Read Online Resplendent by M. J. Abraham - Free Book Online Page B

our very best night yet.”
    I giggled. “You can be very persuasive.”
    He closed the bottle and looked at me, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I’m only trying to convince one person.”
    I swallowed before pressing the glass to my lips, and when Andres did the same, I stopped him by putting my hand on his arm.
    “Wait! Let’s toast.” I smiled and held up my glass. “To the best Anti-Prom ever.”
    “ Salud .” Andres grinned at me and we clinked glasses.
    After the movie, we decided it was imperative to make a list of survival strategies for the zombie apocalypse. I reached over to grab sheets of paper and a pen from my desk, and we sat back down on the floor to come up with a plan.
    “Okay, the first thing we need to do is get in shape. Probably by running,” Andres said.
    I huffed and threw my pen down. “That’s it. I’m dead.”
    Andres laughed. “Why is that?”
    “I hate running! I can’t run a mile to save my life.” Running and I shouldn’t even be in the same sentence.
    “Well, maybe the zombies will be slow. Besides, you have me to carry you.” His lips curled up in a smirk. “Let’s move on to the next step.”
    I agreed and paid attention to the empty glasses I was trying to refill with more liquor. “Okay, we need weapons — guns, of course.”
    Andres said, “But guns are loud, so we should get sharp knives and silencers.”
    I lifted up my now full glass. “To surviving the apocalypse.”
    “With dumb, slow zombies,” he said and we clinked and drank.
    “If we are the last two survivors and I get bitten before you, you have permission to shoot me in the head,” Andres said.
    I shook my head. “No way, please just eat me.” My face immediately reddened and I pulled the collar of my T-shirt up to cover myself. Andres belted out in laughter. Jerk.
    “Is that all I have to do to taste you?” He laughed, squeezing his eyes shut, and holding his hand to his stomach to control his laughter.
    “That’s not what I meant, you pervert!” I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. I pulled my face up to peek out from under my shirt, but Andres was sprawled on the floor with tears coming out of his eyes. I jumped on him and pressed down on his arms.
    “You know what I meant, you ass!”
    Andres grabbed me by the waist and began tickling me, which caused both of us to roll on the floor with laughter.
    “BRAINSSS,” he mocked, while poking my side until I was gasping for air. “That’s how I want you, Peach, underneath me and gasping.” I could tell he was trying to be serious, but even he couldn’t do that. I finally pushed him off of me and wiped my tears with the back of my hand.
    “You’re so embarrassing!”
    “You’re so adorable.”
    Lola came into the room and frowned when she saw us sprawled on the floor. “What’s going on in here?”
    My already rosy cheeks turned a darker shade of red, but Andres saved the day.
    “We were making bets on who would survive the zombie apocalypse.” He looked at me and grinned deviously. “I’m hoping it’s Savannah.” I knew he was smirking, but I pretended to be busy with the TV.
    “All right,” Lola smiled. “Well, it’s almost that time, Andres. Carmin should be getting back as well. Her curfew is in an hour.”
    He said okay and Lola added, “I’ll be in the living room watching a movie if you need me.” With that she walked away, and I poured us another shot, the laughter now having died down.
    “My parents would have loved you, you know,” I said faintly and watched the glass slowly fill up.
    “My mom would’ve loved you.” Andres scooted over to me and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail behind my ear.
    I couldn’t look at him in fear I’d start crying, so I cleared my throat. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, I just wanted to do it in person.”
    “You’ve realized you’re madly in love with me and are thinking about proposing? I got to tell you, Peach,