Page 5 of Zero Chance

She dropped her gaze to our clasped hands and frowned as if she didn’t approve.But a second later, her fingers squeezed back around mine.“Yeah.It sucks.”

A proud heat spread through my chest.Because the weird girl liked holding my hand.I felt as if I’d just conquered a whole planet on my own.All because this girl whose name I didn’t even know had squeezed back on my fingers, something I had a feeling she wouldn’t have done for just anyone.

I was special.

“What’s your na—?”I started to ask, but I was interrupted by a familiar voice callingmyname.

“Keene!Hey, Keene.”

I zipped my face around, and when I saw a tall, skinny boy with a curly mop of brown hair, I immediately let go of the girl so I could shoot to my feet.

“Alec!”I shouted in delight and darted out of the circle of chairs to race to him as he hurried forward.

We met at the age sign and clapped hands before jostling our elbows against each other.Laughing, I looped my arm over his shoulders, making him stoop down so I could reach him, and I demanded, “What took you so long?I’ve been waitingforever.”

His gaze snagged on the crying boy in our circle, who was wailing for his mom now, and he grimaced.“Yeah.Sorry about that.I couldn’t find my shoes.”Skimming his attention over the rest of the kids, he pulled back in disgust.“So our group is full of all girls and acrybaby?”

Letting go of his shoulders, I turned my attention to the chairs and realized another half a dozen had joined since I’d sat down, and yep, all the new arrivals were girls.

Alec and I would be outnumbered.Big time.

“Let’s go jointhatgroup?”he suggested, pointing to the right.

I glanced over and cringed.“But that group’s for ten-to-twelve-year-olds.”

“So?”He shrugged.“I’m tall enough to pass for ten, and you’realmostten.”

“I won’t be ten for another eight months.”

“No one’s crying over there,” Alec added, lifting his eyebrows meaningfully.

This was true.

I shrugged and answered, “Okay.Let’s go.”

Except when I started that way, Alec grabbed my arm, already growing leery.“Wait.Will we get into trouble for it?”

I glanced back in dismay.“It was your idea to begin with.”

“Yeah, but—” He bit his lip and cringed.“I don’t want to get into trouble.”

Feeling like we definitely had to go over there now, or we’d be wimps, I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm.“Oh, come on.”

He followed with some resistance but not enough to stop me.The closer we got to the ten-to-twelve-year-olds, however, the more my own feet started to drag.

There were five of them in all.And every single one looked too cool for Alec and me.I was about to chicken out when one of the boys noticed us.

“Whoa… Hey!”He flagged us down with a single finger.“Don’t you two go to the same school as me?”

I straightened and cleared my throat before focusing on him.“Oh, yeah.Hi,” I said, realizing wedidgo to the same school.“You’re Hudson Ivey.”

“And you guys are in third grade,” Hudson snickered.“You belong over inthatcircle.”

“Oh, come on,” Alec wheedled, slinking closer to my side.“That group’s just awful.It’s full of girls and one other boy who won’t stop bawling for his mom.”

“Can’t we just join you five?”I added.“Please.”

“I mean…” Hudson only shrugged as if it made no difference to him.“It’s fine by me if no one else cares.”

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