The snake whisperer walked toward me, and I started backing up. I mean, she was holding a snake, but she was quicker than me. She hooked her free arm in mine and whispered, “Don’t let them see your fear.”
I stood a little taller and started to walk with her. “Thank you.”
I looked back one last time to see Jax still there as everyone else disbursed. He looked a little shaken and a lot more interested than he ever had before. When he mouthed, “I’m sorry,” I knew I was in trouble because I’d already forgiven him.
Katie and I walked to our first class together, because it turned out we had nearly the same schedule.
After thanking her one too many times, she looked over from her desk with her lightning yellow and black bob swinging my way. “You apologize too much, Aubrey.”
“Oh, you can just call me Brey.”
“Well, Brey, you’re kind of too nice.”
I cleared my throat and sat a little straighter in my desk before our third period bell rang. “I’m just being polite and thankful.”
“K.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Stop now though. It’s creeping me out.”
“Why?”
“Because, no one is ever that nice unless they’re hiding something. Clowns and shit are nice.”
I smiled, thinking it over. “Kind of like the people who whistle down the street.”
“Exactly.”
“How about Mr. Larson?” I mentioned our teacher. “He’s extremely nice.”
“Yup. Creepy as fuck.” She finally cracked a smile. With that smile against her caramel-colored skin and her petite frame, I figured out why Katie had Nate pleading to forgive him. We were sophomores and usually guys like Nate and Jax didn’t dabble in underclassmen.
“So.” I glanced toward the door to see if anyone else was listening to our conversation. “You and Nate?”
“Ugh.” She groaned. “Don’t remind me. It was a fling, something to pass the time and kind of a place to sleep for a while.”
I must have looked confused.
“Guessing you don’t gossip much?” she asked somewhat surprised. “You seriously are the real Goody Two-shoes deal, aren’t you?”
“Wha ... what are you talking about?”
“You know? You’re the homeschooled Whitfield everyone keeps talking about. I’m the foster kid who jumps from home to home. It’s a small school, Brey. You haven’t heard the shit these idiots think up?”
The teacher started setting up the materials in the front of the room and I watched him, realizing how stupid I must look. “I guess you could say I avoid gossiping to people and people avoid gossiping to me.”
She shrugged. “Whatever. I’m done with that asshole.”
“He seemed sorry.”
“He’s immature. I mean, for fuck’s sake, I’m a sophomore and I had to tell him to grow up.” She shook her head and her hair swung with her. “So, what happened to your hair?”
Man, she talked so fast and jumped topics so quickly, I had to hope I didn’t get whiplash. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Jax was mumbling about your hair. What happened?” She didn’t beat around the bush.
I smoothed my hand over my newly formed bun and shifted in my seat.
“Got it. It’s private, I understand.” She turned to face the front, and then her grayish eyes glanced at me sideways. “You can wait till lunch to tell me.”
My lips thinned. “I just got a haircut.”