CHAPTER 1
CALEB
“Caleb!”
Oh, fuck.
“Caleb Fallon, I suggest you stop pretending you can’t hear me and stay right there, young man.”
Fuckity fuckity fuck. With a cherry on top.
I slowed, tugging out my earphone in mock surprise as my principal’s face came into view—a terrifying reality at the best of times, least of all when you are me.
“Would you like to hazard a guess at why I may need to speak with you?” Her voice boomed down the corridor as she marched up to me, her spindly legs somehow sturdy enough to hold up her giant upper torso, complete with the saggiest tits I’d ever seen. Her eyes danced with delight at my obvious discomfort as I pretended to wrack my brain to piss her off even more.
“Was I running in the corridor? I didn’t think I was—”
Too much?
She cut me off with a fierce glare, baring her teeth at me like she was a wild animal. Her chest puffed out, and her cheeks deepened in color as she bellowed so loudly I thought my eardrums were going to burst.
“Caleb Fallon! Don’t think your little jaunts out of school during class are going unnoticed. I’m going to call your mother and let her know that you’ve been sneaking off to smoke, destroying what little brain cells you have left, instead of going to class. One more slip up, Fallon, and I will suspend you. Are we clear?!”
Not my mom.
“Crystal.” I smiled as she nodded her head briskly, walking in the opposite direction. “Mrs. Potts?” I called as she whirled on her heel, glaring at me.
“Whatnow, Mr. Fallon?”
“Could you call my dad? My mom’s snowed under with work and—”
Her face turned into a sneer as she spoke. “I’m afraid not. I will call your mother first. My apologies.”
Fuckity fuck.
Mom will bust my ass big time.
I dragged my sorry ass to class, wondering if I could fake choking or something drastic to get out of English Literature. The last thing I wanted to do was fall asleep in class, but it was just so... bland.
Who cares about characters in books? Why poets write what they do?
It baffled me how people could sit and spend hours with a book filled with words, not when there were so many other things to do. I pushed the door open, a broad back blocking my view of the class. I cleared my throat as Josh Harley turned to see me, his eyes lighting up.
“Dude. Where have you been? I thought you were skipping class again.”
He clapped me on the back, and I winced. Built like a brick shithouse, he towered over most of us in our year by a good five inches, at least.
“Nah, I thought I’d make an appearance.” I yawned as I slid into the seat near me, dropping my bag to the floor. Curling my head into my arms, I rested my eyes for a minute. Maybe if everyone just let me be for once, I could get some shut-eye.
“Caleb?”
Oh, hell no.
“Caleb, is this seat taken?” Her voice was sickly sweet. I opened one eye, squinting, so it wasn’t overly obvious I was checking who it was.
Sasha Adams.
Otherwise known as the girl I call when I’m bored.
