I WALK DOWNthe empty hallway.
It’s my first day back at school, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. One, because it gets me out of the house—I was starting to suffer from cabin fever. Two, because I get to spend first period with Laney, then lunch, then I get to enjoy watching her bounce around in little shorts during volleyball practice. Sometimes it doesn’t totally suck to be Kamdyn Ellis.
I stroll past the lockers toward chem when someone grabs me by the arm. “Whoa!” I’m yanked into the storage room and attacked by a pair of sugary, sweet tasting lips. They smash against mine, and I’m momentarily stunned. “Darla?What the fuck?” I push her away. Seriously, did this chick not get the message? I haven’t called or texted or even breathed in her direction in months, and yet here she is shoving her tongue down my throat.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I wanted to be the first to welcome you back,” she purrs.
“A simple hi would have been fine.” I wipe her sticky lip gloss off my mouth.Yuck.Darla pouts. I’ve been back at school for five seconds, and it’s starting already.
“What’s wrong with you, Kam? You’re no fun anymore.”
“I’m plenty fun, sugar. I’m just not interested in having any with you. I tried to be nice, but that didn’t seem to work. So, let me be clear. I don’t like you. I don’t want to fool around or hang out. I have a girlfriend now. And I don’t think she’d take too kindly to you accosting me in the storage closet.”
“A girlfriend?” Darla squeaks, and then it registers. “Laney Summers?” She almost sounds disgusted.
“Yes, Laney Summers. You have a problem with that?”
“No.” Darla backs down. “She just doesn’t seem like your type.”
“Yeah, well opposites attract. Now, back off.”
The warning bell rings.
“Fine. I’m sorry.” She retreats backwards, hugging herself.
“If you want to apologize to someone, do it to Laney.” I bite.
“You going to tell her?”
“Afraid she’ll kick your ass?”
“No,” Darla huffs.
“You should be. She’s tough. Trust me, I know. I’ve wrestled with her.” Darla scrunches her nose. Didn’t like that mental picture, huh? I grin to myself.
“So, are you going to tell her?” Darla sounds a little more alarmed now. And she should be. I wasn’t kidding when I said Laney was tough. She can definitely throw down.
“Are you going to leave me alone?” I press.
“Yes.”
“Then, no. Let’s keep both our asses out of trouble.”
“Fine.” She agrees.
“Good.” I open the door to a hallway full of my peers. I don’t make it two steps into the crowd when I run right into the person I most wanted to see . . . just not at this moment.
Laney’s eyes widen as she looks between me and Darla. This is not good. So not good. So, so not good.
“No, Laney. It’s not what you think.” I panic.
“Oh, really? Because it looks like you and Darla coming out of the storage room after a morning hook-up.” She gets shoved by someone and loses her footing. I grab her before she falls. “No. Laney.”
“Don’t touch me!” she snaps, pulling away. “God, you really are a douchebag.” She calls me out in the middle of the hallway, stopping pedestrian traffic. Fuck. Just what we need—an audience.
“Can we talk about this someplace else?” I lower my voice so only she can hear me.
“Talk? You think I want to talk to you? Shit, Kam, you really had me fooled.” She sounds so hurt. But it’s not what she thinks. If I can just explain!
