Sam isn’t in my lunch period, so I usually float around from table to table. I’ve always been kind and polite, but never made many friends in my own grade. The people I talk to are more like acquaintances. Today that divide feels more isolating than ever.
It doesn’t hit me until now, with the rumors getting worse, how much I’ve kept myself separated from my classmates. I have no close allies I can trust because all of my true friends graduated last year. I miss lunches in the courtyard with Thea, Connor, Blair, and Devlin.
“Hey, Maisy, right? Come here for a minute.”
I pause by the table of rowdy guys. Some of them are on the soccer and football teams, some are just jock by association. The one who stopped me is a guy I recognize from Jenna’s party.
“Yeah, that’s me,” I say, tucking my wariness behind a mask of sweetness.
His friends elbow him and they shush each other, chuckling to themselves. I want to take a step back, but I hold my ground.
“So,” the guy from the party drawls. I’m pretty sure he hangs out with Sam. “You free Friday night? I heard you and Sam Blake broke up.”
“I have to volunteer at the library on Friday, then I teach yoga classes until pretty late.” I shrug and tilt my head. “So I’m not free, sorry.”
“That’s cool, later is better for me.” He gives me a flirtatious once over. “I’ll pick you up and we can go up to Peak Point.”
My shoulders stiffen as his buddies make lewd noises. Peak Point is Ridgeview’s notorious makeout spot, a lookout point in the mountains where everyone parks in the shadows to hump in their cars.
“What?” My tone is frosty, but they don’t notice, too busy congratulating each other while their friend propositions me.
“Don’t be shy, baby.” He stares openly at my breasts. What a pig. “I want the wildcat you were at Jenna’s party. The easy one, not the prude.”
There’s nothing I can do to stop the way my body jerks in response. These rumors are out of control.
“You’ve got the wrong girl,” I say, crossing my arms, no longer willing to play nice. “My answer is still no.”
“Don’t be a cock tease, those lips are begging to suck my dick.”
Fuck this.
If I wasn’t doing everything to make sure my parents let me go on the road trip, I’d deck this guy. Screw peace and love, he totally deserves a fist in his face to wipe off that smug look he thinks is so sexy. With a tight smile, I turn away.
“Hey! I wasn’t done talking to you!” he calls after me. “Don’t ignore me, bitch!”
Glancing around the room, I’m struck by the amount of attention on me from the surrounding tables. Beyond that, Fox watches all of this go down from the corner of the room, no longer occupied on his phone. His expression turns hard once my gaze sweeps over him.
How much did he hear?
The guy’s friends at his rowdy table join in, slinging names at me. Slut. Easy. Prude. Bitch. The chants catch on until the whole room is shouting.
Which is it, guys?
Eyes stinging, I stare back at Fox.
Take a good look. You turned me into the crybaby. Are you happy now?
Again, I clutch my wrist, covering the leather braided bracelet carrying the stones he gave me. Neither of my bracelets make me feel strong right now. The one with the stones Fox found on the beach during our vacation used to make me believe in anything. After he was gone, wearing it felt like it was my last connection to him. I’d whisper my dreams to it at night as if I was talking to him. It made me feel close to him.
A tear slips down my cheek, then another. Mean laughter echoes around me, but I keep staring at Fox. He leans back against the wall in his corner, kicking one booted foot on the bench seat. His smirk is savage.
For the first time ever, I consider ripping off the bracelet I’ve worn since I was a little girl and throwing it down at his feet.
Nine
Fox
By the end of the day, it hasn’t gotten old. We only share a handful of classes together, when I bother to show up. But this idea is way more gratifying than I first thought.