“Don’t tell me what to do,” Rob says. He turns on Len and grabs his backpack. Ben again reaches for Rob’s shoulder, but Rob knocks him back.
“Are you crazy?” I say, trying to move between them. “Let go.”
“You’re going to fight for him now?” Rob bares his teeth like he’s some kind of wild animal. His eyes look burnt, cold. Like he’s been frozen out of his own body.
“I’m not fighting for anyone,” I say. “I’m notfightingat all.”
“It’s cool, man,” Len says. “Just relax.”
I can see Mr. Davis walking toward us. “Just stop it,” I plead. “Seriously. Stop.” But Rob’s not listening to me. And he won’t let Ben get close. He’s moved on from Len’s backpack and is now holding the collar of his shirt.
“Don’t tell me to relax,” he spits at Len. “You don’t know a thing about me. Or her.” Then in one clean sweep Rob uses his free hand to send a punch clear across Len’s face. Len stumbles back, and Rob just stares after him. He looks at his hand and then at Len and then at me. “I’m—” he starts, but it’s too late. Mr. Davis has seen everything, and he’s on Rob before Rob can get a second word out.
“What is going on here?” Mr. Davis demands.
Ben tries to step in and say something, but Mr. Davis dismisses him, rounding on Rob and Len. “Mr. Johnson’s office. Both of you. Now.”
He turns Rob around and starts marching him by the shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I whisper to Len. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah,” he says. “It’s no big deal.” He smiles like he’s reassuring me. “Grab the homework, okay? We forgot to get copies.”
“Sure,” I say. “But are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’ll live.” He smiles, gives me a little salute, and followsMr. Davis, who is already halfway to Cooper House, his hands still on Rob’s sunken shoulders.
“I can’t stand that girl,” Olivia says. “She’s been trouble. Day one.”
We’re in calc, our last period of the day, and I’ve just told Olivia about the fight. Mostly on the corner of my notebook, because Mr. Stetzler is sort of a stickler about talking.
“Well, this one I’d pin on Rob,” I whisper.
“Whatever. It all goes back to her. Rob was totally sane until she came around. Now he’s picking fights, ditching his friends, and not talking to his parents?” Olivia is keeping one eye on Mr. Stetzler and the other on the Belgian, who is sitting to the far left of us. He doesn’t usually show up to class, but when he does, it’s enough to send Olivia into a tailspin. Matt has the same effect on Charlie. Maybe you never really get over the people you once dated, or cared about.
“He probably wants out at this point,” Olivia continues. “I’m sure he’s realized she’s completely high maintenance. But it’s not like there’s anything he can do now.”
“They’re not married,” I say. “He’s not under contract.” I’m drawing lazily in my notebook, doodling around our conversation. It’s always hot in the math cubicles, regardless of the time of year, which makes it incredibly difficult to focus. Mr. Stetzler also has this superdeep, intense voice, like a movie voice-over, andit’s kind of hypnotizing. Not in a way that makes me want to flirt with him like Olivia does. Just in a way that makes me want to fall asleep facedown on my proofs.
“Yeah, but would he want that guilt on himself?”
“What guilt?”
Olivia tucks her hair back behind her ears. “She threatened to kill herself.”
I make a sound somewhere between a cough and a sneeze, and Mr. Stetzler looks over, frowning.
“That’s a rumor,” I say. The senior class has been buzzing today about Juliet overdosing on pills or something. But since no one can pin down an actual time or reason, I’m finding it hard to believe. “What reason does she have to kill herself? Her life is perfect.”
“Her boyfriend is still in love with his ex?” Olivia raises her eyebrows at me and puckers up her lips. I jam her with my elbow and bend back down over our assignment. I wish I could believe that were at all true.
“You know what else?” Olivia whispers. “She stole my flats. The new Tory Burch ones. She went and got them on preorder.”
“Juliet?”
Olivia is giving me a look like,Please get there faster.“Obviously,” she says. “Who else would be able to do that at this school?” She looks at me and bites her lip. “You know what I mean.”
“I do,” I say.
