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“I know how to get there on my own,” I remind him, refusing to budge. All that does is earn me another Corey smile, which makes my breath hitch in my chest.
Without answering, he leans down and grabs my backpack off the ground, throwing it over his shoulder with his own. “I know you do. You’re not stupid. I’m just watching out for you. I think Jackson got the hint, but Chase Matthews is a loose cannon. I don’t trust him and if I was you, I wouldn’t walk home alone for a while.”
“But I don’t have any friends to walk home with.” My voice drops and I feel that pit in my stomach start growing again. Chase had a knife. What high schooler carries around a knife if they aren't looking for trouble? I have to walk home every day too. Mom has the car and she doesn’t get off work until five. There is no way she could pick me up from school, just so I don’t bump into Chase Matthews again.
I glance at Corey, who’s running a hand through his golden curls. “I could walk home with you,” he finally says, and my eyes widen. “Not forever. Basketball practice starts in a month, but by then he should have moved on from being mad at you.”
“You think it will work?” I doubt it, but then again, I don’t know Chase that well, and Corey seems to.
He nods. “Yeah. That should work. Wait for me by the doors tomorrow and we can walk together. Once Matthews gets the hint, I’m sure he’ll lay off.”
“What if he doesn’t?” I ask, my teeth sinking into my lower lip as chills run down my back.
“Then you’ll just have to wait in the gym until I’m done with practice or something,” He shrugs his shoulders. My nose scrunches. “Lots of sisters and girlfriends wait in the gym. You can do homework or whatever.”
“I can’t wait at the gym. I have to be at dance Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.” My voice rises, explaining my dilemma. I’m so mad at Jackson and Chase right now.
Corey’s eyes roll. “I’m sure it will be fine by then. Don’t get so worked up.”
I hope so. Between school, dance and trying to live my life, I don’t have time for Chase to decide he wants to be preoccupied with me. And I do not know Corey enough to beg him to keep walking with me every day. We keep walking until we reach the train tracks. There, Corey surprises me when he takes my hand and has me run across them with him. It only takes a second, but I realize I don’t hate it. Once we get to the other side of all the tracks and cross the bridge over the creek, he lets go. I’ve never held hands with a boy. I wonder what Missy Nielson would think if she knew he held my hand now too.
“Why are you so quiet?” Corey glances down at me, his eyes squinting slightly from the sun in our path.
I shrug, fighting to keep any signs of blushing off my cheeks. “Just thinking of my dance routine.”
“You dance at Patti Tango’s in town, right? At the studio?” he questions, and this time, I blush. Only a few minutes ago, I had no idea Corey knew who I was, outside of living in the same complex. But he knows my name and where I dance and for some reason, this information makes my stomach flutter in the weirdest of ways. Maybe it’s because no one usually notices me at all. I tend to fly under the radar at school, and while I’m friendly with people, I don’t really have friends.
“Do you think you’ll dance for the school team next year?” Corey turns, so he’s walking backward and facing me, waiting for my answer.
“I don’t know,” I tell him truthfully. I haven’t thought much past the here and now this season. The school team tends to be more synchronized. While I have my routines at the studio, I dance a variety of styles from ballet and jazz to hip-hop and freestyle. I don’t like fitting into just one bubble or group. With the school team, I wouldn’t have that freedom.
“They dance at the basketball games,” he informs me.
That I did know. In addition to their competition season, they also perform at football games during the fall and basketball games in the winter. It’s this reason alone that the majority of the girls at my studio decide to leave and dance for the school. They want to perform in front of the athletes or they end up as girlfriends to those athletes. I’ve always thought it was cringey. The fact that they willingly give up their dreams of performing on stage just to dance in a gym while their boyfriends’ team plays a sport. But then again, I am only thirteen. What do I know? I have never had a boyfriend or been in love.
When I don’t give him an answer, Corey just gives me another lopsided smile. “Well, we’re here.” He points to the building I live in. “Don’t forget, wait for me at the door tomorrow.”
“I will.” I nod my head at him. If Corey is worried that Jackson will try again to give me issues, then it’s most likely true. Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
ChapterTwo
Jade
One month later…
Ihear his laugh before I even turn the corner of the locker bay…Corey. He’s waiting for me, like he has been for the past month at school. The day after the incident with Jackson, he tried to retaliate by spreading nasty rumors around the school about me, saying that my mom is a whore and that I am just like her. Corey gave him a black eye. And since then, Corey has walked me home after school. We’ve become friends, I think. It should be easy to tell, but I get confused. Once Corey started hanging around me and paying me attention, most of the girls in my class started ignoring me or whispering under their breath about me. I went from being somewhat friendly with the girls in my class to being enemy number one because he chose to spend time with me and not them. If only they knew how hot and cold he was. Some days he's chatty and we laugh the whole way home. Other times, he’s moody, quiet, shut-off and almost angry that he agreed to this plan with me. That's how he was yesterday anyway, the last day of our arrangement.
Thankfully, my bullies seem to have moved on, and even if they haven't, Corey has made it known I am under his protection and going after me is against whatever code of respect they live by. Another reason the girls in my grade suddenly don’t like me. I’m being seen as competition for them. Through the gossipy grapevine, I’ve been able to deduce that they believe he and I are way more than friends. The rumor being that I must have let him touch me between my legs or that I’ve given him a hand job in the woods behind the school on our walks in exchange for his protection. So gross. They should have been there yesterday then they could have seen how cold he was to me. Which is why I’m surprised he’s waiting today. It’s a Wednesday and it's the first day of basketball practice for the team. Corey should be heading to the gym, not leaning against my locker so casually. Calmly, I walk over to him, my heart thudding in my chest the entire time.
“Hey, J,” he drawls the shorter version of my name, the letter just sliding off his tongue so easily. There’s a lazy smile on his lips, so in contrast to the grim line he wore yesterday.
“Hi.” I wave as I come to stand almost in front of him. He nods his head at the other guys he was talking to and they casually walk away, leaving us in silence. “Ah, did I forget something yesterday, or why are you here?”
His smile grows. “See, this is what I like about you but also find completely irritating.”
“What?” My brow rises. I’m totally confused.
“Come on.” He laughs, stepping away from my locker. “Grab your shit so we can get going. I’ll drop you off at Patti’s quickly.”
