Slam. “…would still...” Slam. “…be your...” Slam. “…friends if...” Slam. “...they knew...” Slam. “...how damaged...” Slam. “...you are?”
My friends would be repulsed if they knew.
He grunts one last time and collapses on me, squishing me between his corpulent body and my mattress.
Sara must always be miserable.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sophomore Year
The highlight of summer was going to Magic Mountain with the Jerichos. I had never been on a roller coaster before. Arissa took me on all of them, starting with Colossus. I gripped my restraints so tight that my knuckles turned white as our train creeped along the track before the big drop. Once the wind was in my hair and I was screaming, I realized what a release it was. That cathartic yell letting everything I keep inside, out.
On the first day of school, Jason perks up in his seat as Arissa and I walk into our English class. “Happy to see me, Parker?” A wide grins spreads across his face.
“Surprised to see you, more like it,” I tease, taking the desk behind him.
“You two really need to go out on a date and get it over with,” Arissa says, sitting on my left. “That is, if you’re between girlfriends, Waters.”
“In due time,” Jason retorts, shifting around in his seat.
We compare schedules and discover the three of us have Biology and Geometry together.
“Jason!” a voice screeches from outside.
Our heads turn to the doorway that frames Becky Statton. All five feet of her is clothed in a pink t-shirt tucked into a denim skirt belted with white leather, and her blonde hair is gathered into a high ponytail.
Arissa gapes at Jason. He gives her a slight shrug and leaves his seat, guiding Becky with a hand on her elbow away from the doorway, but still in our line of sight.
She smiles while they talk and he smiles in return, nodding at whatever drivel she’s spewing.
I glance wide-eyed at Arissa, then back to Jason kissing Becky without thought to who might be watching. The ache in the pit of my stomach is like my father punching me and almost heaving up my breakfast afterward. I slouch, fiddling with my pencil and notebook.
“Becky Statton?” Arissa asks incredulously when Jason returns.
His brow furrows. “Yeah. What of it?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
“We started hanging out a month ago,” he answers, taking his notebook out of his backpack.
“Hanging out?” she asks, sarcasm in full effect.
“Okay, dating. Are you happy?” he asks, throwing his notebook open. “Can we not do this here?”
“You’re the one with the girlfriend following you to class for a kiss.”
“Whatever, Jericho.”
“What, Waters? Can’t take the heat when it’s dished back at you?”
“Maybe,” he mutters.
Arissa purposefully waits for me to sit at a table in Biology, then sits at the one next to me.
“What?” I mouth.
She shrugs with a deceitful grin. Jason sees the open seat when he enters and sits with me. I narrow my eyes at her.
It’s a delicate dance we do, her pushing me towards him while I push him away.
“Can we talk later, Parker?” he whispers.
“I guess so.”
Lawrence Hall takes the seat next to Arissa. He’s a late bloomer, scrawny and short. His orangeish-red hair is bright against his pale skin and the braces on his teeth don’t help his image at all. He’s the complete opposite of Arissa’s type.
Two can play this game.
I chuckle and pass her a note:
You’re the one who chose not to sit next to me.
She crumples the paper, giving me a dirty look.
Jason pulls me into a non-crowded corner of the cafeteria during lunch and Arissa watches from our table. I lean my side into the cold wall with my arms crossed, pretending to study the floor because my stomach is tied in knots.
“Parker, I’m sorry.”
“For what, J? It’s not like we were dating and you suddenly started dating Becky,” I say, eyes still aimed at the
My friends would be repulsed if they knew.
He grunts one last time and collapses on me, squishing me between his corpulent body and my mattress.
Sara must always be miserable.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sophomore Year
The highlight of summer was going to Magic Mountain with the Jerichos. I had never been on a roller coaster before. Arissa took me on all of them, starting with Colossus. I gripped my restraints so tight that my knuckles turned white as our train creeped along the track before the big drop. Once the wind was in my hair and I was screaming, I realized what a release it was. That cathartic yell letting everything I keep inside, out.
On the first day of school, Jason perks up in his seat as Arissa and I walk into our English class. “Happy to see me, Parker?” A wide grins spreads across his face.
“Surprised to see you, more like it,” I tease, taking the desk behind him.
“You two really need to go out on a date and get it over with,” Arissa says, sitting on my left. “That is, if you’re between girlfriends, Waters.”
“In due time,” Jason retorts, shifting around in his seat.
We compare schedules and discover the three of us have Biology and Geometry together.
“Jason!” a voice screeches from outside.
Our heads turn to the doorway that frames Becky Statton. All five feet of her is clothed in a pink t-shirt tucked into a denim skirt belted with white leather, and her blonde hair is gathered into a high ponytail.
Arissa gapes at Jason. He gives her a slight shrug and leaves his seat, guiding Becky with a hand on her elbow away from the doorway, but still in our line of sight.
She smiles while they talk and he smiles in return, nodding at whatever drivel she’s spewing.
I glance wide-eyed at Arissa, then back to Jason kissing Becky without thought to who might be watching. The ache in the pit of my stomach is like my father punching me and almost heaving up my breakfast afterward. I slouch, fiddling with my pencil and notebook.
“Becky Statton?” Arissa asks incredulously when Jason returns.
His brow furrows. “Yeah. What of it?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
“We started hanging out a month ago,” he answers, taking his notebook out of his backpack.
“Hanging out?” she asks, sarcasm in full effect.
“Okay, dating. Are you happy?” he asks, throwing his notebook open. “Can we not do this here?”
“You’re the one with the girlfriend following you to class for a kiss.”
“Whatever, Jericho.”
“What, Waters? Can’t take the heat when it’s dished back at you?”
“Maybe,” he mutters.
Arissa purposefully waits for me to sit at a table in Biology, then sits at the one next to me.
“What?” I mouth.
She shrugs with a deceitful grin. Jason sees the open seat when he enters and sits with me. I narrow my eyes at her.
It’s a delicate dance we do, her pushing me towards him while I push him away.
“Can we talk later, Parker?” he whispers.
“I guess so.”
Lawrence Hall takes the seat next to Arissa. He’s a late bloomer, scrawny and short. His orangeish-red hair is bright against his pale skin and the braces on his teeth don’t help his image at all. He’s the complete opposite of Arissa’s type.
Two can play this game.
I chuckle and pass her a note:
You’re the one who chose not to sit next to me.
She crumples the paper, giving me a dirty look.
Jason pulls me into a non-crowded corner of the cafeteria during lunch and Arissa watches from our table. I lean my side into the cold wall with my arms crossed, pretending to study the floor because my stomach is tied in knots.
“Parker, I’m sorry.”
“For what, J? It’s not like we were dating and you suddenly started dating Becky,” I say, eyes still aimed at the
Similar Books
