Page 5 of Between Never and Forever
She rolls her eyes as she stands up and tucks her math book under her arm.
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“Cause we’re friends, idiot.”
Friends? She thinks we’refriends? I mean, I think of her as one, kind of, but I never thought she’d think of me as one. It makes me feel weird. Warm and tingly and weird. Before I can say anything else, Savannah is halfway across the cafeteria heading straight for Connor Lawson.
Oh no.
I stand quickly and rush to catch up with her just as she stops in front of his table.
“What do you want, crack baby?” Connor says as Savannah stands in front of him.
She crosses her arms over her chest, with her math book cradled between them, and cocks her head to the side, looking down her nose at him.
Savannah is small, but somehow, she can make herself look like a giant. Like she's fearless and unbreakable, even though I know she’s neither.
“I want Levi’s study guide. Give it back to him.”
She says it clearly, fearlessly, and Connor barks out a sarcastic laugh. I try to reach for her arm, to pull her away, but she shrugs me off. Connor leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Yeah, I’m not gonna take orders from the daughter of a whore.”
I wince as his friends all laugh, but when I look at Savannah, she’s smirking.
“Should probably be nicer to me, Connor,” Savannah taunts. “Your daddy comes over to my house all the time, you know? We might end up bein’ siblings, and then you’ll be callin’ that whore your step momma.”
Everyone at Connor’s table shuts up, and his face turns murderous. I grab at Savannah’s arm again, but she elbows me away, still smirking.
“Shut your slut mouth,” Connor threatens, and Savannah lets out an airy laugh before lowering her voice and taking another step forward.
“Give me the study guide and leave Levi alone, and maybe I won’t tell the whole school about how your daddy is bangin’ the town crack whore.” Savannah’s voice is taunting and steady. She’s downright scary. “You think your momma knows?”
I don’t know how she does it. Connor is staring at her like he wants to rip her head off, but she’s so calm. I’ve always wondered if Savannah has a death wish. She’s always doing stupid stuff. She’s unbothered, and I can hear my blood whooshing in my ears.
Connor sits up in his seat and leans toward her, talking through his teeth.
“I’m warning you, Shaw. Shut your lying mouth or I’ll shut it for you.”
“Gimme the study guide and leave Levi alone, and I will.”
The next part happens so fast, I only have a chance to gasp. Connor acts like he’s reaching toward his backpack, but then he shouts something that sounds like “she’s dead” and lunges across the table at Savannah.
His arms are outstretched, hands wide open like he’s trying to grab for her neck. To do what, I don’t know. Strangle her? Nothing good. He doesn’t reach her, though. Before Connor’s fingers have a chance to wrap around any part of Savannah, she swings the thick math textbook at his head, catching him right across the face, and he flies to the side and hits the table with a bang.
Everyone starts shouting. Calling Savannah all sorts of names, yelling for a teacher or the principal. Connor is bleeding from his mouth and pushing himself to stand while glaring at Savannah. Some of his friends are trying to hold him back, so I try to pull Savannah away again.
“Comeon, Sav. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
I yank on her arm, but she kicks back at me and takes a step forward with the book held up like a baseball bat, ready to swing again.
“Can I call your dadDaddy?” she croons, everyone in the cafeteriaoooohs, and my stomach falls to my feet.
She’s dead. Savannah is going to be murdered right here in the high school for everyone to see.
“You’re done, bitch,” Connor shouts, then lunges for her again, but his friends are in the way and his head injury makes his movements slow. Savannah acts faster, kicking a chair at his feet, and when he trips and falls, she hurls the math book at his face.
