Nix
“Where have you been hiding?”Cherri curled her fingers around my arm and pressed in close.
“Around.” I shrugged.
“You know I’d hoped we could spend some time together after the fair… but you disappeared and—”
“Yo, Wilder.” Darius Hench slung his arm over my shoulder, giving zero fucks that Cherri was trying to have a conversation with me. “We partying down at the res tonight?”
“Don’t we always?” I replied dryly.
“Damn straight we do. See you at the pep rally, man.” He clapped me on the shoulder and winked at Cherri. “Looking good, Cher.”
She rolled her eyes, glaring at me.
“What? I didn’t ask him to show up like that.”
“That’s just the thing, Nix. You never say anything. Like Saturday at the fair. You acted like you wanted to spend time with me and then fucked off and—”
“Sorry, yeah. I have some shit going on.”
“You mean you’re hung up on Harl—”
“Don’t,” I seethed, a ripple of irritation going through me.
She made a derisive noise. “Whatever, Nix. I’m done.” Shouldering past me, she took off down the hall and I dropped my head against the locker bank, letting out a deep sigh.
“Trouble in paradise?” Zane stalked over to me.
“Don’t even ask.”
“How’s Jessa?”
“Okay, I guess. She wouldn’t talk about it. Acting like it never happened.”
“And your old man?”
“Barely been around.”
It was both a blessing and a curse. When he stayed away for long periods of time it usually meant the calm before the storm.
“I fucking hate this for you,” Zane said. “You deserve more, man.”
“Don’t we all, Z. Don’t we all.” I stared down the hall at the stream of kids heading for class.
I fucking hated this place. But at the end of the summer, I’d convinced myself that maybe senior year would be better. That maybe things would be a little easier. Two weeks in though, and it was turning out to be a complete shitshow. Coach kept pushing me about college, about Albany U being interested. But could I really do it? Could I make it out of here? Could I leave Jessa behind? My friends behind?
It was a strange place to be, wanting so much more for my future, but being shackled to my life in The Row.
The kids of Darling Hill High made the best of their shitty lives, but we all knew the chances of making it out of The Row were slim to none, and did I really want to get my hopes up only to have my dreams of something better for my life dashed?
“We could blow off the party tonight. Hang out at Buster’s or go over to Kye’s place. I’m sure his mom wouldn’t mind.”
“Nah, we can head to the res. I need to get fucked up.”
“You sure?” He scratched his jaw, studying me. “You’ve got that look.”
“What look?”