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I’m already smiling as I open the message.
Hey, my cucumber friend?
Chapter One
I’ll Scream
‘Are you going to stare at that all day?’
I hate Chase Maverick. I hate how attractive I find his manspreading. I hate how the black pants of his uniform cling to his thighs, and how his white button-down shirt is rolled to the sleeves, revealing the veins up his arms. I hate how he spreads his arm across the couch behind me. I hate how his mouth quirks at the corner and how his green eyes seem to laugh at me.
I especially hate the way my heart does this stupid thing when I’m around him.
I hate beautiful, dark-haired boys with pretty smiles.
I pocket my phone and glare at him.
‘It’s better than staring at you,’ I say, cursing how breathless I sound.
He licks his lips as he stares at my mouth. When his gaze meets mine, my face burns. ‘Then why are you still looking?’
I hear his soft chuckle as I quickly glance away. I feel his eyes roam over me, and my heart pounds. I’m not even sure where my animosity for him comes from. He’s never done anything to offend me, but he takes it uponhimself to rile me at every opportunity he gets. Maybe he plays on my attraction for him, but sometimes I stop and wonder if Chase Maverick is even a nice person at all.
One time I farted in English and it smelt so bad the teacher had to crack open all the windows. Chase who, unfortunately, had sat next to me that day, never fails to remind me of it, even though he took the blame.
I was thankful my grades were so atrocious the school decided to keep me in year 11 an extra year, because fuck being in sixth form with Chase.
But Chase is a shadow in comparison to his best friend.
School stud and existential playboy, Archer Toban swaggers into the common room like he’s just taken a girl in the bathroom. He plants himself on the arm of the couch beside me. The smell of pot and beer makes me sneeze.
Chase makes a sound in the back of his throat like a strangled laugh, but Archer slings an arm around my shoulders and smiles at me. ‘Cute little thing, aren’t you?’ he says.
I’m not charmed by Archer. If he wasn’t so disgustingly perverted, his blond hair and blue eyes might actually be attractive. Thankfully, I’ve never had to share a class with him—namely because he’s in sixth form with Chase, and namely because he’s always winding up in detention, anyway. I don’t really know him, but a few weeks ago he and my best friend, Cassie Sinclair, had a whimsical fling—which, much to my own dismay, only added to her confidence.
I can’t say why I hate him. Maybe it has something to do with him consistently believing every girl here worships him.
I jolt up, away from his touch. He slides into my seat. ‘Thanks, love.’
My face burns. I glare at Chase, but he’s watching Archer with a carefully neutral expression.
Why does Chase associate with someone like Archer? Chase doesn’t say much about his best friend, but something tells me he’s in constant disapproval of him.
Cassie catches up to me in the cafeteria. She pointedly bangs her tray down.
‘Where were you?’ she says. ‘I thought we were meeting in the common room?’
‘I waited.’
‘What happened?’
‘Archer happened.’
‘Ugh.’ Her nose scrunches in distaste. ‘He is truly vile. Why I ever went there is beyond comprehension. Wait—did he do something to you? Are you okay? Do I need to kick him in his balls again?’
I smile around a bite of apple. ‘Now I kind of want to say yes just so I get to see him turn blue and roll on the floor.’
She mirrors my grin. And then she sighs, looking deflated. ‘Do you know what the worst part was of our breakup? He’ssogood in the sack.’
