In Sara’s world, some people are “haves” and others are “have nots.” Guess which one Sara is. She’s the girl who earned a scholarship to college but will probably have to turn it down to take care of her mom. Yeah, that one. But things get interesting when Mr. Has Everything flips her world upside down.

High school super star jock Noah is a definite “have” with a golden future. It appears the world is his for the taking, but things aren’t always as they seem. All he wants is sharp tongued Sara. He likes her edgy banter—she makes him laugh—and he asks her out. She tells him she has no interest in a jock with a “player” reputation and a friend group she’s avoided like toe fungus for four years, but he’s persistent.

Her best friend, Helena, warns it’s the worst idea ever, but as Sara and Noah get to know each other, they find they share deep, tangled roots-roots that bring them together in a way neither could have anticipated. But when a rumor, a suspension, and an epic fight threaten to tear them apart, will they have the strength to make the worst idea into the best thing that’s ever happened to either of them?

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Excerpt

Chapter One
Sara

“Helena, this is the worst idea ever.”

My bestie threw her arms dramatically in the air. “Are you kidding me right now? A guy is selling Lululemon leggings for twenty bucks out of the back of his van in the alley. It’s like we hit the lottery or something.”

It’s exhausting being the frontal lobe of our friend group. “This sounds like a Dateline episode waiting to happen. I really don’t want to die before graduation.” I locked the door of Saucy’s Pizza and headed toward my car.

“It was a busy night at work, and this tip money is burning a hole in my pocket. Come with me, I’ll just grab one pair and we’ll bounce.” Her lips curled up. “I know you can’t resist my happy face.”

“Yes, you have a smile that lights up the entire psych ward.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the destination of our possible death. The streetlight lit up the alley and my eyes landed on a white van, the back doors open, with a guy in his twenties and a girl looking at clothing laying on the ground while the owner of whatever this was leaned against the brick building.

Helena squeezed my hand. “See, there are other shoppers. We’re all good.”

Were we good? I stood back as Helena rummaged through the clothing on the ground before holding a black pair of leggings in the air.

“Bingo!” She nodded.

The fella against the building wore jeans, a leather jacket, and sported long hair and gave me a nod. He seemed okay, maybe this was all okay. It wasn’t often Sara Westin was wrong, but it appeared I just may have been.

But do you know what? I wasn’t wrong, nope. I jumped as sirens were blaring and two cop cars suddenly blocked the end of the alley. Holy fudgeballs this was it. I hadn’t anticipated my first arrest happening today, but there I was.

The owner of this shit show threw some of the items into the back of his van before jumping in the driver’s seat and squealing out the other end of the alley in reverse with the back doors flailing about. Helena held her leggings to her chest, threw a twenty in the driver’s window as he passed, grabbed my hand, and we hauled ass after the other two shoppers who were ahead of us as the sirens screamed behind us. Oh, mother hubbard, we were in a pickle.

The guy in front of us turned the corner and ran into a building and motioned for us to follow him. Since the first stranger hadn’t killed us, I figured we’d give the second one a go.

It appeared to be a warehouse building that had been converted into lofts or apartments.

“Where are we going?” We sprinted up the stairs.

The stranger girl yelled back. “My cousin’s having a party, that’s where we were going before we ran into the Lululemon guy. You two can come in until the cops leave.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “I’m Zakari and this is my brother, Dontavius.”

On the third floor we followed the two into an apartment. Two story ceilings, exposed brick, and a sleek vibe surrounded us. It was wall to wall people, most of which appeared to be college aged. Our new friend Zakari pointed. “Help yourselves to food.”

With that she disappeared into the crowd while Helena and I exchanged a look before she took my hand and led me to the ginormous window. A cop car still sat next to the building.

“Look at this.” She nodded at the cop. “I got us an adventure tonight.”

I turned back around. “Helena, I didn’t need an adventure involving cops tonight.”

