Mabel grabs my hand. “Let’s wait over here for Tucker.”
“Okay.” I let her guide me to the curb outside Fallbrook’s massive stone facade. The historical school looks welcoming in the dimming evening sun. There’s a crisp January breeze in the air, and it rustles the trees peppering the campus around us. A few birds chirp in the sky, reminding me for a moment of the one and only Little Birdie, Fallbrook’s anonymous gossiper who disappeared right before winter break two weeks ago, and has been silent ever since. No one knows what happened to her—or him. And it’s been a hot topic of conversation in all my classes since school started back up.
Mabel squints into the crowd of players emptying into the parking lot. I try to help her spot Tucker, but my gaze snags on the last person I want to see.
Ezra turns like he can feel me looking at him. And just as he fully faces my direction, I lose my balance on the edge of the curb and careen toward the cement.
“Rue!” Mabel yells.
But I smack onto the ground knee-first. A small dab of blood appears on my ripped tights when I inspect the spot, thanks to the lack of protection my skirt uniform provides. A few people around me gasp, and a couple even snicker. I wish I could melt into the asphalt. Or teleport back to the bleachers, where I could at least pretend I wasn’t dying inside. If Little Birdie were still around, I just know I’d be tonight’s headline.Dearest Fledglings,the app would read,Rue Sullivan couldn’t help but fall to the ground after falling for her best friend’s boyfriend! What sort of flailing will come next for this fearless flapper?
My cheeks burn as I brush myself off. Slowly, I glance up to find Ezra only a few feet away, looking right at me. This close, I can’t help but notice even more details about him, small things I hadn’t noticed before. He has earrings now—one tiny stud in each ear. His jaw and cheekbones have somehow become more prominent. The only thing that hasn’t changed is his eyes. They’re still the soul-consuming brown I remember. And as I take him in, his thick lips are pouting at me. He’s wearing a similar frown to the one I saw on the court, but somehow this one is worse. It’s an accusatory frown. Like I’m his opponent, but this isn’t a game, so what am I doing in his territory? Until now, we’ve never crossed into each other’s stomping grounds. But today, I broke the rules.
I shoot him back a glare so menacing, it makes his frown deepen.
Yep. This is exactly why my gut has been twisting so badly since the moment Mabel asked me to come here.
I already knew from the start what being so close to my worst enemy would feel like.
Chapter 2
Rue
Even though winter break ended last week, it’s been nerve-wracking to be back at Fallbrook Christian Prep.
Not because of anything academics-related, but because of my friends. The strain between me, Meredith, and her boyfriend Carlton is starting to feel too heavy.
With a sigh, I approach the grand, imposing institution I’ve been attending since freshman year. Sometimes, it feels like it’s been longer, and I often wonder how I’m only a junior when I’ve already been through so much here.
The narrow stone corridors feel like home. Sometimes, they even feel more like home than home does. But that’s only thanks to the various strangers Mom always has crowding our living room to fund whatever gimmick she’s selling at the time. Thankfully, she keeps a full-time job as an insurance agent, but I bet if she could, she’d quit to sell whatever product her whims lead her to moment by moment.
I half expect someone to comment on my spill at last night’s basketball game. After all, people have had their eyes on me since Little Birdie posted about me liking Carlton, and I’ve already been getting pity glances like no other. Me falling will probably only add fuel to the fire.
If it weren’t for Little Birdie, I’d just be any other theater girl who doesn’t mind being onstage, pretending to be someone else, but constantly feeling shy in her own skin. I could move undetected through the halls when I’m Rue, offstage, but enjoy the attention being an actress deserves when I’m in character, onstage. With an anonymous gossiper posting about me, it’s been impossible.
That’s the worst part about being forced into the light when I’d rather blend like a chameleon—everyone knows my business, and I don’t have the guts to attempt to keep the rumors at bay.
And everyone—literallyeveryone—knows Carlton didn’t choose me back. Because after moving on from Dot, he picked the next most beautiful girl in our friend group to set his sights on.
Meredith.
I thought he and I had a connection, but it must have been one-sided, despite him being a known flirt. I know he wouldn’t purposely lead me on like that.
As I walk to homeroom, I can’t help but wonder why Little Birdie chose to focus on someone like me in the first place. Sure, I’m in the drama club, and Little Birdie has made it his or her mission to single us out among all the students. But still…I’m hardly the most interesting of the group.
They posted about me, ruined my life, and then disappeared.
I don’t know why I’m even surprised.
A girl bumps me with her shoulder as she passes me. “Sorry,” she mumbles.
I don’t even respond because I’m so used to it. But then I hear her whisper something to her friend, and the name that leaves her mouth catches my attention.
“Did you see how cute Ezra Davis looks today?”
Ezra Davis.
Ugh. It’s like I can’t escape him now that I acknowledged him. Stood a few feet away from him and even made eye contact with him.
