That smile is immediately wiped from my face when I hear a car start in the driveway. I check my new phone.Eight o’clock on the dot.
“Shit!”
I take off at a sprint. I swear if Axel leaves me on the first day…
I grab my backpack by the front door just as his red car peels out.
“Dammit, Axel! Wait!”
I hoof it down the gravel drive, choking on dust kicked up by his tires. I end up doubled over, coughing hard. Mercifully, the car stops.
When I catch up, I tug the passenger door open to find him laughing.
“Bas… tard…” I wheeze between coughs.
“I told you to be on time,” he teases, clearly amused. He puts the car back in drive.
“I was… talking to… Ben.” I pant, buckling my seatbelt.
He clicks his tongue.
“Excuses, excuses. Be on time after school. I don’t like staying at that dump longer than I have to.”
“Noted.” This time, I take his warning seriously, but it won’t be a problem. It’s not like I have any friends to hang outwith anyway.
It takes us five minutes to get back to the main road, then another fifteen to reach town. I stare out the window, chewing on my lower lip, anxiety bubbling up.
The good news is school only started back a month ago. Hopefully, I won’t be too far behind. I’m not sure how Tennessee’s curriculum compares to Arizona’s, but I’m a good student. I have plans, and staying on top of my grades is a non-negotiable.
Axel’s hand suddenly lands on mine. I suck in a sharp breath, but he lets go before I can truly go into panic mode.
“Stop squirming. You’re driving me nuts,” he complains.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “First day jitters.”
He glances over at me, and whatever he sees on my face softens his expression. Just a little.
“You have nothing to worry about. I’m sure you’ll be back on top of the social hierarchy by lunch,Princess.”
“What?” I blink at him, genuinely confused.
He scoffs.
“Please. Don’t be modest. What were you? Head cheerleader? Homecoming Queen?”
Silence stretches between us as I process that. Then, I burst out laughing. He looks at me, bewildered.
“Oh my God! You think I was popular, don’t you? A cheerleader? That’s rich!” I’m still chuckling as I shake my head. “Why in the world would you think that?”
Axel looks sheepish and doesn’t answer right away. For a second, I wonder if he’s gone back to ignoring me.
“Like you don’t know,” he accuses. “I’m not going to feed your ego.”
“Know what exactly?” I smart back. “That I’m a totalnerd? I make straight A’s. Ilikewriting research papers. I actuallyenjoymath. Not to mention Joe was a dick and made having any kind of a social life impossible. He had no problem harassing or arresting my fellow classmates. Everyone avoided me like the plague, all because I was the sheriff’s stepdaughter.”
His hands tighten on the wheel.
“Huh,” he says thoughtfully, just as we pull into a parking spot, and I get my first look at our school.