She pointed to a table containing quite the spread. “Oooh, let’s get some snacks while we wait for the po-po to hit the road.”

We shuffled over to the table, and I loaded up a plate with shrimp and chips. “Yum.”

Helena elbowed my arm. “I’m shoving some of these Ghirardelli chocolates into your pocket for later. Don’t move.”

I chomped on a shrimp as my eyes scanned the room and my pulse shot to five thousand when they landed on Noah Scanlan from school. Noah Scanlan. My former secret crush was not only there, but he was watching Helena shove crap into my pockets with an amused grin.

I whisper yelled, “We have to get out of here.”

I turned around and set my plate down with a plan to exit at super-sonic speed when he strolled up to us. His eyes were glorious emerald jewels that I now hated.

“Sara. What’s up?”

“I’m actually disappointed, clearly the assassins failed.” I flashed a toothy smile.

“Wow.” His brow popped up. “I can’t believe you’re still pissed about the whole group project thing, it was almost a year ago.”

Fire shot through my veins. This ego driven jock had no clue what he and his dickhead friend’s lack of participation had ruined for me. “It wasn’t a group project, it was a Sara project. It was a semester of me thinking you and your loser friend had actually done what you were supposed to do.” I took a cleansing breath that didn’t do crap. “Helena, we need to get out of here.”

I looked down to see my white Saucy’s Pizza T-shirt had a red stain under my boob. Perfect.

Helena leaned in to Noah. “We’re just outrunning the cops. We’ll be out of here as soon as they leave the street.”

Come on, Helena!

I hated how one look from Noah twisted my tummy into a knot, “I see.”

I huffed and was irritated that I found his face to be beautiful. “It’s not like it sounds.”

He crossed his arms over his muscly chest. “I kinda like the way this sounds.”

“Whatever.” He’d never know how he ruined last summer for me. Him. The selfish jerk.

I stood frozen as a statue while Helena returned to the window. She spun around and gave me the thumbs up sign. “We’re clear!”

I nodded as she returned and pointed to the table. “So whoever’s party this is, well, they won’t mind if we grab a little shrimp for the road, right?” She tossed one into her mouth. “This is good stuff.”

He grabbed a paper plate and handed it to her. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

My cheeks grew warm as she filled up the plate while he just stared at me before his green eyes twinkled. Again, the green eyes I hated just to be clear. The emerald orbs I’m certain all the girls he dated were ga-ga over until he cut them loose.

“Well Sara, I guess I’ll see you at school.”

I glared before Helena grabbed my hand. “Yes, we’ll see you in prison Monday. Bye-bye now.”

 

* * *

 

Monday morning rolled around too quickly and was a reminder I needed to start going to bed earlier. I swiped on some wet N wild® mascara before hopping into my new Agolde jeans. Well, not exactly new, but a thrift store find that had hearts shooting from my eyeballs.

I brushed my hair and wondered if I should give myself a haircut. My dark hair was nearly to my waist, and I wondered if it was time for something new. I’d be out of high school soon, maybe a change would be good?

As I contemplated, I quickly lost my motivation. Yeah, I had a severe case of the “meh’s” this morning.

I’d gotten up early and had been rehearsing my business class presentation dreading it to the tips of my toes. I had a solid “A” and needed to keep it that way. It was a group project, and I got stuck with Troy Adams as a partner who skipped class the one day we had to work on it, and then got mad at me because I chose a topic he didn’t like. Yes, I’m the reason you’re irresponsible; I’m the dickhead fairy who sprinkled butthole dust on your head when you weren’t looking. Ugh.

Group projects should be prohibited in all schools on all continents for infinity and beyond. This would be to ensure those students who must keep a particular GPA don’t have to carry the whole freaking project on their shoulders.

I’ll go to Congress someday regarding this if I have to, I swear to God I will.

