First Chances by Komal Kant Page B

loved to write music. My music was a part of me, and maybe, just maybe, if I poured out the deepest part of my soul to Hadie, she would finally understand how I felt about her.
    It suddenly dawned on me what that small gesture could be, and then maybe Hadie could see how much I cared about her.

Chapter Seven
     
    Hadie
     
    “Are you freaking kidding me?” Mariah demanded, a hand on her hip as we stood by my car after school.
    “I’m sorry, Ray. I have some stuff to do.” I shrugged, trying not weaken under her severe gaze. She was pissed, and it was kind of refreshing, considering how everyone else tiptoed around me.
    My friends and I had always made a point to hang out. Sometimes we would go out to watch a movie or eat at Belle’s . Other times we would end up at my house because they loved my parents so much, but now I made excuses not to hang out with them.
    “And by “stuff”, I assume you mean Three?” she stated, looking unimpressed.
    I chose not to respond, instead choosing to watch the other students milling around the sidewalk as they made their way home.
    She let out an irritated sound. “Seriously, I’m not an idiot. Just be honest, for fuck’s sake.”
    Wow. She really was pissed at me. I mean, I could understand why. I hadn’t been a great friend to the friends who had been great to me.
    “Yes,” I said, conceding. “I’m meeting up with Three.”
    Mariah groaned, her pinched expression pretty much saying it all. She hated my relationship with Three. “What in the hell is it with you two? Can’t you see he’s all wrong for you?”
    Her words made me so mad that I actually wanted to get into my car and drive away, putting an end to this conversation. Three had been nothing but good to me, and here Mariah was judging him because he was in the Madden gang. I honestly expected better from her.
    “So it’s okay for Estella and Vincent to be together, but not okay if I hang out with Three?” I asked, my tone rising.
    Mariah’s gaze softened and she shot me a sad smile. “Estella wasn’t running away from a guy who was Mr. Right. She found Vincent because they were meant to find each other. You’re forcing yourself into a situation to escape from your memories of Lincoln with a guy who’s Mr. Right Now.”
    It was probably the most insightful thing I had ever heard Mariah say and it pissed me off even more.
    “Look, Ray, this is none of your business. Just let me do what I want to do,” I said, my tone a little too harsh.
    Mariah’s face fell a little, and I knew I had hurt her feelings. “Go ahead.” She shrugged her small shoulders and began heading to her car. “But you’re the one letting an amazing person pass you by.”
    Amazing person? Was she talking about Eddie?
    As I got into my car and made the thirty minute drive to Penthill to meet Three, I couldn’t shake away Mariah’s words. She’s mentioned “amazing person” and immediately my mind had jumped to Eddie—was there a reason why he was my first thought?
    No, it wasn’t that he was perfect for me, no, that wasn’t it. It wasn’t that I sometimes thought of him and how he’d been there for me at my lowest, not just after Lincoln’s death, but through various other situations. Gosh, I was in such denial about Eddie sometimes.
    It was obvious to me that both Mariah and Estella wanted me to be with Eddie, and, yes, Eddie was a great guy, but I couldn’t think about starting anything with him yet. I liked what Three and I had; no strings attached, no commitment, no pressure. With Eddie, there would be all of that, and it wasn’t something I was ready for right now.
    The drive to Penthill was made even more torturous as I thought about my conversation with Mariah, and by the time I pulled into town, I was pretty ready to do something crazy.
    I drove straight to the place where I always met Three; the body shop he worked at with Vincent Madden. Actually, Vincent owned the body shop, which was how he managed to stay