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“Twenty-seven!”
“Thirty!”
“Thirty-five!”
The bids continued to go up. I glanced at the announcer, and he was staring at the room, bemused, like he couldn’t believe it either.
“Fifty thousand!” Sebastian had just yelled.
Carter's hands were fisted at his sides, and he looked seconds away from decking his best friend.
“Fifty-five!” Jack shouted.
This was insanity. Lunacy in its finest form.
“Sixty-five,” the guy in front suddenly said, his beady eyes glinting with determination.
Oh fuck. Please don’t let him be the winner.
“One hundred thousand!” Carter bellowed.
There was a wave of shock that shot across the crowd at that bid. I gaped at him, probably looking like a deranged farm animal, but honestly…
The guy in front sat down, his lips moving silently as he muttered obscenities to himself.
Thank fuck.
“Two hundred thousand,” Sebastian said, wacking his sign on the table for emphasis.
“Three hundred!” Jack answered. I mean, I knew hockey players made a lot of money…but this was a lot, even for them…right?
“Five hundred thousand dollars,” Carter snarled. He leaned over and said something to Jack and Sebastian that I couldn’t hear. They both had twin looks of amusement on their faces though, and Jack was rolling his eyes at whatever Carter was saying.
They both sat down though.
“Five hundred going once. Five hundred going twice!” The auctioneer banged his gavel on the podium in front of him. "Sold to team captain Carter Hayes for five hundred thousand dollars!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, their whispers almost as loud as their cheering. People’s gazes were darting from me to Carter, speculation in their eyes.
For once, I didn’t care.
Carter and I were just staring at each other. He looked extremely proud of himself…and me…well, if you’d told me that after an archaic, sexist event like this I would actually feel confident about myself…
I wouldn’t have believed you.
The high school hallway was a bustling, frenetic space filled with gossiping teenagers. Rows of dull gray lockers lined both sides of the corridor, their metal surfaces marred by years of scuffs and stickers, bearing the memories of countless students who had passed through these halls. The scent of teenage angst and anticipation hung in the air, a heady mix of body sprays, cafeteria food, and the faintest trace of pencil shavings.
As I walked down the hall, I pretended to be unaware of all the eyes on me. Packs of friends chatted animatedly, their laughter and gossip mingling in the air. Some leaned against the lockers, engrossed in conversations that seemed of utmost importance, while others hurried along, lost in the whirlwind of their own thoughts and concerns.
“Oh, Kennedy…” I froze, immediately recognizing the cloying voice.
Sasha. I was tempted to keep walking, but it would probably make it worse. Predators always loved the chase.
I turned around to face her, and she grinned cruelly as she flicked her long, chestnut hair over her shoulder. She made a big show of staring at what I was wearing.
“Shopping at Goodwill again, Kenny?” I bit down on my lip. She was just being an asshole. This shirt was actually from Target, thank you very much. I’d done my best to work as many extra hours as I could in my after school jobs so I didn’t have to shop at Goodwill this year—not that there was anything wrong with that.
“Do you need something?” I drawled, pretending to be bored even though all my senses were on high alert.
