I blinked, a thrill of familiar fear dancing down my spine, years and years of fight-or-flight response at being found out embedded in my brain. Did they know something? Had they googled me? Had something come up that my mom missed?
Play it cool.“Did you think you scared me off?”
“We wouldn’t have blamed you.” Atlas grinned. “You’re stuck with us now, babe.”
An awkward laugh bubbled out of me, some of the tension leaving my shoulders.
“Ignore him. He’s just pissed none of the football players will give him the time of day.” Paisley reached into her bag and produced a clear plastic cup with the coffee shop’s logo. She held it out to me like an offering, ice clanging together. “Strawberry matcha. Extra strawberries. I thought you might need emotional support in liquid form.”
“Are you kidding? Thank you.” I sighed, taking the drink greedily into my hands. “You’re officially my favorite person. I’m putting you in my will.”
Atlas’s head snapped up. “Excuse me? I hope you have room in it for me.”
“If you tell me how to get to room”—I glanced at the piece of paper in my hand—“248, I’ll leave you Angel.” Angel was my stuffed bunny and my most prized possession, but he had no idea.
Atlas looped his arm through mine. “That sounds kinky.”
Paisley ignored him, reaching for the paper schedule I’d been clutching. “Let me see what academic trauma you signed up for.” She scanned my schedule, her finger tracing down the list of classes.
Atlas leaned over her shoulder, reading alongside her. “Oof. AP bio first semester. Brave. Reckless. Slightly unhinged. I like it.”
“Is it bad?” I asked, anxiety creeping back.
“Mr. Gifford is fine,” Paisley said as we moseyed down the hall. “Demanding but fair. It’s just a lot of work.”
“And the homework will consume your soul,” Atlas said as he led me along. “Not to mention the lab work.”
“Comforting,” I muttered.
We compared schedules, discovering I had English with Paisley second period and history with Atlas fifth. They walked me to my first class, calculus, giving me the general layout of the school and how each hall was dedicated to a subject.
Since lunch was broken up by year, all seniors were given lunch sixth period, and we were allowed off campus during our break. So I didn’t have to stress or worry about eating alone. We made plans to meet at the front office since it was centrally located.
Did I look for Maddox or Mason as I went through my morning classes? I couldn’t stop myself, but so far, I’d only heard their names murmured on several girls’ lips. They were a popular topic.
By third period, my nerves had settled into almost manageable.
I walked into AP biology, feeling like I nearly had the swing of Elmwood Public. The room was set up differently from my other classes, with lab tables instead of desks, each one black-topped and equipped with gas outlets, sinks, and only two chairs. We would be paired off.
I scanned the room, looking for an empty seat, preferably in the back. Only a handful of my peers had arrived, so I basically had my pick. I meandered to the far back row and plopped behind a table beside a boy with glasses. He gave me a shy, nervous smile, which I returned. He seemed like a safe partner.
Busying myself, I pulled out my notebook and biology text as I waited for the bell to ring. A hush fell over the room, the chatter dying in that weird way that made you realize something was happening. I lifted my head and understood what the fuss was about.
Maddox fucking Corvo had entered the room, drawing every eye, including the professor’s, whose lips tugged downward as if pulled by a string.
If Maddox had been an inch or two taller, he would have had to duck to get through the door, his broad shoulders nearly taking up the entire doorway. His dark hair fell messily to one side as if he’d dragged a hand through it once and left it there. The white tee clung to his chest in all the right places, tattoos peeking out at his forearms. I’d always been attracted to guys with ink, and I was curious how many more he had. Did they mean something? I wanted a closer look, and I wasn’t the only one.
The girl sitting at the table one over sighed, not that I blamed her. It was quite the sight watching Maddox saunter into the room. Those light-green eyes swept right over me, and I wasabout to exhale in relief when they darted back, clashing with mine and staying.
Fuck.
My heart cartwheeled.
How did he do that?
With those piercing eyes still connected to mine, he started toward me.
No way. There is no way he will sit next to me. Right?
