Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
I love that story. I think it’s cute. But I’ll never say this to Sky. Besides, I’m on her side and if she wants to kill the prince of this town, son of a cop and nephew of a priest, then I’m with her.
Duke smirks as he leans against the locker, facing her. “Me?”
He’s always so chill and relaxed while my best friend is shooting fire. Any other boy would’ve melted by now but not Duke. He’s arrogant and confident, and I think he secretly loves riling Sky up. He’s a jerk, basically. But I always tell Sky not to indulge him. Be the bigger person.
“Fuck being the bigger person,” she said once while we were in class, and Mr. Hanson, our English teacher, had to shush us.
Yeah, I’m not getting into this. But I’ll stand by her both emotionally and physically. I’m shoving books in my school locker since we’re done for the day, and keeping an eye on both of them.
“You did it on purpose. You pushed me and you made me spill my juice, and now it’s all over my clothes, you fucking jerk.”
Sky’s back is to me as she faces off with Duke. She’s the tallest girl in school but Duke’s even taller than her. He’s probably the tallest guy and he’s also the most popular student in school. People love him and his charming smile and his gelled-up, spiky dark hair and his supposedly kind denim eyes.
There’s nothing kind about him; I know that. He’s the bane of my friend’s existence.
Duke lifts his chin up and chuckles. “Language, Skylar. We don’t want teachers to overhear or you’ll spend your first week back at school in detention.”
He’s right. Sky has a bit of a swearing problem. Everyone knows about her dirty mouth and she’s been given detention a million times because of it.
She gasps. “As if you don’t swear.”
He shakes his head, watching her with amusement, completely relaxed. “Of course not.”
Sky’s fists are clenched at her sides. “Liar.”
He’s grinning now, the charming grin everyone falls for, as he whispers loud enough for us both to hear, “Psycho.”
Sky is sputtering and no matter how mad she gets at me later, I decide to intervene. “Duke, enough, okay? You’ve had your fun.”
He throws me an innocent look, raising his palms up. “I didn’t even do anything. Your friend attacked me.”
Students milling about in the corridor smirk as they go about their business. Arguments between Duke and Sky aren’t that uncommon. No one pays them any attention, but if you asked them, they’d say it was Sky. She started it. Because she’s always the one to start trouble. Duke is the good guy, a valedictorian in the making.
Sky takes a step forward but I wrap my hand around her arm, stopping her. “We all know who did what, okay? You’re not the prince people think you are. So stop harassing her and getting her in trouble.”
His lips curl into a cold smile as he stares at furious Sky, still talking to me though. “Your friend already is trouble. I’m just helping humanity by bringing out the fucking best in her.”
Sky tenses at his deliberate use of the f-word.
I shake my head and tug Sky away from him. “We’re leaving.”
“So soon?” Duke folds his arms across his chest. “Who’s gonna clean up this mess? Should we call your mom?”
He says this loudly, referring to the fact that Mrs. Davis, Sky’s mom, is a maid. She cleans for many families, including the Knights.
Ah, and this just keeps getting better and better. A teacher hears Duke and approaches us. Even though I protest and insist that it was Duke’s fault, he orders Sky to mop up the mess.
Great, and everything was going so well the first day back at school.
I help her clean up while we plot ways to bring about Duke’s downfall. So we’re the last ones to leave the school building. We part ways at the tall gates where the bus is still waiting. Thank God. Sky lives in town so she walks to school every day, but since I live on the outskirts, I have to take the bus.
When I get on board, I’m immediately hit by the quiet and hissed whispers. Usually, there are balls of crushed paper flying everywhere. Someone is calling someone a stupid idiot or someone’s laughing like they’re about to die. But none of this is happening today. People are exchanging furtive glances with each other, while looking at something over their shoulders.
I follow their eyes and find the source.
It’s Abel.
He’s sitting in the back, where I usually sit and write in my journal.
It’s a bit of a shock at first but then, I realize of course. Of course, he’ll be here. Our schools are directly opposite to each other. I go to Prophetstown middle school and he goes to the high school. We are only separated by a winding mud path but everything else is the same. We even share the same playing field. I was running late this morning, so my dad dropped me off and I completely missed Abel on the bus.