Page 78 of As You Walk On

“And Ididstand up for you to Cole. You heard me, right?”

Yeah, I heard him.Theo’s chill, I swear. But was that enough? It doesn’t feel like it.

I chew the inside of my cheek.

“You’ve been my bro all my life,” he continues. “I wouldn’t let someone talk shit about you being gay. When you came out, who was right there? Taking you out for pizza. Shouting about it all on Insta.”

Jay and Darren. TNT. My boys.

The fists at my sides tremble. My muscles are fighting against each other. The anger currently living inside me is battling the tug of nostalgia.

“You’ve never said anything before now,” Jay points out.

Now I stand silently.

“Just... come back to the party with me and D.” He reaches for me. “We can talk it out. Or chill. Namaste and all that shit. We came here for a good time, remember?”

I do. We came here to unwind. The Nameless Trio being ourselves. At least, that’s how it should’ve been. Instead, I came here to complete a dare. To ask a boy to prom. Prove to everyone I could get the W.

Prove it to Jay.

“Nah,” I say hoarsely.

“Nah?” Jay snaps back, sudden annoyance tightening his expression.

I shake my head. I don’t want to pretend this is okay. What he’s done is okay. Over my shoulder, I smile at the four anxious people waiting on me. The ones I have nothing to prove to.

To Jay, I say, “I’m gonna take a break.”

“A break from what?”

“You,” I say, unbothered by his large, infuriated eyes. “TNT. Everything.”

I don’t hear whatever Jay spews as I brush by him. Only the erratic rhythm of my heart. The pulse of dance-pop drowning out my anger. It’s one thing to have the spotlight in the middle of the quad for a ridiculous dare. I don’t want any added attention for walking away from my best friend.

•••

Halfway down the stone walkway, a chorus of “Mack! Mack! Mack!” catches up to us.

Outside the Campbells’ residence isn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Empty White Claws decorate the lawn. Sporadic groups take selfies. Someone’s underwear hangs on a bush. A flush-faced, curly-haired kid is busy talking to a rock.

Nothing too out of the ordinary other than the mini-squad of cheerleaders who’ve stopped us.

Jayla struts forward like a queen bee emerging from the hive. She gently squeezes Makayla’s shoulder. “Hey.” Her smile is honey-sweet, her tongue poison-tipped. “Are you leaving?”

Makayla’s eyes bounce from us to them. She half shrugs.

“Come on, Mack.” Jayla’s pouty face has been frequently effective when used against Jay in the past. Makayla seems equally susceptible. “We were gonna team up for a game of flip cup. Girls versus boys.” Jayla’s eyes flicker to Makayla’s name tag, then River’s. The crinkle between her brows is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but I spot it. “We need your steadiness. Your leadership.”

All of Jayla’s drones nod in unison.

Makayla chews her lip. Out here, the air’s damp and warm, buther arms curl around her midsection like it’s freezing. Her gaze wanders over Luca.

He frowns.

“We have to stick together, Mack.” Jayla’s attention is aimed at Aleah. Lexi’s nowhere in sight, but the aftereffects of their fallout are still felt.

It takes extreme restraint not to unload on her like I did on Jay. But this isn’t my fight.

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