Nix
“Whose idea was this again?”I mumbled as we cut across the field toward the hustle and bustle of the fair.
“You can thank Chloe,” Kye said. “Mom said she couldn’t go unless I went… and I wasn’t coming without you two.”
“So now you owe us, asshole.” Zane smirked.
“Don’t look at me like that, Washington. You always loved the fair.”
“Yeah, when we were twelve,” he scoffed. “If I remember rightly, it was always Nix’s favorite place. All those girls juiced up on fear and adrenaline, looking for a guy to—”
“Leave it, Z.” I raked a hand through my hair and down the back of my head, rubbing my neck.
I wanted to be here as much as he did. But this morning was the first day I hadn’t woken up as stiff as a board, my body crying out in agony. Which was a good fucking thing because I needed to be back at practice. It was killing me sitting on the sidelines, watching my team run plays without me.
But when Kye had asked us to go with him tonight, yes seemed like a better answer than no.
“Let’s hope Cherri isn’t going to be here.”
There went my mood.
She’d been quiet all week, but every time I’d seen her around school, she’d cut me with an icy glare that would send fear into the heart of most guys.
Luckily for me, my heart was already a withered, dead thing inside my chest. Even so she wasn’t exactly giving me the warm and fuzzies.
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” Chloe appeared out of thin air with a guy I didn’t recognize in tow.
“Big brother, this is Daniel. Dan, this is my brother Kye and his friends… you don’t need to know their names. Now can we go?”
“Hold up,” Kye stiffened. “You’re on a date? What the fuck, Clo?”
“Uh, I’m gonna… go get a hot dog,” Dan said, his eyes dodging Kye’s murderous stare. “Meet you over there, Chloe.”
“Sure.” She pursed her lips at Kye, then me and Zane.
“Don’t look at us,” I said. “We’re only along for the ride.”
“Jesus, Clo. You told Mom you were meeting a friend.”
“Dan is a friend…. of the male variety. Please don’t make a big deal out of this. He’s a good guy and I really like him.”
“Looks like a pussy to me.” Zane shrugged.
“No one asked you, asshole.”
“Who is he? I don’t know anyone in your class called Daniel. Guys, do you know any—
“He’s from Dartmouth.”
“No shit,” I said, impressed. Chloe Carter was nothing if not resourceful.
“I don’t like this, Clo. Mom will kick my ass if she knows you’re on a date. You know how she gets.”
“That’s why we won’t tell her, right?” She switched on the puppy dog eyes, and I chuckled.
Kye was useless against those fucking eyes.
“Fine. But Daniel better keep his hands to himself. Meet us back here at eleven and we’ll give you a ride home.”