she walked through the doors into Porterville High,
she wanted heads to turn. “Is that Katie Warner?” the other students would ask
in shock. It would be just like that Katy Perry song, “One of the
Boys.” Over the summer, something had definitely changed for Katie. Once her lips were lined, to finish
off the look, she smeared on Bodaciously Bold lipstick. She puckered
up in the mirror. Yup, she was ready. Totally kissable. Or at least,
she
thought so. However, there was only one way to really know. Only one
person experienced enough with girls and dating who could tell her
for sure: Alex. After all, who else would know what a “kissable”
girl looked like other than the guy who’d kissed them all? He’d been away for the last week
visiting family in San Jose with his parents. Since they’d met
during the summer after freshman year, this was the longest they’d
gone without seeing each other. And she’d been practicing her New
Look the whole
time. No one had seen it. She wanted Alex to be the first, so she
could get a true reaction from him: the expert. Before she could chicken out, she
typed Alex a direct message in the game so the others couldn’t see
it. Hey, can you come over? There’s something I want to
ask you. With a shaking finger, she clicked on
send. She wasn’t sure why his opinion
meant so much to her. Sure, he was her best friend, but if she were
honest with herself, she supposed a little piece of her hoped Alex
would see her the way he saw other girls. The way she’d wanted him
to see her when they’d first met. She wanted to show him what he’d
be missing out on. When they’d first become friends, they’d grown close
quickly. Being with him had felt so natural. She’d assumed it was
only a matter of time before things heated up. But everything changed
when his brother, Jason, died of cancer. With so many things happening in
Alex’s life, what he’d needed was a friend, so that’s exactly
what Katie had been. And that’s what she remained, because Alex’s
feelings for her seemed to shift—to the cheerleading squad, and the
girl’s swim team, and the gymnastics club … But she was over the disappointment
now. Totally over it. Ready to move on. It was all part of The
Plan. A trumpet blast in her headphones
announced a response from Alex. Lunging for the mouse again, she
clicked on the message to open it. Sure, I’ll head over once we finish playing.
There’s actually something I want to talk to you about, too. What could that be about? They talked at least once a
day. Sometimes it felt like she already knew everything about him. While she waited for Alex to resume
the game, she grabbed a magazine from her dresser. She flipped to the
dog-eared page in the middle and scanned it like she was cramming for
a test. But this was way more important than a test.
How to Hook Your Guy:
- Look your best
- Act confident
- Be flirty
- Stand out
- Show your sexy side
- Try new things
A car door slammed outside, startling
Katie. She peered between her curtains and down to the driveway. It
was a moving van next door. The house had been up for sale since
spring. A Sold
sign appeared only a few weeks before. Katie spied for a while, watching a couple around her
parents’ age begin unloading the van. She was about to turn away
when a thunderous roar erupted outside. She squished her face against the windowpane to get a
better look. After a moment, the noise transitioned into an
aggressive rumble and a motorcycle appeared. It rolled down the
neighbors’ driveway, the identity of its mysterious leather-clad
rider hidden beneath a full helmet. The tires chirped as the bike cut
onto the road. Another growl and it sped off, leaving the couple
shaking their heads. Katie, too. She scowled, pushing away from the
window. Idiot. Sure, she felt like she defied death
on a regular basis by joining Alex on his adrenaline junkie
adventures—part of his new lease on life—but they were always in
a controlled environment. Totally safe. Messing around on
motorcycles? The guy must have a death wish. The deep purr of the engine faded
into the distance just as a chime rang through Katie’s headset,
indicating Alex’s return to the game. She plopped into her desk
chair and slipped her headphones on. “Okay, guys,” Alex began. “We
need to get into those mountains. Anyone happen to know how to kill a
dragon?” Katie blew out a breath. “The only way we’re going
to beat it is if we focus our efforts. Trevor, do you think you can
paralyze this guy before he takes flight again?” “I can hold him down,” he said, “but for something
his size, that’s about all I can handle.” “Good enough.” Pizzalover’s aura began buzzing with energy. Her eyes
turned inky black. As she laid her hands on the earth, a pulse shook
the ground beneath Fairy_gurl’s feet. Dark walls rose up around them, shifting and swirling
like oil on water. When they joined at the top, it formed an orb,
trapping them inside with the dragon. Their fates were entwined. With a few taps on her keyboard, Katie’s fairy took to
the air. “I’ll draw the dragon’s firepower. Penny, get ready
for a game of piñata!” “Already playing!” she said as the ogre charged the
dragon and gave it a couple of shots to the belly with his mace.
