Page 27 of My High School Rebel Boyfriend
He nodded, once again running his hand over his head. “The things we do for love,” he said, smiling.
“Wouldn’t know,” I mumbled.
My heart rate picked up in speed and intensity as I entered the bus. I could see Harper down towards the back, my fears alleviated that she had recovered and not fallen into a coma. But I was also stricken with anxiety, knowing that I’d been a jerk to her in so many ways. She didn’t look at me. I know, because I was looking at her as I followed Titan to the back seat. There were a bunch of younger girls sitting there, but Titan pointed to himself and said, “Ladies, we need the extra leg room.”
Three of them giggled and Maddie advised them to move to the front. She was sitting next to Bella, two rows from the back, Tanchia and Harper on the other side. Ebony and Shavaun were behind them.
Ebony immediately slid next to Titan, rubbing her hand over his head. I stayed in the middle seat allowing my legs full extension. Tough if you tripped over them. For some reason they’d ached last night, all night. As did my back. And my abs. And I’d hardly slept. Caffeine would be my friend today.
I pulled out one of the cans of energy drink that I’d bought at the gas station and opened the top. The hissing sound made Harper and Maddie turn around.
“It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it?” Maddie said.
“Breakfast,” I said, immediately going to my default setting of defensive. There was no need to, Maddie’s tone wasn’t malicious. As captain Maddie always showed she was appreciative of us helping at the trainings, even though we were there for all the wrong reasons. Her mom had been my second grade teacher, and I still remembered her as being kind.
“Hey, if you haven’t eaten, I’ve got some muffins here,” she said, standing up and reaching for a bag above her seat. “Mom baked these.” She was unpacking a container and held it out to me. “Pumpkin spice,” she said, and looking around, “Anyone else?”
“Thanks,” I said, taking one. They were still warm and smelt good. I passed the container across to Titan and then forward.
“Harper? Tanch?” Maddie asked.
Harper glanced behind, her expression unreadable, her eyes not meeting mine but it made my heart rate accelerate. Or maybe it was the caffeine and guarana in my drink. She didn’t take a muffin but some girls further up the bus did.
I sat in a state of nervousness wanting to ask Harper how she was feeling, but scared that she’d ignore me. She was surrounded by her friends, all of them chatting and laughing about their parents andtheir brothers and sisters and the upcoming games, and I didn’t know how to join the conversation.
Then Maddie said, “Hey, Harps? You want me to braid your hair?”
“Uh, sure,” Harper said, producing a brush and sliding it through her straight, glossy, shiny hair. Maddie leaned across the aisle, taking the brush from her, continuing to brush it.Me next!I wanted to say.
“This isn’t going to work,” Maddie said, tagging Harper’s shoulder. “Hey.” She then looked at me and said, “Shove over.”
Sweet perfumes wafted my way as Maddie pushed past me, pulling Harper with her, making me wince as they inadvertently knocked against my body. I closed my eyes for a second, allowing the pain to spike. I hadn’t looked at the bruises this morning. Didn’t need to really, I could feel they were there. I was about to shuffle over in the seat, but then I didn’t—the feel of Harper’s arm against mine, that felt kinda good.
I sat mannequin-like, scared to avert my eyes even a little to my right. That touch stirred up butterflies in my stomach. Yeah, they were back and they were worse than the pain from the beating.Focus!I implored myself,focus on something about basketball!
“Turn,” Maddie said, and she tugged Harper, making us lose that point of connection, but now she was halfway facing me. I glanced over, Maddie’s fingers gathering a bunch of silky smooth hair,the color of a basketball.
Harper’s blue eyes flitted to mine, a flash, only accidental. But in that brief moment I saw a look, vacant and empty, like she knew how truly despicable I really was.
I could barely swallow.
She edged herself away from me and angled herself towards Maddie. Maddie started talking about shampoo and I leaned forward in the seat, resting my elbows on my knees, even though it hurt every muscle in my core. I felt like a jerk, about as low as you can go.
And the thing is, my stomach was churning like I was about to throw up. And it had nothing to do with the pumpkin muffin and energy drink.
Chapter 11
HARPER
“MOM’S TAKEN THE DAYoff work, and she’s bringing Mike. I hope she isn’t going to be embarrassing,” Bella said with a giggle. Mike was her mom’s new boyfriend. Bella’s father had passed away in freshman year and her Mom had just started dating. Bella hadn’t looked this happy for a long time, her billionaire boyfriend probably having a little to do with that as well.
“Eek, Dad is going to be the king of embarrassment,” Ebony said. “He’s wearing his River Valley High jacket which is twenty years old!”
We were on our way to Falls Creek for our volleyball tournament and the girls were talking about our families who were all coming to support us. Mr. Christopher was driving everyone in the church van, my Mom included.
“Mom is going to be videoing every game,” Tanchia said. “Knowing her, she’ll record a commentary too. Gah...that’ll be mortifying.” Mrs. Goodwin had started a YouTube channel posting all of Tanchia’s sporting achievements. It was why she had multiple scholarship opportunities awaiting her. I laughed and sympathized along with the rest of the girls, but really, they didn’t know the true meaning of the word embarrassment.
Embarrassing was having a hypo while on a school hiking trip.
