Page 62 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

I stand.

“Where are you going?” Links asks following suit.

“To learn Pretty Girl's name.”

“You could just ask Ross.”

“And risk getting in a fight, getting suspended, and not being on the field for our first win? Not a chance.”

“She’s signing up for chorus, you gonna start singing now?” Lucas chuckles.

“Might.” I shrug as I step forward and see her name. “Jade Ross.”

Blue eyes lift to mine, and there it is again, that look, neither annoyed nor impressed. Curious. Like she's trying to figure me out.

“That's my name.”

I point at the clipboard. “It is. Now I have a name to go with that pretty face.” Blonde Ross immediately chuckles as she signs her name “Blonde Ross, Alex’s sister, is Tessa. Brunette Brooks is Rebecca, and then there’s Phoebe Maxwell”

“There she is,” Phoebe jokes.

“We like her, don’t we, Jade Ross?”

“We do.” She smiles at Phoebe.

“Do we also like the new boy with the good hair and perfect smile?” I ask.

She looks at Lucas, “He’s not smiling, and his hair? It’s a little short for my liking.”

“Well then.” I laugh. “It’s a good thing there’s this guy.” I point to myself.

She bites back a laugh and says, “Early days, T. Lane. Early days.”

Victory, tiny victory, but still a victory.

15

HOMEROOM

Jade

Day one senior year has been interesting. Lots of scheduling issues, classes without enough desks and chairs, freshmen somehow scheduled during senior lunch, and the AP classes I worked my ass off to get into are full. Growing pains, we've been told. Apparently, everything should be fixed by the end of the week.

We'll see.

If it wasn't for the fact that I've caught T. Lane, Tommy, looking at me and smiling half a dozen times today, I'd probably hate the implants from Stoneville. The girls? All awful, dissing our school despite choosing it out of half a dozen others they could have gone to. I get it. Those boys, the one in particular, I may have made the same choice, but they still suck.

Who doesn't suck? Phoebe Maxwell, who is the opposite of A-fucking-manda. I know I shouldn't judge someone based on someone else's mistakes, but Becca once told me that Danny and Jane swore they wouldn't take another foster girl our age after Amanda. Between trying to get with Ryan, then apparently Alex, and all the rumors that flew around BV about Anthony's paternity, she'd done enough damage for a lifetime. Clearly, Danny and Jane could tell Phoebe was different. Heck, anyone who spent five minutes with her could.

“Boo.” Becca appears beside me, making me jump.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” I gasp before looking at Phoebe. “Don't let the good-girl façade fool you. This one is sneaky.”

“Façade?” Becca huffs.

I wave her away and look at Phoebe. “So, you playing?”

“I'm going to try out, I guess.” She nods.