“Gimme some candy!” “Alex, can you help her?” Katie
asked. “We need to find its weakness by trial and error.” “That’s why you’re the idea girl.” The dark elf
drew his curved dual blades before racing toward the creature. While the others searched for a weakness, Katie flew
Fairy_gurl around the dragon’s head. She zapped the beast with a
barrage of spells, keeping the enemy’s focus—and occasional blast
of flames—on her. As she raced around the dragon, it stretched its
swan-like neck to snap at her. That’s when Katie saw it. The light
flicker beneath its jaw, quivering down the length of the neck,
pulsating: a heartbeat. Opening her weapon inventory, Katie equipped a bow.
Steadily, she nocked an arrow, held her breath, and hit the enter
button to fire. It struck the center of the beating pulse and sank
into the scaly flesh. The dragon choked. The constant glow of fire sputtered
and died in its throat. “There!” Katie cried out, pointing for the others to
see. Then she realized they couldn’t see her pointing at the
computer screen. “The scales are thinner on the neck, just below
its jaw.” Katie gave a little whoop
of success, but it was cut short when the dragon darted forward,
razor teeth chomping down on the fairy’s wings. Her avatar cried
out. The beast whipped its head back and forth, shaking her like a
ragdoll. The Eternal Plains spun on the computer screen, making Katie
dizzy. Alex gasped. “Fairy_gurl!” She tried everything, space
bar, enter,
shift-s,
but her avatar didn’t budge. “I can’t get free.” “Sugarplum, time for a Combo Attack.” Dark_Prince
sprinted across the screen. “Slingshot me up there.” Katie saw Sugarplum grab Dark_Prince
in a meaty hand and throw him like a javelin straight at the dragon.
Alex’s grunt came through her headphones like it was really him
sailing through the air. It sent shivers down Katie’s spine. He was coming to
save her. Or, if he didn’t make it in time, at least he’d avenge
her. The dragon responded with a snort
that said bring it
on. Smoke obscured
Katie’s screen, threatening the hellfire to come. Hanging before
the entrance to the inferno, she feared that wasn’t something she’d
bounce back from. She was going to die. Everything she’d worked so hard
for would be lost. Over two years of gameplay, of painstakingly
leveling up, of honing her skills, all gone. She’d have to start
over again from level one! A second later, Dark_Prince appeared, leaping toward her
through the smoggy air. As he fell, he twisted and slashed his sword
downward, stabbing it through the dragon’s neck. It sank into the
soft flesh over its throbbing heartbeat. Black blood sprayed out in a gross sloshing sound. As
the elf dropped to the ground, he dragged the blade down the length
of the dragon’s neck, filleting its throat. The beast coughed, like her uncle
Doug choking on his own cigarette. It convulsed and shook as smoke
puffed out in dark, billowing clouds. The violent shudders shook
Katie’s fairy free, and she flew to safety. Their target now obvious, together they made quick work
of the dragon. When it finally fell, it cleared the way to a cave
that led deep inside of the Dwarf Mountains. They’d done it! Sugarplum did a happy dance, shaking his pelt-covered
booty. Pizzalover downed her mana potion like a celebratory drink to
recover her powers, and Dark_Prince wasted no time picking through
the loot dropped by the dragon: priceless scales, rusty armor from
fallen knights, rubies, and gold. With a few clicks of her mouse, Katie cast a healing
spell. It fell over her and the team in a sparkle of pink. “Do you guys want to keep going?” Trevor asked. “I
don’t want to stop now that we’ve opened up the new area. The God
Sword is somewhere in these mountains. I just know it.” “Aww,” Penny whined. “I’ve got chores to do. But
Mom says if I get them done really quick, I can play more later.” “Great,” Alex said. “Let’s
all meet in a couple of hours.” “I’ve just saved our progress,” Trevor said. “See
you guys later.” “Toodles,” Penny said. The others signed out of the game and
disappeared in little puffs of smoke, leaving Katie and Alex alone. “So, are you coming over now?” Katie asked. She
hoped he didn’t hear the nervous hitch in her voice. “Just can’t get enough of me hanging around this
summer?” he teased. She snorted. “What do you mean? You’ve hardly been
around. You know, between Gillian and Lucy and Mia and that other
one.” She counted them off on her fingers, trying to work from the
top of the cheerleader pyramid down. “Oh, and don’t forget that
date with Audrey. She’s still messaging me, by the way, asking why
you haven’t returned any of her calls.” He groaned. “What did you tell her?” “That you’ve been in Spain running with the bulls.” He laughed. “Thanks. I can always count on you.” “Well, I had to make it sound
plausible,” she joked—sort of. Thanks to his carpe
diem attitude, he
was always trying to find new ways to get a rush. “I’ll see you soon,” he said. “Sure thing.” Katie began gnawing on her lip before
she remembered her lipstick. She took a calming breath. Don’t
be stupid. It was
only Alex. He was just her friend, and she needed his opinion on her
New Look.