I pulled on my overly worn black Converse that I was certain would have a hole in the sole after a few more wears and reached for the Sharpie on my dresser to shade in a few of the creases to “up” my look. I have great taste BTW, I’m just too strapped for cash to show it at the moment. Well, most moments actually. Anyway, the clock on my dresser was screaming I was running late as I grabbed my backpack and went to find some java.

While I wish I could say my mother was at the stove whipping up pancakes providing magical memories I can look back on when I’m old, that’s not the case. As I strolled to our ant-sized kitchen my eyes saw she was passed out on the couch. Better than on the toilet with her head leaning back against the wall like last week, so the day had some promise to it.

Life had been hard for Carrie Westin since my dad left. While that sounds like a “cry me a river” situation, I’d never been happier than the day he walked out of our apartment forever. Peace out mother trucker.

But because of this I’d been catapulted into adulthood a few years sooner than the average gal. And do you know what? Nobody offers to show me cool rocks they found anymore or anything. Adulting is dumb.

I poured some coffee for me and then a mug for my mama before grabbing two pain reliever tablets from the cabinet. I walked over and shook her as she groaned. “Here, take these.”

She slowly sat up as her red hair shot out in all directions. “Thanks.”

She tossed back the tablets. “Sorry, after my shift I met up with Jimmy for some drinks. Bad choice.”

She set the cup down on the coffee table. I gasped and immediately picked it up and set it on a coaster. I’d painted it white a few weeks ago and still loved it so much. The coffee table had sat on the curb outside of a house on Concord Circle with a “free” sign taped to the top of it. Well, slap my ass and call me Larry, I hadn’t seen that gem coming on a typical Saturday morning.

It didn’t fit in my car so I “borrowed” a cart from the Hinkey Dinky grocery store. I then balanced the coffee table on it while Helena hung her body out of the passenger side window and pushed the cart as I drove home at five miles per hour. The honking was ridiculous. But I must say my problem-solving skills are top shelf, except when it comes to my mother.

I cleared my throat. “Did you hear back on the interview you had last week? That would be better than waitressing.”

“Not yet.” She shrugged. “Maybe today?”

I wanted to embrace her optimism, but reality’s fist seemed to be pounding on the door.

Dear eyelashes, pennies, wish bones, dandelions, shooting stars, and birthday candles; do your freaking job already.

“Jimmy said he could give me a little money to get us through.”

My stomach squished into a ball; Jimmy made my skin crawl. Ooh, a rhyme. “No, don’t take anything from anybody. We’ll figure this out, but we need to get the power company a partial payment today or they’ll disconnect us in a few days.”

She pointed to the window. “It’s a beautiful day and now some utility bastard’s going to screw it up.”

“Mother, I’m serious.”

Her eyes narrowed as she grinned, “I don’t like serious, Sara.”

I tried to hold my smile. “Now that makes me sad.”

She hopped off the couch, bounced into the kitchen, and returned holding out a cupcake with purple frosting and placed it in my hand. “You can’t be sad when you’re holding a cupcake.”

I took a bite. “Oh, yes I can.”

She popped her hands on her waist. “Who ate your bowl of sunshine this morning, thundercloud?”

I spoke through my cupcake. “Just call the power company, okay?”

Her head shook. “I don’t even know where our dollars disappear to. It’s like, hocus, pocus, I’m brokus.”

She sighed. I was feeling it.

“Promise me you’ll call them today?”

“No sweat, I’ll call.”

“There’s $188.00 in your checking account, and a partial payment is $90, so there’s enough, and I get paid tomorrow.”

I walked to the front door.

“You got it, sweetie.”

I turned back around and looked at her. Only seventeen years my senior, it often felt like we were sisters as she was still trying to figure out her own life and my input was sought often. “Everything will change soon, I just know it. You’ll get that job and lighten up on the drinking, and I’ll get more hours at work and things will turn around. It’ll all get better.” If I wished hard enough it could become a reality, right? Maybe I should check my horoscope to see if there’s an explanation for this week’s issues.

