"We're talking about the same Brook, right? The preppy rich girl? The one you hate?"
"I don't hate her. She's tutoring Jake."
"You act like you hate her. You treat her like shit at school."
"I did at first. I don't now."
"You totally blew her off when she tried to talk to you at lunch today."
I rub my jaw, feeling sick to my stomach as I remember the look on her face when I ignored her at lunch. I'm no better than that asshole, Chad. Even with everything going on with me, I never should've treated her that way.
Brook is right. I push her away when I feel like we're getting too close. I thought I was protecting her, keeping her out of my shitty life. But all I’m doing is hurting her.
"So why'd you tell her?" Danny asks.
"She showed up here wanting to know what's wrong. I didn't tell her but she figured it out. Turns out she actually knows about this stuff. She's thinking of being a lawyer. Long story short, she told me how the parole thing works and we found the parole hearing date online."
"And then she left?"
"Not right away, but yeah. She left." I'm regretting that more and more as each minute goes by. I shouldn't have let her leave. I should've told how I felt. But I was too damn afraid. I still am.
"Is something going on with you two?" Danny asks, moving to the edge of the couch.
"We've sort of been hanging out."
"Seriously? Why didn't I know this?"
"Because I didn't want to tell you. I knew you'd give me shit for spending time with a girl."
"I would, but only because you're so against having a girlfriend."
"She's not a girlfriend. She's just a friend."
"Did you sleep with her?"
I don't answer.
He stares at me, then says, "You like this girl."
I look at him. "If I didn't, we wouldn't be friends."
"Holy shit," he says with a laugh. "You don't just like her. You love her."
"I don't love her. If I loved her, I wouldn't have treated her like shit today."
"That's exactly what you'd do." He nods. "I'm finally putting it together."
"What?"
"Why you're always bullying her at school."
"I don't bully her."
"The threats. The intimidation. That's not bullying?"
I roll my eyes. "What's your point?"
"You put in a lot of effort to make this girl go away. I've never seen you try that hard with some other girl."
