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“Then you run.”
I let go of Scout’s arm and stepped back, still trembling but not as badly as moments ago. I’d done it.
I’d gotten out.
He watched me. His uncle watched me. I knew the entire class was watching, and as I felt tears streaming down my face, I gulped for a breath and said, “Can we do it again? But faster.”
“Yeah,” Miles said. “We’ll do it as much as you want.”
Good. I nodded. Good.
73
SCOUT
The kitchen light was on when I got home, but it was empty. I didn’t think much of it as I headed for the stairs.
I was passing the front door when my uncle called my name.
I paused. "Yeah?"
He came to the kitchen, standing in the doorway, a drink in hand. “You were with Ramsay?”
I gave him a nod. “I’m later than I intended. Kinda a big night tonight . . .” Then I got a good look at his face. “What’s going on?”
He motioned behind him. "We're in the front office. Can you come in with us?"
“Us?” I asked as I walked in and trailed off as I saw her.
She rose from her seat, smoothed her hands down her pants, and gave me a nervous smile. "Heya, buddy. How are you?"
I didn’t answer because, if she was here, giving me her scared look, that meant nothing good. That meant disaster was coming.
I sighed. "Hi, Mom."
74
RAMSAY
The intercom was staticky when the vice principal was announcing next week’s themes for each day. Monday was Out of This World Day. We were supposed to dress up as our favorite galactic being because our future was “So out of this world.” It was a little cheesy, but I had to admit that a part of me was excited to see everyone’s costumes on Monday. Except, as I walked into school, I had a feeling no one was talking about any of those topics. All eyes went to me. Conversations muted as I approached, then picked up on whispers as I passed. I had a sinking feeling that I was the newest topic. Or, to be more specific, Scout and I were because, after last night at his uncle’s lesson, we were out and out in a big way.
Someone had been recording us. That video was on social media.
Alred had been the first one to see it, almost immediately after the lesson ended. We were still at the gym. He jumped up and thrust his phone in my face. “Look at him being all there for you as you’re breaking down? I’m swooning. You’re out, out!”
Though, Theresa’s reaction had been the loudest. She stared at me with her mouth on the floor. “You and Scout Raiden?! Are you kidding me? I knew it. I mean I suspected, but then you and him. And him with his forehead to yours. And the whispering, but I heard him call you babe. You’re babe to him. Yeah. I so knew it.”
Gem was quietly smiling until Alred yelled, pointing at her. “You knew!”
Theresa started to launch for her, but Cohen and Amalia joined us and everything got forgotten because Cohen broke the news he was taking Kira to Homecoming to them.
Turning down the hallway to my locker now, I saw Gem waiting at my locker, her back to it, her head down, and she was studying her nails. I made my way to her. “Hey.”
She smiled back, saying, “Hey back—”
“About time the two of you came out,” Kira’s voice cut in as she swung around to stand in front of Gem with the Homecoming planning committee in tow. She put her arm around my shoulders and leaned half into me. “And since he’s taking you to Homecoming, the sex has got to be great. I’m impressed, Williams. Impressed. Good job.”
Gem’s mouth had twisted up, then fell by the end of Kira’s statement.
Kira didn’t notice, leaving just as quick as she showed up, giving me a two-finger salute with a smirk.
Gem frowned. “Kira knew?”
“No. I knew she knew something, but I kept forgetting to push Scout when we were alone, and then things got crazy the night I did tell you.”
“Crazy how?”
I’d just stepped wrong. I’d not said anything because my cousins didn’t want anyone to know. Their family business was their family business. I was respecting it, but I didn’t know how to separate our run-in with the fraternity from what was going on with my cousins so I’d kept quiet.
“I can’t say. I’m so sorry.”
“Say to me?”
“Say to anyone.”
“But Kira knew?”
“I—” I didn’t know what to say to make it better because she was looking hurt, really hurt, by that fact. “I don’t know what Kira knows.”
“She obviously knows something or knew something.”
“Gem, I . . .”
“You know, don’t. I get that you went through something seriously messed up, but I was so excited when you told me about you and Scout. You were dropping some of the walls. Finally letting me in, but I’m right back to where I was before. Have I done anything to you for you not to trust me?”
