"Stevens!" Braden yells. "What the fuck did I tell you?"
"She asked me a question," he says.
"Fucking ignore her."
"What movie was it?" I ask Dante, keeping the smile going.
"A comedy. Can't think of the title."
"It was that one with the frat house," Miles says to me.
"Yeah, I know what you're talking about."
"I saw it too," Kade says. "It wasn't bad."
Braden stands up. "What the fuck?"
The guys eat their lunches, none of them looking at Braden.
"I said we're not talking to her," Braden says. "How much fucking clearer do I have to be?"
"I went to this new barbecue place," Dante says.
"Really?" I smile even wider. "How was it?"
"Go fuck yourselves," Braden says as he storms off.
"He's stressed about the game," Kade says. "Been a pain in the ass at practice. Even worse than usual. Nobody wants to be around him."
Itmustbe bad. This is the first time I've heard the guys say anything negative about Braden.
Miles laughs. "I can't believe you sat here. You're a badass, Halliway."
"Thanks," I say, glancing at Alyssa. She's holding back a smile.
"Did you see his reaction when she sat down?" Kade says to the guys, laughing. "I thought fucking steam was gonna start coming out of his head. His face got all red. Funny as hell."
Miles' smile drops and he looks at me. "Just because we're talking to you doesn't mean we're okay with you being with Jackson."
"What the fuck are you doing with that guy?" Kade says. "You know he's our enemy."
"Why? Because Braden doesn't like him?" I roll my eyes. "That's a stupid reason to hate someone."
"We hate him because he left," Miles says. "If he'd stayed we would've gone to State last year."
"He didn't want to be here," I say. "He's not going to stay at a school he doesn't like just to make you guys happy."
"I don't know why he didn't like it here," Theo says, sitting down in Braden's seat. He's the only one allowed to sit there besides Braden, and it's only because he's the second string quarterback. But if Braden comes back, he has to move. It's so dumb.
"Jackson had the power," Theo says. "Braden would be nothing if Jackson was still here."
"Braden's quarterback," Kade says. "He'd still have power."
"Jackson played better, and everyone liked him. They'd follow him and not Braden. Doesn't matter if Jackson wasn't quarterback."
"He's right," Dante says, starting on his second plate of food. "Jackson would've ruled Twisted Pine, and he would've kept Braden in line."
"Wait." I lower my voice. "Are you guys saying you actually like Jackson?"
