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I was aware that Lark had another dance rehearsal, and I considered asking him to hang out again afterward, but from our earlier text exchanges, I knew he had to get home right away because his mom had to work. His friend Pete was going to help out with Star until he got home, and he felt guilty about that. After that night in the bell tower, we’d been texting nightly. One time he needed help with a math assignment, so I’d called him and it was all business. He met me before school one morning as well, for the same reason. But Spencer was still in the room, so we found a table near the student center and worked there. We got a few stares, but we both ignored them as we hunkered down to work. I didn’t mind at all because I enjoyed spending time with him under any circumstances.
But damn, after what’d transpired between us in the bell tower, it was hard not to want to reach out and touch him, and I had never wanted that with anyone before. That might’ve explained why I felt hot all over when our feet kept brushing under the table.
Spencer pulled out of the lot and drove toward the more commercial area of town, where all the stores and restaurants were located. It was during rush hour, and when we got stuck behind a bus, Spencer cursed, but he had no other option than to wait it out.
When the bus pulled to the next stop to let someone off, Spencer was finally able to get around it. I froze in my seat when I saw Lark step onto the sidewalk. He walked toward an entrance with fencing and a sign that read: Lakeview Trailer Park.
So the rumors were true. I was grateful Spencer didn’t notice because he was sure to make some off-handed comment.
I must’ve gotten lost in my head the next few minutes because when Spencer nudged my arm, I realized we were in line at the fast-food window already. “What do you want?”
“Um, a number three with a Coke.”
I tried to carry on a normal conversation with Spencer the whole way back to school but failed miserably. It would be stupid to bring up the trailer park with Lark. But it did help explain why he kept refusing rides home from me. At the same time, I found it surprising because of how straightforwardly he’d told me about his family’s other struggles.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Spencer asked as he parked.
“Starving and tired,” I muttered.
“I hear you.”
We went inside with our food and ate it in the common area in front of the television because Spencer was a neat freak about crumbs in our room. Plus, the smell would linger, and he’d have to spray that apple-cinnamon air freshener his mother had bought him, which made my stomach turn.
“What the fuck, why didn’t you take our orders?” Flash asked, glancing at our burgers and fries. Likely he had just returned from the dining hall, where he’d chowed down on the special of the day.
“Sorry, spur-of-the-moment decision,” Spencer replied. “You guys didn’t ask us the other night either.”
He and Smitty had gone to some fried-chicken place and brought back a bucket they didn’t want to share. But there were nights when we all chipped in on pizzas together, especially if we didn’t want to eat in the dining hall. They served some gross deep-dish kind instead of the New York or Jersey style.
“True, but your food looks way better than that greasy cheesesteak,” Flash said as A-Train approached, looking freshly showered. “Can you believe this bullshit?”
“Looks good, but I’ve got dinner plans tonight,” A-Train said with a gleam in his eye.
“That girl from last Saturday?” Spencer asked.
“Yeah, we’re meeting at Applebee’s.”
“Fancy,” I teased after swallowing a mouthful of fries. I lifted the bag to offer the rest to Flash. He grabbed a handful and scarfed them down.
“Wait, didn’t she want to get with Henners at one point?” Flash asked as he dipped another fry in ketchup.
“Maybe, but he didn’t lock it up. Besides, once she laid eyes on me, it was all over.” A-Train flexed, and we laughed.
“She was hot,” Flash said. “Not hot enough for you, Henners?”
“You know how picky he is,” Spencer replied, trying to save me yet again.
Flash snorted. “What the hell? It’s only hooking up.”
“Maybe I don’t want to hook up with just anyone.”
Right then my eyes locked on Emil as he left Jonah’s room, who was in the marching band too if I wasn’t mistaken. He threw me a strange, searching look, as if he could see right through me. He must’ve overheard our conversation.
Panic gripped my chest, and I opened my mouth to say something about another hot girl I was interested in, but I was so damned sick of hiding. So I just let it go.
23
LARK
