Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
I guess it’s because I’d never been around Track that much that I missed it. But now with him here, it’s like the others had fallen into some well-learned routine.
Except for my brother. At least he looked a little more confused than the others, though not as much as me. It’s like they all knew something. But what?
It’s only been a few hours since that whole thing this morning, but when I look at them now, I don’t see the same guys from a few days ago. Or even yesterday. What could’ve happened in that short window of time to make them change like this?
They were starting to make me nervous. Like something big was going to happen any minute now. They seem so serious, almost unapproachable. And not only me, but everyone else seems to have noticed.
It was obvious in the wide berth the rest of the student body was making around them. Like they expected them to snap, or it was more like some weird form of respect.
Though I always got the feeling that Jace was very well respected among his peers. It’s one of the things I love about him. How well liked he is, how fair in his dealings. I wasn’t getting any of that from this new Jace at all. He looked like he’d bite the head off of anyone who crossed his path.
The only one who didn’t seem phased in the least by the boys’ new attitude was Valerie. “Isn’t this scaring you? What the hell happened to them?” I whispered behind my hand so only my girls could hear. We were watching the guys get us lunch. All of them!
She laughed and shook her head. “Girl that’s Track everyday, and to be honest, we all kinda knew Jace had it in him.” Huh?
“What’re you talking about? My Jace is a goofball.” Okay not exactly, but still…
She spat juice all over her face and I think some even came out of her nose. “Girl quit playing. You seriously never noticed that your man can go hard?”
I looked across the room where he was piling fruit on my plate in the lunch line. He even looks different and I was starting to think I’d fallen down the rabbit hole.
Don’t get me wrong, like I said, there was something exciting about this new side of him, but he’s already uncontrollable, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?
As if he knew I was thinking and talking about him, he lifted his head and looked back at me. After studying me for a few seconds I guess to make sure I was okay, he gave me a little half smile and went back to what he was doing.
Now see that look right there I can get behind. But those undercurrents were making me worried. Like the way he glared at everyone who got too close to him, not that too many dared. And he must’ve sent out an edict because people were also steering clear of me and the girls. Something was definitely off.
I wasn’t sure if I should call his mom and ask her what to do or just wait and see where this thing was going. It can’t be normal for a person to change this drastically overnight can it?
“Have you guys ever seen him act like this before?” I turned my attention to Belle and Tammy who shook their heads no.
“Nope, but I can’t say that I’m surprised. I think a lot of people either forgot or didn’t know that his family owns the damn town. That’s because he never put on airs like some. But with the stuff that’s been happening to you it was only a matter of time.”
“I get that Belle, but this is a bit much.” Just then Cassie came over to join us. She was all but bursting with excitement. “Did you guys hear?”
“Hear what?” I pulled her down on the other side of me.
“Mandy’s gone!” If the smile on her face got any wider it’d split her face.
“Gone where, what’re you talking about?” I got a cramp in my tummy.
“Didn’t you hear her being called to the principal’s office this morning after Jace’s announcement?”
“Well yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”
She looked around at the guys who were making their way back. “I heard she got expelled.” My mouth dropped almost to the floor but I had no chance to ask more because Jace took the seat on the other side of me.
“What’s the matter?” Geez, does he miss anything? “Nothing! What did you do to Mandy?” The tic in his cheek went into action and his jaw was hard enough to cut glass.
“Don’t think about her, eat your lunch.” He’s so preoccupied he didn’t even see the stink eye I gave him. At least the girls were smiling and from the looks of it they weren’t the only ones who were, as the news started to spread around the room.