Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I would get mad and accuse her of blaming me of being the perpetrator, but I know better. Ms. Frazier is one of the few people who cares about me. Mom sure as hell doesn’t. Ms. Frazier wants my account because she trusts me with the truth.
“Henley wanted me to do a problem, but I didn’t know how to do it,” I admit with a grumble. “Then he got pissy.”
“And how did Hollis get involved?”
For just fucking being there.
Annoying me.
Looking perfect and rich. Reminding me I’m not.
“I pushed his bag off his desk.” I challenge her with an evil stare.
Her brows crash together. Disappointment. Fuck. I’m screwing this all up. I can’t get on Ms. Frazier’s bad side. She’s too important to my family.
“And you cursed for that reason?” she asks Hollis.
“My laptop is in there,” he says bitterly. “It’s expensive and it’s probably ruined.”
Tattletale. His words boil my blood.
“Fuck off, rat.”
“Roan!” Ms. Frazier bellows, slapping her palm on the desk. “Enough of this.”
I curl up my lip and give Hollis a look of disdain before turning to regard Ms. Frazier with a cool expression. “I’m sorry.”
She rolls her eyes. “No, you’re not. But you’ll be sorry if you have detention.”
I wince at her words. She’s right. I can’t get detention. Detention is after school. I can miss basketball, because even though I love it, it’s not a requirement. My after school job is.
“Listen,” she says, leaning forward. “I need you to be someone Hollis can turn to. He’s new and doesn’t have anyone yet.”
Hollis groans in embarrassment. “Aunt Karen—”
“What?” I snap, frowning at her.
Her lips thin out. “Hollis is my nephew. He doesn’t gain favor because he’s family. You of all people know I’m fair, Roan.”
She’s right, but it’s still annoying as hell.
“I’m not going to give you detention with your friend Terrence, though he could certainly use the help cleaning off the horrible words he wrote on the vending machine,” she tells me. “You have basketball…and everything else.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “I need you to remember to stay focused, okay?”
I let out a defeated sigh. “I get it.”
“You’re not like him.” Her eyes sear into me, but I don’t believe them. I’m more like my father than she’ll ever know.
“Can I go?” I clip out, ending this line of conversation.
“You both can. I don’t want to see either of you in my office again. Make nice with each other. You’re both adults, so act like it.”
Hollis
Lunch time used to be fun. I had friends. Lots of them. Plenty of guys and girls I could sit with. We laughed and joked and talked. Sometimes we studied. Mostly we planned whatever parties were coming up.
It wasn’t like this.
Not even when I came out to everyone that I was gay.
This is weird.
Fucking creepy.
People eye me curiously, but don’t offer a seat. The room almost comes to a hush—the air crackling with electricity as they wait.
Wait for what?
I scan the crowd looking for the kid Gio I met this morning. Nothing. I’m seconds from abandoning lunch altogether when someone sidles up beside me.
“Hey, new guy,” the brunette girl from my algebra class chirps. “Looking for a place to sit?”
She’s pretty. If I were into girls, I’d find her attractive enough to want to date. I can definitely tell she’s interested in me. It’d be smart to come right out and tell her I’m gay so she doesn’t waste her time.
But…
Things are weird around here and I will take what I can get right now. If that means befriending a girl who thinks I’m potential boyfriend material, so be it.
Turning on my charm, I grin at her. “I would love that. This school is bigger than my old one. It’ll take some getting used to. Call me Hollis. And you are?”
“Sidney.” Her green eyes brighten as she grabs my elbow and points. “The girls and I sit right over there. Wave to Wendy.” A girl with blond hair and a big smile waves goofily at us. I wave back. “So let’s get food and talk about the next Campfire Chaos.”
I allow her to lead me to a line. “Campfire Chaos?”
“Everyone who’s anyone goes. It’s something the Hoodlums started when everyone was in middle school and it’s been going strong ever since.”
“We camp?”
She laughs. “Among other things.”
What other things?
“I’ll have to ask my mom.”
Her brows lift as she blinks her long lashes at me. “Aren’t you adorable?” Then her lips part. “Oh, wait. You’re serious? You really have to get permission?”
I cringe at her words. It’s on the tip of my tongue that our family has been going through some shit and I’m just trying to give my mom the respect of asking. Sure, I’m eighteen and can technically do what I want, but I don’t know if she needs me to babysit or has family stuff planned.