Even Brooke has dodged me for most of the day, but that changes at lunchtime when she drops in the chair beside me.
“I know you’re mad at me.” She appears like she’s about to cry and sounds like it too.
I finish chewing the apple slice. “Mad about what?”
She shields her face with her hands then drops onto the table surface. “About the pictures. I told Micah it was too much, but he’ll do anything to win.” She glances over her shoulder. “He is really recklessly determined.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” I can see the same trait in his brother. Both seem more desperate to beat each other rather than actually winning.
“I can’t wait until this weekend.” Brooke’s peppiness resumes even as Micah drops next to her while she completely ignores him and asks me, “Are you going? Please don’t tell me you’re skipping, because we worked really hard on it.”
I immediately notice Luca missing from his usual pack as Cain and Remy also take a seat. It takes me a second tobreakaway my glare from Micah. I still can’t believe it was him. And it makes me feel weird that he’s seen the photographs and is sitting nearby with his normal charismatic demeanor intact. Eventually, I ask Brooke, “What’s this weekend?”
“Like one of the most important events of our senior year—homecoming.”
“That’s right. Defend the title. Defend the turf,” Remy hoots as he fist bumps Cain.
Brooke scrunches her nose like they reek. “Yeah. No. The game is secondary to the dance.”
“What? There would be no dance if it weren’t for us bleeding on the gridiron.”
Her eyes roll as she says, “Anyway, we’ve spent forever and a day planning the dance. You have to be there.”
Remy adds, “Yes, Ivy. We need you shaking that ass on the dance floor but more importantly, cheering us on at the game.”
Brooke gets too excited as she babbles, “Totally would make the night better. There’s still room on the squad if you want. Callie is sitting out the next few weeks with a sprained ankle.”
“Oh, yeah.” Remy gives me an up-nod before he winks at me. “Ivy in a tiny cheer skirt yelling my name would really get me going.”
“Never gonna happen.” The cheering or encouraging his antics in general.
Brooke stays locked on me. “Please at least come to the dance. I’m sure Luca won’t be there. He never shows for stuff like that.”
Micah speaks with the usual Montclair self-assurance, “He will if she does.”
Brooke holds up her hand, putting it in front of Micah’s face. “No one is talking to you.”
He threads his fingers in hers as he teases, “You just did.”
Turning to me, Brooke says, “I’ll call you later. I can’t with the overload of stupidity spewing all over.”
Micah watches her leave as I observe him. I get it. Mercy is the ultimate trophy in their world that they are desperate to win. But to dig up actual photographs of the collision is another level of crazy. “How could you use that of all things against me? It was such a cheap shot.”
There’s an odd air that passes between Micah and Cain before Cain states, “We’d better drop it. The two of them already tried to murder each other.”
“The worst moment of my life was used against me in a game. Therefore, I consider it only fair that I get to ask whatever the fuck I want regardless of who is trying to murder whom.”
“Maybe you should ask a different question,” Micah counters and I know he’s still toying with me. Though there’s something about his cunning stare that makes me believe he has information that will cut deeper.
Cain states, “If you keep being a dick, I’m not going to pull him off your ass next time.”
Remy nudges Micah. “I got ya, bro.”
I take the bait and brace for his response. “What should I be asking?”
“You should ask who I got the pictures from.”
The nice twin has really risen up on the I-want-to-deck-him meter. “Fine.Whodid you get the pictures from?”
