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“Kennedy,” Shelbie says again, and I finally jolt out of the standoff.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” I roll my shoulders and let out a small breath.
The girls move on to their next target while Shelbie casts me a concerned glance. “You know how she can be.”
“She’s a fucking bitch,” I snap a little louder than intended.
Shelbie snickers at that. “You’re not wrong there. I heard you got pulled into Henderson’s office?”
“I guess it was silly to think I could just slip back into class unnoticed.”
We move down the line, helping ourselves to the least offending looking items.
“FIGHT!” someone yells, and all hell breaks loose over by the tables.
Shelbie rolls her eyes, completely unaffected. “Just another day in paradise.”
Eventually a teacher wades in and tears two guys off each other.
“Mr. Kulick is a brave guy,” she snorts. “Miller is watching you.”
“Ugh,” I grumble. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Don’t you?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Her expression softens. “He’s worried. We both are.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“You have your cell phone?”
“I...” I hesitate and she sees it.
“That asshole took your cell?”
My shoulders lift in a small shrug as I try to avoid her gaze.
“Kenny, that’s messed up.”
“I know what I’m doing, Shelb. You don’t have to worry about me.” But as I say the words, pain coils around my heart.
I thought I knew... the second I saw Warren’s text message—his threat—I thought I knew. But now I’m here, and Conner’s not, and everything feels wrong.
Tears sting the backs of my eyes, but I lock down the emotion rising inside me. You can’t show weakness in a place like Heights High.
“Come on,” Shelbie says, paying for my lunch. She doesn’t even ask, she just does it.
“I’ll pay you back,” I whisper as we weave through the crammed tables.
We manage to find an empty one near the back. It’s quieter over here.
“You don’t have to sit with me, you know.”
She scoffs. “Like I’m going to leave you to the wolves.” Her eyes flick to the girls watching us.
“Is it crazy I’d forgotten how much it sucks here?”
