by: Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount
Series: Twin River High
Genre: Teen/YA Romance
Release Date: May 10, 2021
Publisher: Entangled Publishing ~ Entangled Crush
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MR. POPULAR VS MISS INVISIBLE Let the plot twists begin.
Star football player Jace Rovers has a secret. And not just any secret—a shocking secret… He writes romance. The kind with swords. And dresses. And kissing.
Nobody knows. Not the other kids at Twin River High. Not his overbearing parents. And certainly not the millions of fans who’ve read his book on the writing platform Scribbles. And that’s the way he plans to keep it.
Except suddenly one of the other football players grabs his notebook in jest and starts reading a kissing scene out loud…and Jace knows he’s busted.
But then McKenna Storm, resident goth girl who avoids the spotlight like a virus, snatches up the notebook and tells everyone she's the author. And lucky for Jace, she later agrees to continue the ruse...for a price.
Heck, he'd give her anything not to reveal his secret. But when they start to fall for each other, he knows he'll have to keep the biggest secret of all—his darkest character is based on her…
Kelly Anne and Lynn
Thomas, one of the mall’s security guards, strolled by in the middle of our conversation. He waved and made his way over.
“Thomas, I’ve got a question for you,” Ernie said.
“No…Ernie. Come on! Don’t!” I smacked his shoulder.
“Lay it on me, kid.” The lanky security guard leaned against the counter near the order here sign and adjusted the belt on his dark blue uniform.
“There’s this guy.” Ernie set his soda down.
“Ah, a guy.” He gave me a knowing nod, his deep brown eyes shimmering beneath the skylights.
He couldn't have been much more than thirty or thirty-five-years old, and his smile appeared genuine, but I pretty much hated his knowing nod. Kinda made me want to punch him. Then again, I was still pretty mad and wanted to punch everyone.
Except Ernie.
“He and McKenna here have been spending a lot of time together,” Ernie continued. “Today, one of his friends said something really terrible about McKenna and her mom.
The guy that McKenna likes didn’t say anything back.”
“What is he, a chicken or something?”
I chuckled, then pulled out a rag to wipe the counters down. I had to keep busy.
“Question,” Thomas said. “Like, in a perfect situation, how should he have responded?”
“He should have stuck up for me,” I admitted.
“Like, punch him out kind of sticking up for?”
“Yeah. Or…something.”
“Maybe he didn’t know what to say.” Thomas shrugged.
Ernie nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Maybe that’s it.”
“He’s a writer. He knows words…”
“What’s this guy like?” Thomas asked. “Is he into,” he nodded at me, “um, like wearing black and stuff?”
Ernie laughed, then shook his head. “Try the opposite. He’s a varsity football star and one of the most popular kids at our school.”
Thomas tipped his head to the side. “Ah, so you two are kind of opposites?”
I propped my elbows on the counter. “Popular kids are assholes. ”
Thomas crossed his arms. “Well, what’s changed? Popular kids can be jerks, but so can jocks, nerds, and everyone else out there.”
“The thing is, they think I’m something that I’m not.” Not that I can tell you why or anything. “And suddenly, I’m like a new shiny McKenna. One that people want to be around. I don’t like it. The attention is too much.”
“What does this have to do with the guy?” Thomas asked.
“There’s a video of them at acting class… And at the end of their scene, they kiss. That video made its rounds at school today and when one of the guy’s friends went off on Jace…it was ugly,” Ernie said.
“And he didn’t defend me!” I thought he cared about me. I thought he was different. I’d shared things with him…
“Ouch.” Thomas scratched his head of sandy blond hair, then flopped his cap back on. “So, let me get this straight. This guy, you like him and he likes you, but it’s complicated, right?”
Complicated was one way of putting it. But I could uncomplicate it pretty quickly by just outing Jace, ditching the interview thing, and just never acknowledging him again. There was only eight months left of school. I could avoid him, right?
Thomas tapped his fingers against his forearm. “You got me, kid. I’m so glad I’m not in high school anymore.”
Ernie and Thomas both shrugged.
“Okay, Doctor Phil Part One and Two,” I said, looking at Ernie and then Thomas.
The security guard tipped his head. “Glad I could be of some help. I best be off now. Gotta keep this mall safe.”
I balled up a napkin and threw it at Ernie. “Lotta help that was!”
“We needed an objective third party.” Ernie caught the napkin and threw it in the trash can. “He’s, like, super old and wise, right?”
“He’s like thirty, you dork.”
“That’s old!”
“It was one thing when people didn’t know…” I trailed off. “But now, it’s just… And Kyle… I dunno.”
“The way I see it, you have three options.” Ernie held out his thumb, pointer, and middle finger. “One, you can keep up with the whole you’re the author of KOS, two, you can force Jace to come clean, or three, you can out him.”
None of those options help me figure out my feelings about Jace though… Not that it mattered now. I could have feelings for him all I wanted, but he was a shithead who couldn’t even stand up for me after I’d saved his ass plenty of times.
“With those three options, there are two more important decisions. You need to either forgive Jace and give him a chance or break things off.”
“Can’t you just choose for me?” I suggested, hoping he’d agree with me.
“The cat’s out of the bag, Kenna. The whole football team knows about you two. Heck, the whole school has probably seen the acting video by now.”
Ernie looked at his phone and tapped on the screen. “And, not to add any extra pressure, but, you have about twenty hours to decide.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“I’m assuming you’re going to make a decision before the podcast is recorded?”
I scrubbed my face with my hands. “Right… the KOS podcast.”
