Page 43 of My Life with the Walter Boys
“Isaac, can we just leave for school now?” Lee demanded. “I don’t really care about this stupid soap opera. I’ve got classes to skip.”
“Preaching to the choir,” Isaac said as he started the truck. “I was just waiting for Captain Dork to get in.”
Alex rolled his eyes but otherwise disregarded his cousin’s insult. The purple marks were still present under his eyes, but unlike yesterday, he looked positively cheery. The truck lurched backward and started down the driveway, and I stared out of the window into the right side mirror. Unfortunately, I thought, as I caught a glimpse of my face, I don’t look nearly as happy as him.
Twenty minutes later when we arrived at school, my stomach was still a knotted mess. It didn’t help that when I climbed out of the truck, the skin on the back of my neck prickled and I knew that I was being watched. Looking around, I spotted Cole sitting on the front steps with a flock of girls around him, but he wasn’t paying them any attention. He was staring across the parking lot at me. I knew that I would have to face him in math class, and the thought made my fingers tremble.
“Hey, Alex,” I said as we walked toward the school. “Where do you normally eat lunch?”
“I don’t really eat lunch,” he said, his cheeks going pink. “Normally, I—um, go to the computer lab to get a quick round ofGathering of Godsin.”
“That’s the online game you play with Kim, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, you play?”
“No, but I was wondering if you wanted to take a break today and eat lunch with us.”
“You and Kim?”
“And our other friends, yeah.” He looked like he was about to say no, so I quickly added, “Pretty please?”
He was clearly confused but nodded his head anyway. “Sure, I guess.”
“Perfect,” I told him as we walked into anatomy together. “Pick me up by the math room. We can walk down together.”
As we sat down, I smiled to myself. I’d decided the best way to fight off one Walter boy was with another. And my plan worked perfectly. Later that morning, I turned up at math just before the bell rang so Cole wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to me. Then, when he saw Alex waiting for me after class, he swept out of the room without a backward glance.
“Hi,” I greeted Alex cheerfully. Kim was standing next to him, an impressed look splashed across her features.
“How’d you do it?” she asked.
“What?”
“Get him out of the computer lab for lunch. I’ve been trying for ages.”
“I just asked nicely.”
“That’s a neat trick,” Kim grumbled. “You’ll have to show it to me someday.”
“I’m not a dog, you know,” Alex shot back. But we knew he wasn’t really angry, and the three of us made our way to the lunchroom laughing.
***
Despite Nathan’s warning, my next two weeks in the Walter house were Cole free. I avoided him as best I could, and in turn, he stayed out of my way. The most interaction we had was one-way—from my window, I could hear everything that went on in the pool below. Swimming was Cole’s entertainment of choice when he brought one of his hookups over to the house, and in the past few days, there had been a revolving door of girls in bikinis.
My plan seemed to be working. Because I was hanging out with Alex, Cole left me alone. Alex and I became friends quickly, and now he was eating lunch with me and my friends regularly, not to mention that we always did our anatomy homework together. He had been right—knowing part of his past made it easier for me to open up around him. He was like the brother I’d never had.
I was on my way down to his room, my satchel slung over my shoulder, when I heard the fighting.
“Come on, Alex. You’ve blown me off all week.”
The door to Alex and Nathan’s room was ajar. At first I thought Alex was fighting with Nathan, but then I recognized Lee’s voice.
“I know, dude, but Jackie and I have a huge test in anatomy that we need to get ready for,” Alex said back.
“You’re ditching me?” Lee demanded. “We always watch the game together. Screw her!” There was a pause, and when Alex didn’t answer, Lee continued. “Oh, I get it,” he said. “That’s exactly what you want to do, isn’t it?”
“No!” Alex hissed, quickly defending himself. “We’re just studying!”
