Page 21 of Pucking Matt
I feel anger simmering now. Not jealousy. Definitely not that. Maybe protectiveness. She’s going to lead on one of my best friends because I won’t leave her alone?
“Look,” I say, trying to keep my voice level. “Leave Harvey out of this.”
Amber's laugh is sharp. “What I do is none of your business. If you could just stay as far away from me as possible, that would be great.”
She turns to leave, but before she can, I step in front of her. “You want war, Amber?”
She stops, looking up at me with fire in her eyes. “Do I want war?” she scoffs, taking a step closer to me. “Me? Let me solve this for you –– stop coming into the Grind Stone.”
“If you can’t leave Harvey out of it–”
She shakes her head at me, walking away. I can’t even finish my sentence because she's gone, leaving me alone in the hallway with nothing but the pounding bass from the party and my own jumbled thoughts for company.
I lean against the wall, running a hand through my hair. I stare at the ground, fuming. I amtriggered.
Amber, you want to bring my best friend into this?
This means war.
Chapter 7
I stumble away from Matt, my mind reeling. War? What the hell does he mean by that? As if we weren't already in some twisted battle every time he walks into the Grind Stone.
My thoughts are racing faster than a caffeine-fueled squirrel. What's his game plan? Is he going toMike Tysonme like I did to him in high school? Or is this going to be stupid like ordering impossible sandwiches? There’s a wide variety, but either way, I guess I can handle it as it comes.
A part of me – the rational, adulting part – knows I should let this go. Rise above, be the bigger person. But there's another part, the part that still burns with the competitive fire of high school debate tournaments and mock trials, that refuses to back down. It's not just about winning anymore; it's about proving something to him and to myself.
“War,” I mutter to myself, straightening my dress.
I should walk away. I should be the rational one here. But rational flew out the window about three shots ago, and now allI can think is: I'm going to wipe that cocky grin off his face if it's the last thing I do.
I scan the room, spotting Harvey and Jen chatting in a corner. I paste on my best "I'm totally not plotting revenge" smile and make my way over to them.
“Hey, guys,” I say, trying to sound chipper and not at all like I just declared war on a hockey player in a hallway.
Harvey's face lights up when he sees me, and I feel a pang of guilt. He's actually a nice guy, caught in the crossfire of whatever this is between Matt and me.
“Hi.” He smiles at me, and I kind of hate myself now. “You should come to my next game.”
Jen is beaming. “Oh my God, I would love that!” Jen says.
I glare at her. Oh, no. She’s fallen for this sportsmanship crap. She’s in awe.
“Amber?” Harvey asks.
I force a smile, trying to ignore how Matt told me to leave Harvey out of this.
“I'll have to check my schedule. Work's been pretty intense lately.”
Harvey nods. “Yeah, okay. Get back to me, and I’ll send over the details.”
The guilt intensifies. Why does he have to be so nice? It's making my whole revenge plot a lot more complicated.
I say, “I should probably head out. Lots of work to do tomorrow.”
Jen pouts. “Already?”
I nod.
