Page 59 of Crew
"Really?"
He surveyed the room and saw the Ryerson cousin. His top lip curved. "I didn't know this one was in here."
Race had been watching us, but hearing Cross, he picked up his stuff and came over to our table. He sat next to me, facing Cross.
"You talking about me?"
Cross shot back, "Yeah." His hazel eyes darkened; they almost looked brown.
The chances of something happening were going up, and judging by the others watching, they knew it too. I caught the same looks I saw every time a crew scuffle broke out. People should start carrying popcorn with them.
"Say it to my face then."
I had to give props to Race. He wasn't flinching.
Cross seemed pissed, and this side of him was scary, dangerously scary.
"Your cousin is getting a big fucking mouth, and I'm not enjoying it." Cross leaned back, raising his chin. "We going to have the same problem with you?"
Race's lips pressed together. "When are you going to get it?" He glanced at me. "Anyway I thought he was being fine. He's been good all week."
Cross narrowed his eyes.
"Cross," I started, dropping my voice. Too many people were trying to eavesdrop. "I--"
"We can talk later," he said to Race. "Your cousin was going on about how his crew is the biggest and baddest. You seem to have put yourself in the middle for whatever reason, but if Alex keeps saying the shit he's saying, there's going to be a crew war. You ready for that?"
Race's mouth opened an inch. He was surprised, but I wasn't. Sadly.
This was Alex being Alex.
Yes, he'd apologized after the one fight, but his head had been swelling steadily since then. I wasn't surprised to hear any of this.
Normal Alex was cocky all the time.
He liked to start fights.
He seemed to have developed amnesia after his apology. He'd stayed away from me, but the guy who'd seemed like a leader was nowhere to be found now.
"Is there a problem here?"
Mr. Penski had materialized at our table.
Cross leaned back. He kicked his feet out and shook his head. "Nah. We're fine." He and Race shared a look. "Just getting on the same page, that's all."
Mr. Penski swung his gaze to Alex's cousin.
"Yeah." He gestured to Cross. "What he said. Same page. We're besties now."
"Mmmm-hmmm. I'm sure you are." Our teacher held his pen in the air. "I won't tolerate any crew business--not this year, not anymore. This is a zero-violence area." He ambled back to the librarian's desk, his hands out like he was talking to himself.
Cross shook his head. "They talk like we ran the school before. It was never like that."
"The cameras are new," I pointed out.
He glanced over. "Still, though. We could never fight in a class. Why are they so anti-crew this year? It's like it's their new theme."
"Maybe it is," Race said.
