Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
I walked into the lunchroom with Mike and a few other guys from the football team. I took a quick look around. Not much was different from my old school. This school was a bit bigger. I had to admit, I was surprised that they were accepting me so quickly. From what my father had told me, the coach had watched my games from my old high school as soon as the principal had told him about me. I was ranked the best high school quarterback in New Mexico, and from what I could tell, this high school needed a good quarterback.
Glancing to my right, I saw Jenny waving at me like a fool.
Ugh.
She’d instantly reminded me of Candace.
When I looked away, I saw Skylar sitting at a table with another girl and a guy. They were sitting alone at a huge table while everyone else was crowded around two tables.
“Dude, get your lunch, and then come sit with us. Just watch out for Jenny. She’s already tried to get her claws into you once,” Mike said with a smile.
I laughed and shook my head. “Thanks, dude, but I think I’m going to go sit with Skylar.”
Mike’s smile faded. “Skylar? Skylar Woods?”
“Yep.”
“Uh, dude, I get that you’re new and everything, and no doubt that Sky is easy on the eyes, so I’m gonna let that one slide. You can’t hang out with Skylar.”
I instantly felt anger boiling in my blood. Holy shit. What is going on with me? Why am I getting so mad? “Why not?” I asked as I looked at Mike.
“Um…well, Skylar is, um…” Mike looked back over toward Skylar and then back at me.
I stood there, shaking my head. Does this guy even know why he’s not supposed to like this girl?
Mike hit another football player I had met earlier on the arm. “Jacob, Wyatt wants to know why he can’t hang out with Skylar.”
Jacob laughed, but it was a forced laugh. “Dude, Skylar is…tainted, if you know what I mean.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I shook my head. “No, I don’t know what you mean.”
Jacob let out a sigh and looked around. “She has an older brother who’s in the Marines. He was always worried about Skylar because she was so innocent yet beyond beautiful.”
He looked over toward Skylar, and I couldn’t help but notice the quick look of sadness that passed over his face.
“She had no idea how many guys wanted to be with her and probably still do. Before her brother left, he asked his best friend, Charlie, to ‘watch over’ Skylar while he was gone. Well, he watched over her all right. Charlie talked her into going to a movie with him one night. Her mom and dad didn’t have a problem with it since they knew Charlie, and he was their son’s best friend. Well, Charlie and Skylar had some pretty heavy-duty sex in his truck. Next day, he bragged all over town about what a good piece of ass she was. Problem was, Sky said he drugged and raped her.”
Jacob stared over toward Skylar, and I swore, his eyes misted over.
My heart started pounding, and I balled my fists together.
“Sky’s brother came home and found out about it. He beat the shit out of Charlie before he had to leave to go to Iraq.” Jacob looked down at the floor. Clearly, he didn’t believe this line of shit he was spilling out at me. It was almost as if it had been rehearsed. Looking back up at me, he shrugged. “Charlie told everyone that Skylar lied and that she begged him to have sex with her. Mostly everyone took Charlie’s side, and Sky ended up with…well, with a bad reputation. Most of the girls were jealous of Sky, so they took off with the story Charlie had told, and they spread it around like wildfire.”
I looked at this kid and shook my head. “Did you know her well before this happened?”
Jacob glanced down at the floor again as he nodded his head. “Yeah, I, um…I used to date her.”
“You ever have sex with her?” I asked.
He looked up at me, shocked. “Jesus Christ, dude. I’m not going to talk to you about that. Sky’s not some tramp who just fucks a guy and moves on. We dated. It was different.”
“Yet you stand here and tell me she’s tainted. That’s pretty fucked up. Sounds to me like the only problem Skylar had was a bunch of asshole friends who turned on her when she needed them the most.”
Jacob just stood there and stared at me.
Mike let out a gruff laugh. “Dude, you don’t get it. Charlie said she wanted him to fuck her.”
Jacob glared at Mike. “Shut the fuck up, Mike. If Wyatt wants to talk to Skylar, let him.” He turned to me. “We’ll see you on the football field, dude.”