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The silence stretched between us as we stood in line at the library to request copies of all four assigned books. I was angry. Angry at Garrett and Devan for pulling this bullshit with the assignment, angry at Devan and Micah for blowing me off right when I’d started to think maybe not everyone at this school was horrible. But most of all, I was angry that I cared.
We reconvened in the library lobby after we’d received our books, and I pulled the assignment sheet out of my bag. “Okay, so we need to divide up the work and set up a time to meet after class to work on it.” I glared between them. They’d get what they wanted when I left in another week, but I was damn well going to pull my weight until then.
“Here,” Devan sighed, holding out his hand. “Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in it so we can keep in touch.”
I blinked at him for a moment, before dropping my bag to the floor and crouching down to rifle through it. I had the phone to keep in touch with my aunt, though neither of us had ever used it, and half the time I only barely remembered I even had one.
There’d been a time, not that long ago, that I’d had friends, and a phone filled with numbers, group texts, friends sending me funny memes and pictures. I’d had a life. But those friends had dropped off one by one, awkward in the face of my parents’ deaths, not bothering to keep in touch after I moved, then moved again. Eventually, I’d deleted all the numbers.
I’d even deleted Ian’s number, the man who had been like my uncle throughout my entire life. That one, I’d immediately regretted, though as time stretched he’d never contacted me either. I assumed he was giving me the space he thought I wanted, though the thought of returning to California and reuniting with the only parental figure I had left filled me with longing.
I dug the phone out of the bottom of my bag, then wiped off the dust before handing it over. I didn’t even keep it locked. There was nothing in there worth protecting.
Devan took the phone and thumbed open my contacts.
“There’s only one person in here.” He glanced up at me.
“You’re very observant,” I said coldly.
He opened his mouth again, then shut it with a snap. His eyes were on my phone, and a strange expression passed over his face. I blinked and it was gone, so fast I thought I’d imagined it.
He typed briefly, then rather than hand it back to me, he held it out toward Garrett.
“Here, put your number in, too,” he said.
“It’s fine, she’s got yours, she doesn’t need both,” Garrett grumbled dismissively.
“I said, put yours in too,” Devan insisted with a weird intensity I’d never seen from him, pushing the phone into his friend’s hand. I looked between them, confused, but Devan shrugged at me and smiled. “I’m not always great at responding. It’ll be best if you have us both.”
Garrett went utterly still, my phone clutched tight in his hand, before seeming to rouse himself enough to enter his own number. The two boys shared an unreadable glance, then Garrett handed me my phone back. I opened it up and sent a quick text to each of them.
“There, now you have my number, too.”
“Good.” Devan stuck his hand into his pocket when his phone chimed. “We’ll be in touch to set up a time to meet.”
“Okay,” I said, confused. “But while we’re here, we could—”
They were already backing away. “No, we have to go. We’ll text you,” Devan assured me, and then before I could say another word the library door was swinging shut behind them.
I stared after them, then shoved my phone into my pocket.
Seriously, the people here made no fucking sense at all.
15
I really needed to stop getting to class early, I thought, groaning quietly as Drew slid down the wall to sit beside me outside the drawing classroom. I considered getting up and leaving, but I wasn’t sure there was anywhere I could go that he wouldn’t follow me, and at least there were other people here.
“What can I do for you, Drew?” I asked sweetly, hoping to head him off at the pass.
But despite the pleasant smile on his face, when he leaned in close, his words were pure acid. “Don’t think just because the splint is gone I’ve forgotten what I owe you.”
I smiled, batting my eyes at him while shifting my weight to sit on my hands so he wouldn’t see my clenched fists. “Oh, don’t be silly Drew, you don’t owe me anything. I was happy to do it.”
I knew I shouldn’t provoke him, but I refused to let him see I was afraid of him. It was what he wanted, and I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
He sat back, his eyes reminding me of a shark, like he was wondering if it was worth his time to rip me to shreds. “You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?”
“I’ll play dumb if it gets you to leave me alone.”