She smiled. “Yeah, we’ve got this.”

I inhaled hating the stress that seemed to have cocooned itself around our lives. Oh, how I needed that damn fairy godmother to show up soon. I’d tried clicking my heels three times, but nada.

I went down the stairs and turned the corner to see the little jerk I’d seen around the building before. You know the kind, they might be twelve but had the toughness of a high school bully. He was corning a smaller boy, maybe seven or eight.

Fury shot through my veins when he pushed the little fella hard into the wall and his head hit a red fire extinguisher before he fell to the floor. I rushed over and bent down before looking at the bigger dude. “Come on, he’s half your size!” I set my backpack and phone on the floor before I helped the little guy to his feet. Then the big one suddenly reached down and grabbed my phone.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He took a step backwards. “Whatever.”

As he turned toward the door, I grabbed the hood of his sweatshirt and whipped him around and he hit the wall. “You’ve got five seconds to drop it.”

He pushed me in an attempt to get by and that’s when my left fist flew up and got him in the nose, and he stumbled back while my phone dropped to the floor. I scooped it up before grabbing my backpack. “I spent years getting pushed around in this hallway. You mess with that kid again, and I’ll beat your ass. You want word around town that a chick beat you up?” I pulled a tissue from my pocket, gave it to him, and he held it to his bleeding nose. “Next time I’ll bring my friends.” I smiled. “And I’m the nice one.”

I watched the little guy smile as I shot him a wink and exited into the parking lot.

Once outside the warm spring sunshine kissed my cheek while I looked at Bob Cope, the middle-aged man who lived on the fifth floor, sitting outside the door in his lawn chair as usual. He had a biker gang flare and some pretty sick tattoos, but was harmless as a kitten on catnip.

“Morning, Sara.” He gave me a wave.

I walked over and handed him a chocolate chip granola bar from my backpack, his favorite. “Good morning, Bob. What’s up today?”

“Not too much, got a few lawns to mow later. Let me know if you ever need borrow it again.”

I smiled at the memory. When my car wouldn’t start a few weeks ago, not only did Bob pick up the magical part and fixed my beast, he let me drive his riding lawn mower to work. A win/win situation. “Thanks.”

“You’re a sweet girl. Graduation’s got to be getting close. Now you’ll be able to answer the world’s questions, right?”

“A couple of weeks, but I still have a crap-ton of unanswered questions, Bob. Important things we all should know. I mean, how do we get to Sesame Street? Huh? If Cinderella’s shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?”

He threw his arm in the air. “Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, yet dish soap is made with real lemons?”

I gave him a wave. “Somebody’s got some splainin’ to do!”

I hopped into my navy Chevy Impala and buckled up. The car looks okay except for the dent in the side panel and a little rust in the rear which I concealed with a “Be A Thinker Use Your Blinker” sticker. It also has a wonky bumper that falls off from time to time. Yes, my life is dreamy. I cranked her up, and said, “Come on, Jezebel. You can do this.” She roared to life as I patted the dash. “Good job, girl.”

I drove to the tiny white house with black shutters on Rice Avenue that contained my favorite people in the world. I parked and walked through the chain link fence, up the steps, and inside. I could hear Lillie singing to her old radio, while my nose followed the delightful scent of cinnamon something cooking in the kitchen. I entered, like I did each morning, and one smile from the Hispanic woman with warm eyes and dark hair who’d been my hero since I was ten always turned up my day.

“Good morning, Sara.”

“Good morning, Lillie.”

She pointed to the table. “Take a seat, breakfast is almost ready.”

“We’re running late, can I take some for the road?”

She grabbed a paper plate. “Sure thing, baby.” She piled four cinnamon rolls on the plate before taking a bite of another. “I give up.  I’ll always be a little chubby. I just love my sticky buns too much.”

