“And you wore red,” Coop said slowly, as if he was still playing catch up. “You wanted him to come find you.”
“You know what, I kind of forgot. It’s been a crazy morning. I just wore Archie’s shirt.”
That gave them a momentary pause and alone, in the empty hall, it was kind of peaceful, and I needed the minute. “Well then,” Archie said with a grin. “I like how it looks on you. You should wear all my shirts.”
Jake groaned and gave him a shove. “You suck.” Then he glanced at me. “But feel free to raid my closet.” Then his grin grew a little bit wider. Maybe he remembered me in his boxers, I wasn’t asking.
Not right here.
“You okay?” Ian asked, hooking an arm over my shoulders. Coop still had my backpack.
Honestly, my emotions had been all over the place, but I was mostly okay right now. “I think so. I feel kind of bad because Rachel put herself out there, but she did it just to make me smile, and we’ve always been so…”
“Volatile?” Archie suggested.
“Maybe?” I winced. “I owe her though.”
“Yeah?” Jake slanted a look at me. “Why? Because she gave you a reason to ditch us for months? Or she’s prone to romantic gestures that make us look terrible?”
Coop snorted. “Jake’s having a moment. He can’t punch the competition.”
No, but Jake could thump him. The playful shove pulled another smile. It had all been so grim. Now… “Because she did me a favor, more than once, and she’s not asking for anything in return.” That meant a lot.
“Cool,” Ian said, then glanced down the hallway before he pressed a kiss to my temple. “Then let’s focus on that. And don’t fall off the face of the Earth after that dinner tonight. We’re all going to be worried.”
I glanced at Archie, and he nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m going. We’ll keep you in the loop.”
“Good luck at the game, tonight, too. I wish I could say I’m sorry I won’t be there. I would like to support you.”
“But you hate football,” Jake said easily. “It’s all good. Gonna be a boring game anyway. I’m not playing.”
“Hey,” Ian said. “Don’t be an ass.”
“But I’m so good at it,” Jake retaliated, and I grinned again. Coop held out my bag to Archie.
Even as we split up to head to our classes, I managed to hold onto some of my recovered mood. Archie bumped my shoulder gently. “I’m taking you and Coop home, then we’ll see where they want to meet for dinner. I’m assuming you don’t want to ride with them?”
“Fuck no,” I said aloud, and he nodded.
“Cats or no cats, if they are there tonight, you aren’t staying.”
“Archie… Mom said we’d have to rehome the cats when we moved in with him and I—I pushed back. That’s why she slapped me.”
He frowned. “And you’re worried if you’re not there, they’ll just get rid of them?”
“Right now, I have no idea what they’re going to do.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he said. “I promise.”
I really wanted to believe him.
So. Much.
If Mom got rid of my cats…
I couldn’t even contemplate it.
By seventh period,I was over the day and school. My focus had still been scattered, but I managed to pull it together for two quizzes and the French test I’d completely forgotten we were having.