"I'm desperate to find him. He called me a few weeks ago and said he was leaving and couldn't talk to me again."
"Like ever?" Trystan turns to me. "That doesn't sound like Uncle Devon. Was he drunk?"
"No. All I know is he gave up his apartment in LA and took off to live somewhere else. He wouldn't say where but in the background I heard an announcement for El Centro, like he was at a bus station. He told me I was better off living with Brock than him and that he didn't want to talk to or see me ever again."
"Shit, that's harsh. You just lost your mom. And now your dad tells you to get lost? You sure he wasn't on something?"
"I think your dad is looking for him too. I heard him talking to someone and he mentioned El Centro." I grab Trystan's arm. "Don't tell your dad this. He doesn't want me finding Devon."
"Devon? You mean your dad?"
"Yeah." I let go of his arm. "Just think about it and let me know." I get out of the car, nervous after telling him that. I shouldn't have done it. I can't trust Trystan. He could turn on me and tell Brock what I said. Dammit. Why did I tell him?
When I walk into school, I'm greeted by green and black streamers coming down from the ceiling. The walls are covered with green and black posters that read "Go Falcons!" and "Go Braden!"
"Isn't it great?" Peyton says, coming up beside me. "The cheerleaders decided we needed to do more to support the team so we decorated the halls. We're going to do it before every game."
"The game isn't until Friday."
"We're getting people excited." She steps in front of me. "You're coming, right? To the game?"
"Probably not," I say, realizing I have no reason to go. Jackson said he didn't need me spying on the team anymore and I've given up trying to get on Braden's good side, so why would I go?
"You HAVE to go," Peyton says. "To support Braden."
"I think he has enough support," I say, looking at all the posters with Braden's name. I don't see any other names. Just Braden's. It's like Jackson said. The Twisted Pine football team isn't a team but a person. The other players are just there to support him.
"Why isn't anyone else on the posters?" I ask. "Braden isn't the only one playing on Friday."
"But Braden's the star. He'll win us the game, like he always does."
"He throws the ball. If someone didn't catch it, we wouldn't win, so Braden alone can't win us the game."
"You know what I mean," she says, twirling her hair. "I have to go to class but you're going to the game. You can sit with me!" She walks off.
"You're not cheering?" I yell through the crowded hall.
She turns back and frowns, rubbing her head. "Migraine."
"It's Wednesday. It'll be gone by—" I don't finish. She can't hear me, and as soon as I said it, I realized her migraine is another made-up illness so she won't have to cheer. If she doesn't like cheerleading, why did she try out?
Someone shoves my arm. "See that?"
I look back and see Braden pointing at a poster that has his name on it.
"They love me," he says. "I own the school and everyone here, including you. Don't even try to fucking challenge me like you did yesterday."
I whip around to face him. "You don't own me. And I'll sit wherever I want."
"I don't give a fuck where you sit. But you do something like that again, I'll put you in your place."
"Which is where? Bowing at your feet?" I roll my eyes.
"To start. Yeah." He laughs. "Actually, I'd like to see that."
"Too bad because it's never happening."
Before he can say anything else, I walk away and go to my locker. As I'm opening it, Alyssa comes up beside me.