No big deal. Signing out of the game, she stripped
out of her faded jeans and Marvel T-shirt and whipped open her
closet. From its depths, she pulled out the little bag she’d been
stashing all summer. Her secret weapon for The
Plan to get
noticed: a new, lacy red pushup bra. Not that anyone would see it was lacy, or red, for that
matter. Or would they? Eventually, maybe…but she was getting way
ahead of herself. The point was she
was going to know she was wearing it. It would make her feel
confident, like all those Victoria’s Secret models. And magazines
always said the sexiest feature on a woman was confidence. If only
that had come in a bottle at the cosmetics counter, too. Katie riffled through her closet until she found her new
red dress. She cut off the price tags and slipped it on over her new
bra. Stepping in front of the mirror, she scrutinized how it hung. “Looking good,” she told her
reflection, because she was trying Step
two: Act confident. If
she repeated her positive affirmations enough, she’d hopefully
start to believe them, and others would see it, too—specifically
the guys at school. It wasn’t like Katie had never had
a boyfriend. She’d totally had one…sort of. But she didn’t like
to count him, even if he had been her first kiss. Back in ninth grade, Kyle Jacobs, the
swoonworthiest guy in their grade, had asked her out.
But it turned out he was only dating Katie to make her friend
Annabelle jealous. And it worked, because after they’d been going
out for a couple of weeks, Katie walked in on Kyle making out with
Annabelle at a house party. After Katie ran out, Annabelle—drunk
on two wine coolers and showing off her hickey like it was a medal of
honor—confided in pretty much everyone at the party that the only
reason Kyle had dated Katie was because she was the “warm-up” for
the main attraction: Annabelle. By Monday morning, Katie’s new name
was Warm-up Warner. The next year, she switched schools. But she wasn’t a freshman anymore.
She was a senior now, and this was going to be the year to put all
that
behind her. She wouldn’t blend into the pages of the yearbook,
forgotten. She’d attract friends like Alex attracted girls, and ten
years from now, when her classmates were reminiscing, they’d say
“Remember Katie Warner?” And not in a “God, she was so weird”
kind of way or a “Remember that time she farted in Biology?” way. While she waited for Alex to arrive,
Katie grabbed another magazine. Just as she flipped to a new article,
she heard the familiar chugging of an old Ford truck engine. Katie jumped up so fast the magazine
fell to the floor. Heart leaping, she rushed to the window and
spotted Alex’s truck pulling up across the street. As his tall, muscular frame slid out
of the cab, her stomach did a little jig. She knew it wasn’t just
because she hadn’t seen him in a while. That reaction to him had
never gone away even after two years, despite being “just friends.” Giving herself one last look, she
applied another coat of Bodaciously Bold lipstick. Then she puckered
up in the mirror and blew herself a kiss before rushing to the door
to meet Alex. She couldn’t wait to see his face when he got a load
of the New Katie. He
was going to love it for sure—at least, that was the positive
affirmation she was supposed to tell herself.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Casey Griffin can often be found at
comic conventions on her days off from her day job, driving 400
ton
dump trucks in Northern Alberta, Canada. As a jack of all trades with
a resume boasting registered nurse, English teacher, and
photographer, books are her true passion, and she is currently busy
writing every moment she can.
Giveaway Details:
- $15 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
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