“You’re not chubby—”

“Maybe I could find a cheap personal trainer.” She shrugged. “But really I just need someone to follow me around and slap the food out of my hand. That would work.”

“You’re perfect, Lillie.”

“Not perfect. We both know being a woman is hard. We want to buy stuff, kill someone, lose weight, and eat something sweet. The struggle is real.”

“Stop, you’re the total package for women everywhere.” Truth. She was my best friend’s mother who every August “accidently” bought too many school supplies and extra clothes for Helena to ensure I had mine. The woman who was always “overcooking” and insisting I take the leftovers, and the one who had all the links for college scholarships, financial aid, and applications at just the right time. An angle.

She handed me the plate. “Helena!”

“I’ll get her.”

“Okay, have a great day!” She waved as I headed to the stairs and took them two at a time.

Once in the bathroom Helena was leaning close to the mirror lining her eyes. “One second.” Her brown hair was sleek and straight while her chocolate eyes twinkled at me. She was the one who worked on makeup and nails while I barely managed to run a brush through my hair some days.

I leaned against the door frame when she looked over and shook her head. “This is not working.” She drew a circle in the air in front of my face before grabbing the concealer, my chin in her hand, and dabbed some under my eyes. “Girl, will you ever be to a point where you take five minutes and pull your look together?” She grabbed a blush brush and put some blush on my cheekbones.

“Hey, I used mascara today, that’s like a point for me. Besides, I don’t have a look.”

Helena yanked my tee down to expose my left shoulder. I instantly pulled it back as she shook her head, she spun around and stuck her butt out.

“See how these pants hug my buns? I have a tushy that won’t quit so I show that off. You need to do more of that.”

I didn’t even try to conceal that eye roll. “Whatever, and yes, you have a lovely bum. Now, let’s go.”

We pulled into the parking stall in the back parking lot at Chamberlin West High School. I groaned as I put the car into park. “Graduation can’t come soon enough.”

She nodded. “Amen.”

The new high school was built and opened when we were freshmen. The county lines had been changed so when they opened the school on the west side of town, money, it combined with the Decater side, no money. We were commonly referred to as the “Decater decay”. Back at that time there were meetings at city hall where the West side threw a hot dip shit fit that their golden students would have to be subjected to, and mingle with, “our side”. Yeah, it felt good.

The tension seems to have faded with the classes under us, but our class had never been a melting pot. It’s always been them and us. From where we eat lunch to everything, there’s a separateness that’s never gone away.

Helena held out the paper plate, and we scarfed down our last cinnamon roll which hit the spot as my eyes landed on a group of seniors leaning against an Audi while they laughed and talked.

“Look at Jessica.” Helena shook her head. “She totally got a boob job over spring break.”

I nodded; now she looked like a real-life Barbie doll. You know the type, popular, never seemed to wear the same thing twice, and got a beautiful car the second she turned sixteen. I’d like to say that’s wrong and getting all that stuff in high school was bad, but I didn’t see it. I dreamed of a day I wasn’t tearing open the mail trying to make sure we had enough cash to cover the basics. Maybe Jessica had done something amazingly wonderful, or saved humanity, in a prior life, and the universe was rewarding her. If that were the case, I wondered what I did in a past life. Serial killer? Kicker of cats?

I swallowed my last bite. “Do you want to go over your math at lunch for your test?”

She let out a breath. “How are you so good at math and it’s just so damn hard for me?”

I’d always wondered the same thing. Somehow through my mother and father, both with a lot of issues, everything from chemistry to trig and calculus came pretty easy for me. “You just have to relax and open your mind. You panic.”

She let out a huff. “Math is the only place someone buys sixty-two watermelons and nobody wonders why.”

“We’ll review at lunch and you’ll do fine. It’s not that bad.”

“It was when Satan said let’s put the alphabet in math that it all went straight to hell.”

