Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
There was a reason I hadn’t wanted to have a party then. Sad to say that my new school is turning out to have the same problem.
“When did Mom send the email?” I scroll through my emails on my phone, trying to find the one from our mom. “I don’t see anything from her.”
“Hold up. I’m looking through my stuff.” While Van is busy looking through his phone, I continue to search mine but come up empty-handed.
“Did you find it? Maybe I accidentally deleted it somehow.” Van doesn't answer, the room going eerily quiet all of a sudden, causing me to look up. I can’t decipher the look on his face. “Is something wrong, Van?” More worry begins to fill me.
“I just realized what a dumbass I am. It was supposed to be a surprise for you. Mom is going to murder me for letting the cat out of the bag.” If I weren’t so stressed, I would burst out laughing at how scared Van looks right now.
“I won’t tell.” I guess trying to talk my mom into having this only be a party for Van is out of the question now. I don’t want to ruin it for her after she put in all this effort to try to do something nice for me. I’m sure she thought it would cheer me up.
“It might not be half bad. You could make a few friends,” he suggests.
“Trying to get rid of me?” I half-heartedly tease.
“No, I just remember middle school. You had a few girlfriends you hung out with.”
“It’s our last year of high school. I don’t need friends here. Unless you got a girlfriend.” Van stiffens at my remark. I know why he wasn’t interested in girls from our old school but why not here? “Just not Rose.”
“Rose?”
“The blonde. Super tall.” He shakes his head. “I saw her talking to you once.” I’m sure she was trying to get her hooks into him.
“Doesn’t ring any bells.”
“Well, Dunc doesn’t speak too kindly of her.”
“That doesn’t mean shit. Dunc is known for being an asshole.”
“It takes one to know one,” I mutter.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I decide to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to get into it with Van today.
“I’d take whatever Dunc said with a grain of salt. He seems the type to sleep with a girl and then be a dick.”
He slept with me but was still sweet this morning. Not that I’m telling Van that. I don’t need to add to their drama. Plus, I know that isn’t the kind of sleeping Van meant. I want to ask more, but class starts. I pull out my Chromebook.
I can’t pay much attention to what the teacher is saying. All I can think about is Dunc and Rose sleeping together. He’d called her that. It could be because of a bad breakup. She was rather possessive of him. Even told me I wasn’t his type.
Van and I part ways when class is over. I head to my next. I don’t know if I’m self-conscious now, but I swear I notice a few girls glancing my way before leaning in to talk to each other. Dunc hadn’t been great at hiding us this morning, but I’d forgotten too for a moment. It had been nice when it was only the two of us and I didn’t have to worry about anything else.
CHAPTER 19
DUNCAN
“You’re sweating.” Sadie reaches up and wipes her finger across my forehead. I quiver like we’re naked and she just palmed my crotch. I’m down so bad.
“Ran here so I wouldn’t be late.” I take her backpack and sling it over my shoulder, curling the fingers of my right hand around the strap.
Her gaze falls to my knuckles. Belatedly, I remember that this is the hand I used to punch Scully’s jaw. It’s too late to hide the red marks and, unfortunately, I think she knows what they’re from. She does have a brother, after all.
“You were fighting,” she says flatly.
“Having a conversation with my hands,” I correct.
“What were you fighting about?”
“He locked me in the storage room and caused me to be late. I hurt your feelings. All of those things are worth fighting about.”
“If you say so, but I think the fact you talk with your hands a lot is what gives you a bad reputation.”
“Probably.”
“Don’t you care?”
“No, not really.” Maybe I should put out some effort. Uncle Coop texted me to let me know we’re holding a surprise party for Sadie’s birthday and that I should invite as many kids as possible.
She puts the brakes on and turns to me. “You’re not a bully, are you?”
“What? Of course not.” Where did that come from? “I’m just…disengaged. I wanted to be with my da—Uncle Coop and help him with the business because he—” Guilt creeps in. Coop has taken care of me all my life even when he was a teen himself. I’ve treated him kind of shittily these past few weeks.