her old seat, and I slide into the seat in front of her. “The Bulldog is back?” Paul Bolten says.
“Yeah, got a problem with it?” He clams up, and the rest of our civics class stares at us. “Does anyone have a problem with her? Because if you do, you’re going to have a problem with me.”
Someone mutters, “Traitor.” Another coughs, “Asshole.” And I also hear, “Fucking joke.”
I don’t care, though. I know how this looks. I always knew how it would look, but I don’t give a shit about them. It’s Skylar’s deep-set expression that bothers me. Her eyes narrow a fraction, and then she gives a small shake of her head. I reach for her hand, but she pulls back.
What the hell happened between second and third period?
Class starts before I can ask. Skylar exhales a heavy breath, blowing her air along the back of my neck. I turn slightly in my chair. I don’t care if Mr. Munzo calls me out or gives me a detention.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she mumbles but flicks her gaze to the floor, making impossible to see if she’s bullshitting me or not.
“Really?”
She looks up and nods.
“Sky, you know I’d do anything for you.”
She bats her eyelashes a few times, and then she says, “I know. I’m just getting readjusted.”
I honestly hope that’s all it is. I guess in New York she would have been like any normal transfer, like it usually is here. No one really notices you. They definitely don’t go out of their way to talk to or cause trouble with you. But here, Sky isn’t a normal transfer; she’s a Bulldog. She’s the enemy in our territory. God, I really am a selfish prick. She was safe in New York. I missed the hell out of her, but she was out of harm’s way. “Babe, I’m sorry.”
She smiles and points her pencil to the board. I guess I should start paying attention to what the hell is going on in civics. Knowing my luck, we’ll have a pop quiz and I’ll bomb it.
Taking in all the information spread across the long whiteboard, I mutter a curse word and begin scribbling down everything as fast as possible. Mr. Munzo’s notes spread from one side of the board to the other and now he’s returning to the far left side. His empty hand goes for the eraser, and I’m not finished copying, but I’m not going to say anything.
When the bell rings Skylar and I fall into a deep, silent walk. But this, whatever we’re doing, is killing me. I go to reach for her hand and she jerks hers away. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t feel like holding hands right now.”
That’s a bullshit lie if I ever heard one. Her lips might be pulled into a grim line, but her eyes say something else.
Chapter 20
Skylar
Maybe I’m stupid for thinking, for once, that fairy tales do come true. But as soon as I read the text from Kayla saying, “We need to talk ASAP,” I’m nothing but worried. Worried the team already made a decision and that decision is a big, fat F’ no! The last thing I want is to cry all over Caleb, or for him to figure out what’s wrong and start threatening people like he did in civics.
I know I should be grateful and say, “Aww, my boyfriend is amazing and will defend me no matter what.” But I’m not the saving type. It’s fine for a minute, or once in a while, but all the time? No. Besides, this is one thing that’s mine to handle.
Kayla stands outside our English class, horribly pale. I hope she’s not coming down with something and gives it to me too. Her eyes narrow a fraction at Caleb and her smile seems a little forced. I kiss Caleb on the cheek. “I’ll be in in a minute.”
“You sure?” Caleb asks as others glare as they pass us and enter the room.
“Yeah. I can manage.”
“I’ll be here, too,” Kayla chimes in.
Once he disappears into the classroom Kayla pulls me over to the far corner of the hallway and says, “You’ve got to break up with him. Stop hanging out with him.”
“What? Are you crazy? The week I
“Yeah, got a problem with it?” He clams up, and the rest of our civics class stares at us. “Does anyone have a problem with her? Because if you do, you’re going to have a problem with me.”
Someone mutters, “Traitor.” Another coughs, “Asshole.” And I also hear, “Fucking joke.”
I don’t care, though. I know how this looks. I always knew how it would look, but I don’t give a shit about them. It’s Skylar’s deep-set expression that bothers me. Her eyes narrow a fraction, and then she gives a small shake of her head. I reach for her hand, but she pulls back.
What the hell happened between second and third period?
Class starts before I can ask. Skylar exhales a heavy breath, blowing her air along the back of my neck. I turn slightly in my chair. I don’t care if Mr. Munzo calls me out or gives me a detention.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she mumbles but flicks her gaze to the floor, making impossible to see if she’s bullshitting me or not.
“Really?”
She looks up and nods.
“Sky, you know I’d do anything for you.”
She bats her eyelashes a few times, and then she says, “I know. I’m just getting readjusted.”
I honestly hope that’s all it is. I guess in New York she would have been like any normal transfer, like it usually is here. No one really notices you. They definitely don’t go out of their way to talk to or cause trouble with you. But here, Sky isn’t a normal transfer; she’s a Bulldog. She’s the enemy in our territory. God, I really am a selfish prick. She was safe in New York. I missed the hell out of her, but she was out of harm’s way. “Babe, I’m sorry.”
She smiles and points her pencil to the board. I guess I should start paying attention to what the hell is going on in civics. Knowing my luck, we’ll have a pop quiz and I’ll bomb it.
Taking in all the information spread across the long whiteboard, I mutter a curse word and begin scribbling down everything as fast as possible. Mr. Munzo’s notes spread from one side of the board to the other and now he’s returning to the far left side. His empty hand goes for the eraser, and I’m not finished copying, but I’m not going to say anything.
When the bell rings Skylar and I fall into a deep, silent walk. But this, whatever we’re doing, is killing me. I go to reach for her hand and she jerks hers away. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t feel like holding hands right now.”
That’s a bullshit lie if I ever heard one. Her lips might be pulled into a grim line, but her eyes say something else.
Chapter 20
Skylar
Maybe I’m stupid for thinking, for once, that fairy tales do come true. But as soon as I read the text from Kayla saying, “We need to talk ASAP,” I’m nothing but worried. Worried the team already made a decision and that decision is a big, fat F’ no! The last thing I want is to cry all over Caleb, or for him to figure out what’s wrong and start threatening people like he did in civics.
I know I should be grateful and say, “Aww, my boyfriend is amazing and will defend me no matter what.” But I’m not the saving type. It’s fine for a minute, or once in a while, but all the time? No. Besides, this is one thing that’s mine to handle.
Kayla stands outside our English class, horribly pale. I hope she’s not coming down with something and gives it to me too. Her eyes narrow a fraction at Caleb and her smile seems a little forced. I kiss Caleb on the cheek. “I’ll be in in a minute.”
“You sure?” Caleb asks as others glare as they pass us and enter the room.
“Yeah. I can manage.”
“I’ll be here, too,” Kayla chimes in.
Once he disappears into the classroom Kayla pulls me over to the far corner of the hallway and says, “You’ve got to break up with him. Stop hanging out with him.”
“What? Are you crazy? The week I
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