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One glance at Topher and I knew it hadn’t been him. His gaze was focused on the lecture. The same crinkle in his brow was present as when he concentrated during our tutoring sessions, and I had to resist the urge to smooth it out with my finger.
I threw the little wad of paper on the floor in disgust and focused my eyes back on Ms. Stone, trying not to let it get to me. But a couple seconds later, JT hissed, “Hey, Skunk.”
Inside I cowered. I knew he was talking to me—but on the outside, I held my head up, my expression stony.
“Hey, Skunk!” he said louder this time, eliciting a couple chuckles from the room.
Then a crumpled piece of paper hit the side of my face and fell on top of my notebook. Though I knew better, I slowly opened it to see a boy’s sloppy scrawl.Scurry back to yourdenand—
Someone ripped the paper from my hands before I could finish reading it.
I turned and blinked over at Topher who held the crumpled paper in his fist, his cheeks flushed with anger. His mouth pressed into a thin line.
He cut his eyes to JT and Mikey behind me, and a vein in his forehead throbbed. “Leave her alone,” he barked.
“Watch out,” Mikey murmured, “or she’ll spray you.”
JT spluttered out a laugh, and I wonder how long they’d been saving that lame joke when Topher’s eyes blazed. “I said, knock it off.”
“Is there a problem here, gentlemen,” Ms. Stone asked, and if my face wasn’t hot with embarrassment already, it was now.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Topher flashed her his bright, perfect smile and said, “Not at all. I just wanted the class to know . . .” He glanced around him, and my pulse thumped in my ears, and the air thinned as I hung onto his every word.
“Anyone who messes with my friend, Penelope, here, has to deal with me.” He nodded to Ms. Stone and casually waved a hand out in front of him. “Apologies for the distraction. Carry on.”
Though she shot him a warning with her eyes, she turned back to the chalkboard while I tried to catch Topher’s gaze but failed.
Later that afternoon, I waited for him outside in the courtyard. It was warm and sunny, though the air was thick and hinted of rain. I sat at the base of a large maple, staring out toward the lush green soccer fields. The change of scenery had been his suggestion, in part due to the beautiful afternoon, but for reasons I couldn’t explain, it made me nervous. Or maybe it was the way he defended me to his friends earlier. I wasn’t sure.
“It’s our last day this week together because of my schedule. You going to miss me, P?”
Speak of the devil.
Turning toward the sound of his voice, I glanced up at him, shielding my eyes from the sun, and when a flood of warmth rushed through me at the sight of him, I knew I was in trouble. Scarlett was right. I had a crush on Topher Elliot.
With a pit of dread in my stomach, I said, “I’ll still see you in econ.”
“True, but econ isn’t as much fun as this. I don’t get to irritate you like I do in our sessions after school.”
I snorted but said nothing.
What could I say? The truth was he did annoy me, but now that I saw there was more to him than some brainless jock, I kinda liked it in an odd, love-hate sort of way.
“So, what are we working on today? Calculus homework?” I asked, rummaging through my bookbag for my notebook.
He stared at me for a beat, as if he had something else he wanted to say before he opened his book and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.
We worked side by side on our homework, finishing calculus and physics with a few minutes to spare before our hour was up. Neither of us said much as we packed up our bags, and I realized I think I liked it better when he annoyed me with chip bags and dissenting opinions on Shakespeare because the awkward silence was killing me.
Bags packed, we faced each other as if reluctant to leave.
I glanced over at him from underneath my lashes as he settled a ballcap on his head, then pulled a pack of gum out of the front pouch of his backpack and offered me some, but I declined, shaking my head no.
“Did you hear IRL is coming out with a surprise album?” he asked as he popped a piece in his mouth, and I watched him chew. “It releases next month.”
I smiled, glad he wasn’t in a hurry to get away from me. “I did hear. It’s going to be really hard to beat their last one though. That was by far their best record.”
“No way,” he shouted. “Welcome to Thunderdome was definitely their best, and it was also their first, which makes it more impressive.”
