It’s why I created a rule when I joined the volunteer tutoring program: no jocks of any kind. Maybe it’s wrong of me to throw them all under the same umbrella. I’m sure they’re not all bad, but still, I’m not risking it.
I take on one student every semester, mostly scholarship kids. I have a sweet spot for helping people who actually want to be here, who work hard, and are genuinely good people.
Sorry, Luke, you can kick my ass all you want, but that doesn’t mean you can scare me into doing your fucking work anymore.
Some people never grow up.
Thank god it’s my last year here. After I graduate, I won’t have to see any of these assholes again.
Once I start up my company, I could go anywhere in the world.
Then I think about leaving Silver Valley, leaving my mom and sister. I couldn’t do that. They’re my whole world, and I love them more than anything. My mom sacrificed so much for us after my dad passed away. I can’t just leave them.
I throw my hood over my head and shove my hands into my pockets as I start the walk home. I should really bring my car into the shop to be seen, but I’m afraid to get behind the wheel at this point. That whirring, crunching sound is kind of worrisome. What if it explodes?
Thankfully, it’s a nice day out, no clouds in the sky.
With my headphones in, I get lost in my audiobook.
Because of that, I don’t hear the car next to me. A horn honks, and I jump. Ripping my headphones out, my head snaps to the side.
“Hey. You need a ride?” a girl in a little black car asks me. She’s got short pink hair and a bright smile.
“Ah, no,” I grunt. “Thanks.” I start to put my headphones back in, but the girl slowly follows next to me.
“You’re Blake, right?”
That has me pausing. I narrow my eyes at her. “How would you know?”
“I’m Valerie, but everyone calls me Val. I know your sister, Nina. She’s on the cheer squad.”
“Are you?” I raise a brow. The last thing I want is to be around cheerleaders. They were almost as bad as the football players in high school.
“Oh god no.” She snorts. “I have the grace of an elephant on skates. Also, the uniforms are not my style. But my bestie, Ellie, is on the team. So is her girlfriend, Rain.”
Those are names I happen to know. Not because I associate with them, but because all of Silver Valley seems to know Eleanor Tatum and her backstory.
“Look, could you please get in the car? I promise I’m not going to kidnap you or anything. But if I leave you here on the side of the road and something bad happens to you, I’m never going to forgive myself. Like, it will eat me alive, Blake. Do you want to be the one to blame for my bad mental health? Not thatI’d be able to be mad at you for long, because you know you’d be dead or whatever, but still.”
“Are you okay?” I ask, blinking at this crazy woman who sounds like she’s had one too many cans of Redbull.
“Depends on who you ask,” she laughs.
“I’m good, really.” I try to turn away, but she just keeps following me. Horns start to honk behind us. “You can go, really. I’m fine.”
“Nope.” She just keeps going at a snail's pace, the cars behind her blowing their horns.
It makes me uneasy. People are shouting out their window, and this Val chick is acting like she couldn’t care less.
“Fine,” I growl, annoyance bubbling up. “If it gets you to leave, I’ll get in the car.”
“Good choice." She grins as I open the passenger's side door.
With a huff, I sit down and secure my seatbelt.
Val throws the car in gear, and I nearly choke on my own tongue when we jolt forward.
“What the fuck?” I croak out as we speed down the road.
