approaching. Even alone, he gave off an aura of strength and power as he stared down at the Spartans.
“What were you saying?” Hunter asked, his glare locked on Lucas.
There was a moment of silence, and then Lucas seemed to regain his composure. He stepped forward, but then Greg and Owen grabbed his arms, pulling him back.
“Are you insane?” Owen asked. “That guy is twice your size. He’ll stomp you into a pulp.”
Lucas wrenched his arms free. “I’m not afraid of him. Or his coward brother.”
“Neither am I,” Patrick said, stepping forward toward Hunter even though my brother towered over him by several inches.
Ackley grabbed his best friend’s arm. “Back off, Patrick.If anyone’s going to do this, it’ll be me. It’s payback time.” He curled his hands into fists as he sneered at my brother.
Hunter looked at each of the Spartans in silence, then he looked past them to me. “Cassie, you okay?” he asked. “Are they bothering you?”
I swallowed hard. I knew Elena and the girls wanted me to say yes so that Hunter would save the day and get rid of them for us. But I couldn’t give him a reason to go after Greg.
“We’re okay,” I said. “We’re done now.”
Hunter nodded once and I grabbed Elena’s arm, pulling her away with Mallory and Kelsey following. I looked over my shoulder to see Lucas watching us leave.
“WELL, IF IT ISN’T GREG THE SILENT.” I SLID INTO the booth Greg occupied at TJ’s.
He looked startled to see me. “What are you doing here?”
“I went by your house and your mom said you would be here.” I picked up the menu and scanned over the items I knew by memory. “I’m hungry anyway. I could use a cheeseburger.”
“Actually,” Greg said, “I was just leaving.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “But you haven’t eaten yet. Have you ordered already?”
“I’m not hungry,” Greg said. “I just came in here to get a glass of water. I’m headed to the library now. I have a really big project to research.”
Yeah, I didn’t believe that for one minute. Why come all the way to TJ’s, which was three blocks farther from his house than the library, just for a glass of water?
Something else was going on, and I wanted to know what it was.
Greg stood and started putting on his jacket. I looked up at him and asked, “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
Greg tried to look innocent. “Why would I be doing that?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” I asked. “Since you’re the one trying to get rid of me.”
“I’m not. I really have to go to the library. I have a huge history paper due next week.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, whatever. Just stop freaking out.” I slid out of the booth and stood up next to him, so close that I could smell mints on his breath.
“I’m not freaking out.”
“You’re certainly acting really weird,” I said. “What’s gotten into—”
“Hey, Greg,” said a voice behind us.
I turned around and looked into the big green eyes of a tall, pretty brunette. Was this why Greg wanted me gone? Was he on a
date
?
But then I noticed two other girls and a guy behind her.
“Hey, guys,” Greg greeted them.
“Are we early?” one of the other girls asked, pushing past me to slide into the booth. She carried a laptop that she set on the table and opened.
Greg shook his head. “No, you’re right on time.”
The first girl who had spoken, the brunette, stared hard at me. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so—”
“She’s a Trojan,” the girl with the laptop said, her gaze still on the screen. “Cassie Prince, younger sister of Hunter and Perry Prince.” She looked at me, smiling at my look of surprise. “I make it my business to get to know all the key players on the enemy side.”
They all glared at me, then at Greg.
“Hanging out with the enemy?” the guy said.
“Lay off it, Kevin,” Greg told him. “Cassie and I have been friends for
“What were you saying?” Hunter asked, his glare locked on Lucas.
There was a moment of silence, and then Lucas seemed to regain his composure. He stepped forward, but then Greg and Owen grabbed his arms, pulling him back.
“Are you insane?” Owen asked. “That guy is twice your size. He’ll stomp you into a pulp.”
Lucas wrenched his arms free. “I’m not afraid of him. Or his coward brother.”
“Neither am I,” Patrick said, stepping forward toward Hunter even though my brother towered over him by several inches.
Ackley grabbed his best friend’s arm. “Back off, Patrick.If anyone’s going to do this, it’ll be me. It’s payback time.” He curled his hands into fists as he sneered at my brother.
Hunter looked at each of the Spartans in silence, then he looked past them to me. “Cassie, you okay?” he asked. “Are they bothering you?”
I swallowed hard. I knew Elena and the girls wanted me to say yes so that Hunter would save the day and get rid of them for us. But I couldn’t give him a reason to go after Greg.
“We’re okay,” I said. “We’re done now.”
Hunter nodded once and I grabbed Elena’s arm, pulling her away with Mallory and Kelsey following. I looked over my shoulder to see Lucas watching us leave.
“WELL, IF IT ISN’T GREG THE SILENT.” I SLID INTO the booth Greg occupied at TJ’s.
He looked startled to see me. “What are you doing here?”
“I went by your house and your mom said you would be here.” I picked up the menu and scanned over the items I knew by memory. “I’m hungry anyway. I could use a cheeseburger.”
“Actually,” Greg said, “I was just leaving.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “But you haven’t eaten yet. Have you ordered already?”
“I’m not hungry,” Greg said. “I just came in here to get a glass of water. I’m headed to the library now. I have a really big project to research.”
Yeah, I didn’t believe that for one minute. Why come all the way to TJ’s, which was three blocks farther from his house than the library, just for a glass of water?
Something else was going on, and I wanted to know what it was.
Greg stood and started putting on his jacket. I looked up at him and asked, “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
Greg tried to look innocent. “Why would I be doing that?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” I asked. “Since you’re the one trying to get rid of me.”
“I’m not. I really have to go to the library. I have a huge history paper due next week.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, whatever. Just stop freaking out.” I slid out of the booth and stood up next to him, so close that I could smell mints on his breath.
“I’m not freaking out.”
“You’re certainly acting really weird,” I said. “What’s gotten into—”
“Hey, Greg,” said a voice behind us.
I turned around and looked into the big green eyes of a tall, pretty brunette. Was this why Greg wanted me gone? Was he on a
date
?
But then I noticed two other girls and a guy behind her.
“Hey, guys,” Greg greeted them.
“Are we early?” one of the other girls asked, pushing past me to slide into the booth. She carried a laptop that she set on the table and opened.
Greg shook his head. “No, you’re right on time.”
The first girl who had spoken, the brunette, stared hard at me. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so—”
“She’s a Trojan,” the girl with the laptop said, her gaze still on the screen. “Cassie Prince, younger sister of Hunter and Perry Prince.” She looked at me, smiling at my look of surprise. “I make it my business to get to know all the key players on the enemy side.”
They all glared at me, then at Greg.
“Hanging out with the enemy?” the guy said.
“Lay off it, Kevin,” Greg told him. “Cassie and I have been friends for
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