“I didn’t do it so you would owe me one.”
“I didn’t say you did. I didn’t do what I did for you to owe me one either. I hope that’s not why you felt the need to feed me.”
She shakes her head. “No. I know how it is in the park. I didn’t want you to miss out on food because some pompous asshole talked to you.”
“You know about that?” I ask with a cringe.
“Everyone does. It’s all the school is talking about. They are trying to figure out what made you special enough to catch the attention of Nate Rockford.”
“They will be sorely disappointed. Are you interested?” I glance at her with a raised eyebrow.
“In Nate?” She bursts out laughing. “Yeah, right. He is an egotistical, narcissistic, asshole. He’s in my English class and every time he opens his mouth I cringe. He doesn’t take anything or anyone seriously.”
I think back to last night. He seemed more playful about the situation than worried.
“I can see that. I’m glad you aren’t like them. They act like he’s royalty. You weren’t here, but when his brother was still in school, they treated him the same way. They don’t realize that high school isn’t the end of the world. Once they get out of here, Nate and Chase Rockford won’t even be a blip on their radar anymore. Soon, they will forget this place and everyone in it while they are living their lives away at college. They will look back and wonder why they conformed to some high school hierarchy instead of enjoying their life for themselves.”
“Wow.” She turns, smiling at me. “That was deep. Didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Yeah?” I laugh. “What did you think of me then?”
She shrugs. “You’re quiet and glare a lot. I was actually warned by a couple kids when I first got here to avoid you at all costs. They said you once set a girl on fire with your mind.”
“I did.” I give her a dead stare.
She doesn’t look away, making me burst out in laughter.
“Kidding. Where do they come up with this shit?” I ask.
She laughs along with me. “They have to have something to talk about, so they make up stories about the ones who don’t play by their rules. After the first time I heard my foster sister talking bad about me, I realized this school is my last. So in the end it doesn’t matter.”
“That’s not just school, Hails. That’s life. You can’t rely on anyone in this world, but yourself.” The nickname for her flies easily from my lips.
She shakes her head. “I refuse to believe that. My parents were amazing people. They took really good care of me. I only ended up in foster care because neither had any family to take me after they passed. I believe there are more people like them in the world. You just have to find them.”
I give her a sad smile. “For your sake, I really hope you’re right. Life has already beat all the hope I had out of me.”
She reaches over, patting my knee. “Then I’ll have enough hope for the two of us.”
The bell rings, so we both get up.
“I’ll see you later?” she asks.
I hesitate before responding.
“Yeah. See you later.”
Four
The restof the school day flies by. Every time I see Nate make a move toward me, I duck away from him. I don’t want to talk to him, nor do I need the unwanted attention that will come if he does.
The whispers have died down since this morning, but the stares haven’t. I miss being invisible. The only time I would ever get any attention was when they called me names under their breaths or someone accidentally bumped into me. Even then, they usually scurried away before I could say anything. I preferred it that way.
If that’s the case, then why are you looking forward to seeing Hailee this afternoon?
I push the voice of reason from my head. I have survived this long without over evaluating my entire life.
I see Hailee up ahead, so I call out to her.
