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“Yeah?” I manage to respond, my voice hoarse, my jeans tight.
“Why didn’t you play football?”
The side of my mouth tilts up. “Do I look like I’m a team player? I’m selfish, Sadie. I don’t play well with others. What I want, I take, and I keep it. I don’t ever share.”
CHAPTER12
SADIE
Dunc’s commentplays on a loop in my mind. I’m not sure what to make of him for the past week that I’d been stuck at home. He’d been at my beck and call, showing me another side of him that I wasn’t expecting. It was different from how he’d been before the accident. His mixed signals are driving me crazy even though they shouldn’t. I have to make a conscious effort to remind myself that we are never going to be a thing. That it’s impossible. That it would never work. No matter how much I wish it could.
When I enter class, I don’t see Van anywhere. I drop down in my seat and pull my phone out to text him. A second before the bell sounds, he’s sitting down in the seat next to mine.
The hell?I mouth to him. He only shrugs. I hate having to wait till the end of the class to finally talk to him. Plus, I’ve become accustomed to him being around in most of my classes. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a bit uneasy that he won’t be around as much. I know it’s selfish of me.
“I’ll be fine,” he says before I can get a word out. “I want to do this.” His words don’t put me at ease at all. I gather up my things before heading out of class.
“Van.” I sigh. Why can’t I boss him around like he does me? We walk to our next class together. I notice a few people glance our way.
“How’s your shoulder?”
“It’s fine. How’s your head?”
“My head is fine. I’m fine. Let’s drop it. I don’t want to argue about this with you.” I don’t really have much of a choice because our next class is starting. “I’m having lunch with the coach so we can go over some stuff,” Van tells me when our next class ends.
“Okay.”
“Hey, don’t say it like that.”
“Like what?”
“All sad. I need this right now.”
“All right.” I let out a long breath. He’s been so angry since everything went down with Mom. Van shoots me a big smile. The first I’ve seen in a long time. He gives me a side hug to not hit my sling before he takes off in a jog down the hallway, leaving me by myself.
I make my way to the lunch room wondering where Dunc is. He said he was going to meet me. I look around but don’t see him anywhere. Great, I’m going to be the weird girl sitting by herself in the cafeteria. I take a calming breath, the memories of all the mean girl things that happened at my old school trying to creep in. I push them back. I can do this.
I walk in, grabbing a tray and getting in line. Once I pick out a few things that I want, I scan the room, looking for a place to sit. The tray wobbles in my one hand since my other arm is in the sling. When I turn, someone collides into me.
The tray smashes against my chest before dropping to the floor. A sharp pain shoots through my shoulder, taking my breath away.
“Watch where you are going,” Rose hisses at me, but a smirk plays at her lips. Everyone around us is laughing. Heat rushes to my cheeks.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” I’m pretty sure she ran into me. I hadn’t moved, only turned around to see if there was somewhere on the other side of the cafeteria to sit.
“You should be sorry.” She drops her voice. “You should really watch what you’re doing more carefully. Wouldn’t want more accidents to happen because you're somewhere you shouldn’t be.” It’s not hard to read between the lines. She’d shot me a glare when I got out of Dunc’s truck this morning. “You understand?”
“I think I do,” I manage to get out. How is this happening all over again to me?
“Good. Dunc has been mine since middle school. A chubby nobody isn’t going to take him from me.” A few more laughs sound around me. I don’t wait to hear more. I make my way out of the lunchroom, using the side door that goes outside.
A few tears slip free. I tell myself they’re because my shoulder is now throbbing. I fumble through my backpack to call my dad but remember he has a big meeting tonight about some project. He’s been working on it for a while. I call Mom instead.
“Hey.” Cooper answers the call. “Sadie? You there?” I don’t respond at first because I’m trying to get my emotions in check.
“Yeah, I was looking for Mom,” I finally manage to get out.
“She’s sleeping. The meds knock her out.”