I looked out my windshield and my eyes landed on Noah. Not only the star baseball player but he’s just ruggedly gorgeous. I hate how beautiful his stupid mug is. How his thick brown hair is trimmed on the sides and a little longer in the back. How I wasted precious moments of my life imagining what it would be like to run my fingers through it and maybe pull a little. The color contrasts with his green eyes making them pop like the emerald orbs they are. How could someone be hot as a jalapeno and such a butt munch asshole at the same time?

Helena’s door creaked as she pushed it open. “Lillie’s picking me up after school, by the way. I’ll see you at lunch.”

I nodded as she stood and then stuck her head back in the car. “I have positive words for some good mojo today.” She cleared her throat, “Here’s to another day of bonding over BS, tolerating idiots, and keeping each other sane.” She pointed at me. “You go.”

I clapped my hands. “Good morning Chamberlin West High School, your sarcastic little rays of sunshine have arrived.”

Helena nodded. “I’ll try to adjust my mood, which is currently one of indifference with a chance of hostility, but the tide has shifted.”

She walked away, and I hopped out and grabbed my backpack from the backseat. I looked over to see Noah talking with Steve, another senior, who’s a douche. He’s good looking with a rich-boy slime to it. He and his group were all about sports and getting girls. Then my eyes landed on Jessica and another priss, Carrie. I cringed as my back door squeaked shut sounding like a sea walrus calling it’s young. And of course, it drew all of their attentions.

As I took a few steps toward the school Jessica’s voice cut through the morning air. “Look at that bucket of bolts.”

I walked past and glanced over my shoulder as she shrugged at me. “What?”

I cut my eyes at her. “You’re an inspiration to bitches everywhere. Good job.”

I looked back toward the school, and my heart warmed a little as I heard Noah laugh as the bell rang out and everybody scurried toward the various entrances.

As I walked toward the side entrance Steve caught up to me. He was a jock and known as one who worked through the ladies.

“Hey, when are you going to hang out with me?”

I kept on walking. “Never.”

“We could go to places you’ve never been before.”

“No, thanks.”

“Come on. I’ve got a lot to give, I can tell you that.” He leaned in and I felt his breath on my cheek.

I increased my pace, “What is it they say about silence?”

He laughed. “Admit it, you dig me a little. You’d be sad if I didn’t talk to you.”

“I’d paint a horse with a Q tip before I’d worry about why you weren’t speaking to me.”

“Sara—”

My name rolling off his tongue made me want to hit something. I screeched to a halt when he stopped and looked at me. “Steve, I’m a little confused here. I just heard a loud noise, like a pop, and thought you may have pulled your head out of your ass.” I let out a huff. “Disappointment has filled me.” I left the jerk on the sidewalk and entered the school full of them.

 

* * *

 

I sat in Physics at a table in the center of the room by myself. It was a “choose where you sit” kind of class, and not one Decater kid was in there but me, so alone I was. The table beside me contained Jessica and behind her were some jocks in the back of the room who I avoided. They were always telling disgusting jokes, or whispering about God knows what. The last thing I wanted was to be thrown into those conversations.

And then there was Noah. He was the magnet they were all attracted to, the one they were always trying to impress or make laugh. The guy has it all; good looks, funny, amazing athletic ability, and good looks. Did I say that already? It’s a crying shame the handsome one is a selfish jerk who ruined my entire last summer. Stealing all my freedom and joy. Prick.

Mr. Adams, my favorite teacher, stood before us wearing his typical uniform of khakis and a plaid button-down shirt. His hair was in need of a comb each and every day. When we had prom in March, he chaperoned and startled the hell out of me with slicked back hair and a suit; it felt all wrong.

“Now, we just have a few minutes left, but I want everyone to look at the slides in front of you, and we’ll have a discussion about them next time.”

We had block schedules, so our classes were longer and every other day, which gave me a little more time to manage homework, so I liked that very much.

Chatting could be heard as I examined the slides before me. Was I a little nerdy and liked science? Yes, but it’s okay, think like a Proton and stay positive.

