Page 61 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

“What's funny?” Links asks.

I nod toward her. “She's checking her hair.”

“So?”

I look at him. “You don't find that adorable?”

“No.” He states simply.

“That's because you've become numb from the waist down.” He shakes his head.

Pretty Girl fluffs her hair, her cousin says something. Pretty Girl immediately does it again. Then digs out lip gloss.

I laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I say, and he rolls his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back.

But it’s not nothing. I laughed because she doesn't need any of it. She's already the prettiest girl in all of Blue Valley, possibly even the whole damn world, and she knows it.

The new girl from Brooks' truck sits beside them. She still looks nervous, like she's waiting for somebody to tell her she doesn't belong here.

Pretty Girl notices, of course, she does, and within seconds, she's talking to her.

Not making a big deal about it, just including her.

The blonde Ross Brooks joins in, and a minute later, the new girl is smiling. A real smile. Not polite or relieved, real.

“Shot to the heart, man, shot to the fucking heart.” I groan.

“Tommy man⁠—”

“Hot and sweet. That’s a fucking⁠—”

He cuts me off. “They all seem sweet until they’re not.”

The principal finally walks onto the stage, the microphone squeals, and everybody groans even before the speech begins.

Budget cuts. Merged schools. Rules. Pep rallies. Sports signups. The usual. I catch maybe half of it. The rest of the time, I find myself watching Pretty Girl.

She laughs easily, leans toward people when they talk, and actually listens when they're speaking. Every once in a while, she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, and my hand twitches, wanting to do that for her.

“You're doing it again.”

I glance at Links. “Doing what?”

“Being weird.”

“I'm not being weird.”

He looks at me.

I look at him. “Okay, maybe a little.”

The speech finally wraps up, and the room immediately erupts into noise as everybody stands. Pretty Girl stands too, blonde Ross, brunette Brooks, and the blonde new girl follow.

The four of them start toward the sign-up tables.