determine how he felt about public speaking. I gave him a superior grin. “So consider yourself warned.”
He seemed much less concerned than I’d hoped. “There are worse things in life than public speaking. Like having a best friend who can’t tell—or doesn’t care—that she’s making you uncomfortable.”
“Hey, it’s not like—”
“You tell her everything?”
I hesitated. “Mostly.”
He thought that over. “But not everything.”
“No, not every single detail of my everyday life or every thought I have. What’s your point?”
“She doesn’t know we’ve seen each other before.”
I looked at him questioningly.
“She didn’t grill me about it. I think that would have been her top priority,” he said dryly.
“Are you saying I should have pointed to you and said, ‘He’s one of those guys who showed up at Trevor’s party, ticked him off, and ruined one of the rare chances I have to talk to Trevor.’?”
“Are you going to tell her?” he pressed.
“Why do you care?”
“I might lose her support. I like having it.”
I rolled my eyes. “She’ll find out eventually.”
“The more she’s given the chance to like me, the easier she’ll let it go.” We walked a few steps in silence. “But she’s really intense, though, you can’t argue that.”
I shrugged. “That’s Elyse. She’s been that direct as long as I’ve known her, and it’s been since middle school. The first time she saw me she asked if I’d failed a grade. Her reasoning was since I was so much taller than she was, I had to be older.”
He smiled. “Never mind genetics. They play an important role.”
The classroom was at the very top of the stairs, the first door on the left. “She likes to point out the obvious, obviously.” I walked up to the door. “Here we are,” I said, presenting it like a game show prize.
He looked amused and examined me. I shifted my weight under his gaze.
Zach rushed past us into first hour, too preoccupied to notice the new guy. I followed him. Landon approached Mr. Lewton’s desk to introduce himself.
“Hey, are you ready for the econ test?” Zach asked me. At least I thought he was talking to me. He was too busy pulling books and papers out of his bag to look up.
I silently thanked him for the distraction. “As much as I can be. I did pretty well on the homework and the quizzes so far. You?”
“No, I’m not ready at all. I hope I don’t get called on during class because I’ve set that aside as study time. Don’t call me out or I’ll get even.” He flashed his playful grin and sat in his usual seat. We didn’t have specific seats assigned, but it’s just our nature to sit in the same seat as we did on our first day. It was a strange we-survived-one-class, we’ll-survive-the-rest mentality.
Mr. Lewton gave us a few free minutes at the end of class, so the more daring girls tripped over themselves asking Landon questions, including if he needed one—or all of them—to walk him to his next class. He shocked them—and me, too—by announcing that I had already offered. They shot me daggers while I furiously packed my backpack. Their disappointment was tangible. I hated being the focus of their jealousy.
“Okay, see you around. We’re bound to have another class together,” one of them said as they left.
“Definitely,” he said dismissively.
I glared at him, pulled my bag over my shoulder, and turned away. He trailed me out into the busy hall.
“Why did you say that to them?”
“It was the only thing I could think of to get them off my back. I don’t need all that attention.”
“Where’s your next class?”
He gave a sly look and handed me his schedule.
“Right next to mine.” That was good and bad.
We walked a few steps in silence. The stares weren’t as bad as this morning, but enough to make me uncomfortable.
“What, no questions for me?” I asked.
He laughed. “Why so quiet in class? You’re more opinionated than you
He seemed much less concerned than I’d hoped. “There are worse things in life than public speaking. Like having a best friend who can’t tell—or doesn’t care—that she’s making you uncomfortable.”
“Hey, it’s not like—”
“You tell her everything?”
I hesitated. “Mostly.”
He thought that over. “But not everything.”
“No, not every single detail of my everyday life or every thought I have. What’s your point?”
“She doesn’t know we’ve seen each other before.”
I looked at him questioningly.
“She didn’t grill me about it. I think that would have been her top priority,” he said dryly.
“Are you saying I should have pointed to you and said, ‘He’s one of those guys who showed up at Trevor’s party, ticked him off, and ruined one of the rare chances I have to talk to Trevor.’?”
“Are you going to tell her?” he pressed.
“Why do you care?”
“I might lose her support. I like having it.”
I rolled my eyes. “She’ll find out eventually.”
“The more she’s given the chance to like me, the easier she’ll let it go.” We walked a few steps in silence. “But she’s really intense, though, you can’t argue that.”
I shrugged. “That’s Elyse. She’s been that direct as long as I’ve known her, and it’s been since middle school. The first time she saw me she asked if I’d failed a grade. Her reasoning was since I was so much taller than she was, I had to be older.”
He smiled. “Never mind genetics. They play an important role.”
The classroom was at the very top of the stairs, the first door on the left. “She likes to point out the obvious, obviously.” I walked up to the door. “Here we are,” I said, presenting it like a game show prize.
He looked amused and examined me. I shifted my weight under his gaze.
Zach rushed past us into first hour, too preoccupied to notice the new guy. I followed him. Landon approached Mr. Lewton’s desk to introduce himself.
“Hey, are you ready for the econ test?” Zach asked me. At least I thought he was talking to me. He was too busy pulling books and papers out of his bag to look up.
I silently thanked him for the distraction. “As much as I can be. I did pretty well on the homework and the quizzes so far. You?”
“No, I’m not ready at all. I hope I don’t get called on during class because I’ve set that aside as study time. Don’t call me out or I’ll get even.” He flashed his playful grin and sat in his usual seat. We didn’t have specific seats assigned, but it’s just our nature to sit in the same seat as we did on our first day. It was a strange we-survived-one-class, we’ll-survive-the-rest mentality.
Mr. Lewton gave us a few free minutes at the end of class, so the more daring girls tripped over themselves asking Landon questions, including if he needed one—or all of them—to walk him to his next class. He shocked them—and me, too—by announcing that I had already offered. They shot me daggers while I furiously packed my backpack. Their disappointment was tangible. I hated being the focus of their jealousy.
“Okay, see you around. We’re bound to have another class together,” one of them said as they left.
“Definitely,” he said dismissively.
I glared at him, pulled my bag over my shoulder, and turned away. He trailed me out into the busy hall.
“Why did you say that to them?”
“It was the only thing I could think of to get them off my back. I don’t need all that attention.”
“Where’s your next class?”
He gave a sly look and handed me his schedule.
“Right next to mine.” That was good and bad.
We walked a few steps in silence. The stares weren’t as bad as this morning, but enough to make me uncomfortable.
“What, no questions for me?” I asked.
He laughed. “Why so quiet in class? You’re more opinionated than you
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