“Look at her shoes.”

My stomach dropped at Jessica’s voice. She’d been jabbing me for the past four years and I’d always ignored her, but it was getting harder. My freshmen year I did not handle the West Side group very well.

Prior to high school, the middle school I attended was rough, and I was with a group who used their fists to make a point if necessary. Most of those had dropped out, and I no longer see anymore, and if it wasn’t for Lillie, I’d probably be with them. Instead, she showed me that I was smart and kept Helena and I on the rails.

But as a freshman, when the two schools from the opposite sides of town came together, the West Side group was horrible to us. Their insults were ruthless and when someone found out some of our locker combinations it meant crude, awful things left inside. I didn’t tell any of the teachers, knowing it would just make it worse. One day they brought Helena to tears, and I went a little unhinged, got into a scuffle, and had my first visit with the principal. 

A month later someone trapped a squirrel and then let it loose in the leader of the witch squad’s car one Friday night while it sat outside the football game. The crazy beast destroyed the leather interior and shit all over the place.

That Monday I was cornered in the back hallway as two juniors hissed horrible things at me, certain I was the one who’d done it. They were pushing me around and wouldn’t let me through.

I wish I would’ve thought of a plan that day because rest assured I would’ve done it, but I hadn’t. One pushed me and when I tried to walk away, the other one grabbed my hair and that’s when my instincts kicked in. Did I mention I went to the rough middle school and had a mean drunk for a father and learned a few things through it all? Both girls ended up in the nurse’s office, one with a broken nose and then other with a black eye. I ended up in the principal’s office again.

Their parents went bananas causing suspension and expulsion to be discussed until Mr. Adams heard what happened and pulled the security footage to show the truth. Hmmm, why hadn’t the principal thought of that?

What I learned that day was that my word meant very little. If it wasn’t for one teacher who stood up for me, I would’ve been gone. The real world showed me what it was about, and I listened. I buckled down, followed Lillie’s advice, and tried to avoid all of them knowing that once I was out of this place, I wouldn’t be known for only where I came from.

So while the younger me wanted to slap the crap out of the rich bitch with a sharp tongue humiliating me in front of the perfect Noah Scanlan, I focused on my slides and prayed for the bell. I was quickly running out of reasons to not stab her with my lab stirrer stick.

“Looks like someone needs to make another trip to Goodwill.”

Please let the floor beneath me drop so I can plunge into hell.

“Shut up, Jessica.” While I pretended to look into my microscope, the sound of Noah’s voice shook me.

A giggle fell from Jessica. “What? I’m just joking.”

“The only funny thing around here are your fake tits.”

Jessica gasped. “Noah!”

I suddenly didn’t know if it was for better or worse that someone had defended me. Jessica would never say anything when I was with my group, but when I was alone and they felt safe, it still happened.

The bell rang, and I was a little shaky as I fiddled with my backpack. I kept my head down and hung back as the class started to exit. When I stood, I was eye level with Noah’s chest, and my pulse jumped through the roof.

He was athletic, tall, and every part of him muscular as if he trained around the clock.

“Hi.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Hey,” the back of my neck was clammy.

He pointed to the table Jessica was previously at. “Jessica, well, she’s—”

“Inspiring my inner serial killer?”

A deep laugh bounced around me before he grabbed my backpack from the floor and handed it to me. Everything was off balance and on a tilt. 

“Glad to see you out ran the cops Saturday. I’d like to hear what went down sometime, kind of fascinating.”

“Not going to happen. Let’s just say we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Story of my life.” His chuckle was adorable as he motioned to Jessica’s table. “My friends can sometimes get out of hand.”

I nodded and realized that even though he was beautiful, he was just like the rest. Maybe worse as he’d screwed up my entire summer because he’s a slacker used to getting everything he wanted.

“Friends. Yeah, you have quite a group there.” I took a step towards the door. “You must be proud.”

 

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