Page 2 of The Penalty Box

I look over my shoulder at Noah just as he returns the greeting. There is a slight buzzing in the air as they stare at each other with me in the middle. My body shivers from the silent intensity of it. I wouldn’t call them friends. Liam plays on the hockey team while Noah is on the football team—they both might be jocks, but if you observe them carefully, each group hangs with their own—but I’ve never sensed the animosity between the two either. On the contrary, I could have sworn I saw them hanging out occasionally at parties, so this whole situation makes no sense whatsoever.

Now I’m imagining things.I shake my head. “See you later?”

Noah simply nods. Giving him a quick wave, I rush after Liam and his friends. I’m barely within arm’s reach when Liam’s arm falls over my shoulders, pulling me into him, his clean, woody scent surrounding me. Goose bumps rise on my skin, but I ignore the sizzling sensation and the chuckling of Liam’s friends around us.

“What’s that all about?” He tilts his head to the side, a curious expression in his eyes.

“What happened to ‘Hello, Evie. How is your day going, Evie?’” I mock, my eyebrows raised in question.

“Evie…” Liam drawls in a warning.

“Liam…” I say in the same tone.

He runs his free hand through his hair, soft locks sticking in all directions. “I’m your best friend. If I don’t look out for you, who will?”

His words sting and his touch that only seconds ago excited me, now burns. It’s not like I don’t know how he feels, I do, but hearing the words come out of his mouth somehow feels final.

Liam and I have been friends since I can remember, even before that really. We’re next-door neighbors, and our moms are best friends, just like the two of us. We’re only a couple of months apart, so technically, we spent time together even before we were born. But while Liam only looks at me like a friend, I see him as somethingmore.

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when it happened. One minute he was this gross little boy who pushed bugs in my face, raced me on my bike, and dared me to do all sorts of crazy things and the other he was…more. His nearness makes my heart race and my palms sweaty. But while my feelings for Liam grew, his stayed the same.

Slipping out of his reach, I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose. “You’re my friend, not myfather,” I point out, frustrated, and slightly hurt. “Besides, Noah is just a friend.”

Puffing out an irritated breath, I don’t wait for his answer as I continue toward the cafeteria.

Who does he think he is? Putting his nose into my business when I know for a fact he’s flirting with all those girls. Gorgeous, athletic girls. And it probably doesn’t even stop at flirting either. Not that I would know it firsthand, or anything. Even still, being a jock, even if only a sophomore, comes with a certain status. And in Greyford High if you’re a hockey player, you’re practically royalty.

Wolves have a stellar season so far, and although Liam doesn’t get as much ice time as his older teammates, he’s out there, slowly building his name and working toward getting the starter position.

“Evie, wait,” Liam calls back, his fingers wrapping around my wrist and turning me to face him. A few people stop to look at us, curious about what’s going on. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask himhowdid he mean it, but I hold back. The good girl in me doesn’t want to continue this fight.

“It’s okay.” I try to pull my hand out of his, but he doesn’t let me.

Liam takes me in for a moment, his eyes flickering as he observes me. “You’re not going to do one of those girly things when you say it’s okay, when in fact it’s anything but okay, are you?”

Taking pity on the guy, I let a small smile spread over my lips. “If you don’t piss me off more…”

He sighs in relief. “Aye, aye. Grab your lunch and we’ll meet at the table?”

Only after I nod, does he let go of my hand. Turning, I look around the full cafeteria. My eyes scan the crowd until they land on Jessica, my other best friend. Weaving through the people, I slip in the line next to her.

“Do you think if I take plain salad instead of Caesar, I could get this juicy full-fat yogurt?” She tilts her head to the side, making her brown ponytail swing with the motion, but doesn’t lift her gaze from the two choices in her hands. Jessica’s sixth sense is so on point that sometimes I think girls like her are the reason why the whole world looks at women as witches. Sometimes her predicaments are so correct goose bumps rise on my skin.

“I think you should get both Caesarandfull-fat yogurt if that’s what you want to eat.” Only Jessica can see something plain like full-fat yogurt asjuicy.What happened to a good slice of chocolate cake?

She turns to me, her mouth agape. “Both Caesar and yogurt? Are you insane? I have to watch my weight! Nobody will want to throw my fat ass in the air.”

Jessica just joined the cheerleading squad. She tried out last year, but she didn’t pass the audition. Not like it stopped her. All last year she spent practicing, and I’m glad to see it wasn’t in vain. I knew if she didn’t make it this time around, her heart would be crushed.

“You’re not fat, Jessy. I don’t see why you’re obsessing over it so much.”

“B-But…”

I take her sudden lack of words as a sign and take both yogurts out of her hands, putting one on her tray, while returning the other to the fridge. I repeat the same with the salad.

“Here, now you won’t get all hangry on people by the end of the day.”

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