Ernie shrugged. “You still gonna do it?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Thomas, I’ve got a question for you,” Ernie said.
“No…Ernie. Come on! Don’t!” I smacked his shoulder.
“Lay it on me, kid.” The lanky security guard leaned against the counter near the order here sign and adjusted the belt on his dark blue uniform.
“There’s this guy.” Ernie set his soda down.
“Ah, a guy.” He gave me a knowing nod, his deep brown eyes shimmering beneath the skylights.
He couldn't have been much more than thirty or thirty-five-years old, and his smile appeared genuine, but I pretty much hated his knowing nod. Kinda made me want to punch him. Then again, I was still pretty mad and wanted to punch everyone.
Except Ernie.
“He and McKenna here have been spending a lot of time together,” Ernie continued. “Today, one of his friends said something really terrible about McKenna and her mom.
The guy that McKenna likes didn’t say anything back.”
“What is he, a chicken or something?”
I chuckled, then pulled out a rag to wipe the counters down. I had to keep busy.
“Question,” Thomas said. “Like, in a perfect situation, how should he have responded?”
“He should have stuck up for me,” I admitted.
“Like, punch him out kind of sticking up for?”
“Yeah. Or…something.”
“Maybe he didn’t know what to say.” Thomas shrugged.
Ernie nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Maybe that’s it.”
“He’s a writer. He knows words…”
“What’s this guy like?” Thomas asked. “Is he into,” he nodded at me, “um, like wearing black and stuff?”
Ernie laughed, then shook his head. “Try the opposite. He’s a varsity football star and one of the most popular kids at our school.”
Thomas tipped his head to the side. “Ah, so you two are kind of opposites?”
I propped my elbows on the counter. “Popular kids are assholes. ”
Thomas crossed his arms. “Well, what’s changed? Popular kids can be jerks, but so can jocks, nerds, and everyone else out there.”
“The thing is, they think I’m something that I’m not.” Not that I can tell you why or anything. “And suddenly, I’m like a new shiny McKenna. One that people want to be around. I don’t like it. The attention is too much.”
“What does this have to do with the guy?” Thomas asked.
“There’s a video of them at acting class… And at the end of their scene, they kiss. That video made its rounds at school today and when one of the guy’s friends went off on Jace…it was ugly,” Ernie said.
“And he didn’t defend me!” I thought he cared about me. I thought he was different. I’d shared things with him…
“Ouch.” Thomas scratched his head of sandy blond hair, then flopped his cap back on. “So, let me get this straight. This guy, you like him and he likes you, but it’s complicated, right?”
Complicated was one way of putting it. But I could uncomplicate it pretty quickly by just outing Jace, ditching the interview thing, and just never acknowledging him again. There was only eight months left of school. I could avoid him, right?
Thomas tapped his fingers against his forearm. “You got me, kid. I’m so glad I’m not in high school anymore.”
Ernie and Thomas both shrugged.
“Okay, Doctor Phil Part One and Two,” I said, looking at Ernie and then Thomas.
The security guard tipped his head. “Glad I could be of some help. I best be off now. Gotta keep this mall safe.”
I balled up a napkin and threw it at Ernie. “Lotta help that was!”
“We needed an objective third party.” Ernie caught the napkin and threw it in the trash can. “He’s, like, super old and wise, right?”
“He’s like thirty, you dork.”
“That’s old!”
“It was one thing when people didn’t know…” I trailed off. “But now, it’s just… And Kyle… I dunno.”
“The way I see it, you have three options.” Ernie held out his thumb, pointer, and middle finger. “One, you can keep up with the whole you’re the author of KOS, two, you can force Jace to come clean, or three, you can out him.”
None of those options help me figure out my feelings about Jace though… Not that it mattered now. I could have feelings for him all I wanted, but he was a shithead who couldn’t even stand up for me after I’d saved his ass plenty of times.
“With those three options, there are two more important decisions. You need to either forgive Jace and give him a chance or break things off.”
“Can’t you just choose for me?” I suggested, hoping he’d agree with me.
“The cat’s out of the bag, Kenna. The whole football team knows about you two. Heck, the whole school has probably seen the acting video by now.”
Ernie looked at his phone and tapped on the screen. “And, not to add any extra pressure, but, you have about twenty hours to decide.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“I’m assuming you’re going to make a decision before the podcast is recorded?”
I scrubbed my face with my hands. “Right… the KOS podcast.”
Ernie shrugged. “You still gonna do it?”
“Hell if I know.”
Purchase Gutter Girl from:
The Twin River High Series:
Project Personality releases May 17, 2021
Chaos Theory releases May 24, 2021
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattle snakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion.
When she’s not running or writing, she’s watching movies that fuel her everlasting love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. The books she reads usually carry the same theme, but this former college athlete loves reading sweet sports romances as well. She’s madly in love with her Ironman husband of 20+ years who is the inspiration for what true love is.
Places to find Lynn Rush:
KELLY ANNE BLOUNT is a USA Today bestselling author of young adult novels. When she’s not writing, she’s probably lost in a book, watching Twilight, snuggling her five furry rescues, or having an adventure with her handsome husband and their darling daughter. After living in a palace in Scotland, across from the Caribbean Sea, and in the snowy land of Wisconsin, Kelly and her family reside in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. Kelly loves connecting with readers on social media! Stop by and say, “Hi!” or ask a question.
Places to find Kelly Anne Blount:
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Thank you so much for sharing this!! And for helping us celebrate release day!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. This story sounds really good.
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