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“You mean the super cute guy walking toward our table with the Hollywood hair and dreamy eyes?”
Chewing my fruit, I turn.
Sure enough, Brooks moves toward us, ignoring the flirty eyes the rest of our cohort are throwing his way.
“Hey.” He sets his tray down beside mine. “I’m Brooks.” He introduces himself to Addy as thought sitting with us is the most natural thing in the world.
“I’m Addison. Addy,” she corrects herself.
I stare at her with wide eyes, attempting to telepathically communicate with her to stop.
“Hey, Squirrel,” Brooks prompts when I don’t speak.
“I will force this banana up your nose if you call me that again.”
“Squirrel?” Addy all but coos. “That’s so sweet.”
“Squirrels are rodents, Addy. It’s not sweet. It’s offensive.”
“You are all tiny like a squirrel.” She ignores me. “And you’re always hiding away in the forest.”
“You never texted me back. Where will your driver pick us up from?”
I close my eyes. “I don’t have a driver.”
“Who picks you up?”
I fight against the sting caused by his simple question. “It’s Monday, so Mom.”
“You didn’t mention your parents were separated?”
“I wish,” I mumble, refusing to engage further.
“Henley’s parents are obsessed with her. They hate one another but basically go into war for her affections. The school had to force scheduled pick-up days to stop them from arguing at the gates. They refuse to get divorced in case one gets awarded more time with her than the other by the courts.”
Girl code, broken.
I glare at my supposed friend.
“What?” she asks innocently. “It’s not a secret, Henny. The entire school saw it happen.”
My esophagus closes over, and I struggle to swallow the banana in my throat. The texture now like glue. Throwing the remainder of the fruit onto my tray, I push it away.
“Sweet, I get to meet your mom.”
I turn to Brooks, but he’s oblivious to my state, his focus set solely on his burger. I watch as he all but dislocates his jaw to take an inhuman bite.
A sense of relief settles within me, and I pull my lunch tray back toward me. He didn’t pry. He didn’t look at me in pity. He didn’t work to see inside my soul. He took Addy’sgossipand let it fall away, refusing to offer it purpose.
“I can’t believe you're eating a banana when they have burgers,” he says when he finally meets my eyes.
“Don’t talk with food in your mouth.”
He shoves me playfully, smiling before ripping at his lunch again.
BROOKS
AGE 16
