Raegan snorts. “Trashy.”
Ever since Breck was voted Homecoming King, his confidence has been at an all-time high. Lin explained that she’s been letting him ride this wave only because it’s given him a boost in decathlon practice, which he has apparently been crushing.
Whitney glares at Jay. “You weren’t going to tell me?”
Lin gives me a look like,typical.
Jay immediately looks uncomfortable. He clears his throat. “I don’t even know if I’m going—”
“Dude!” Breck interjects. “You said you would.”
Whitney rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Have fun in that STD cesspool.”
“Hey, guys!”
I turn toward the voice. Colton is striding toward us. He’s wearing a typical band T-shirt with a dark green and gray flannel shirt over it, but it’s his smile that’s different. His braces are gone.
He takes in our blank stares. “It’s me, Colton.”
“We know that, dork.” Whitney laughs. “You’re still recognizable without a metal mouth. Congrats, by the way.”
“They took them off this morning.” Colton slides in the seat across from Jay. “I’m a free man.”
“Does this mean you’re giving up toothpicks?” I ask.
Colton shoots me a playful glare. “Hey, toothpicks are good oral hygiene.”
“They’re also disgusting,” Raegan adds.
“Kira?”
My smile fades at the sound of my name. I turn toward the voice, my stomach twisting into knots as I see Alex standing a few feet from our table. Despite the six pairs of eyes currently focused on him, his worried stare finds only mine.
I feel the shame swell over me again. I know why he’s here. He wants to make sure I’m okay, because that’s the type of guy he is. I should feel grateful, but instead I feel my defenses rise.
“Hi,” I say, but it comes out colder than we both expect.
He’s clearly uncomfortable, tugging on the back of his beanie. “I just wanted to see how you were.”
It’s a kind gesture, but I inwardly cringe. Because if he’s going out of his way to come over here to check in on me, then he knows something’s wrong. The last thing I need are his questions. It’s a stinging reminder of how awful I acted toward my dad last night.
“Fine.” I say quickly, hoping he can read my expression and drop the entire thing.
He nods. I expect him to tell me he’ll see me later and go sit with theater friends, but he doesn’t.
“Who… uh, who were those people?”
Everyone at the table is listening closely, and I suddenly realize why. Aside from Lin, my friends don’t know how close I’ve become with Alex. Not once have I invited him over here, yet he’s making an effort because he cares.
But I can’t answer him truthfully, and I don’t have any reasonable excuse to use as a cover-up. So I do the first thing that pops into my head and deny everything.
“What people?”
Alex’s brows furrow. “Last night? At your house?”
I’m weighed down by stares. I’m sinking faster than I can swim.
And then I ruin it.
