Page 30 of We Shouldn't Be Together
I check the other guys aren’t in earshot. “It wasn’t cool. I won’t let them get away with it.”
Jamie gets off the bench, scooting away on her rollerblades. “It was nothing. Don’t even fixate on it.”
“You know the ditz actually tried to make small talk with me?”
“Eww.“ Jamie winces. “Why the heck for?”
“Beats me. She’s the airhead, remember? Anyway, I shut it down by reminding her she’s the worst person on the planet.”
Jamie sniggers, weaving her blades in front of me. “You did that?”
“In different words, but yes. I had to make her shut her yap.”
“You don’t have to do that for me. I have thick skin.”
I throw my thumb toward where the guys are boarding. “I’d stick up for any of my friends. You know that.”
“I know you don’t treat me differently because I’mthe girl. But this situation does make me feel like I’m the odd man out.”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Tyler asks, riding his board toward us. “You guys gonna join us, or continue your tea party?”
The heckle gets me immediately back on my board. “Oh, it’s on Ty. I was just distracted by the bloodsuckers after Jamie.”
“Bloodsuckers?” Parker questions, flipping his board beneath him. “We talking vampires?”
“It’s nothing,” Jamie rushes, her eyes unblinking at me.
Tyler eyes her. “You sure?”
“Positive,” she says with a heavy exhale. “Now, are we gonna do this, or what?”
I take the hint and cover with, “You know I can’t help giving James a hard time.”
“Better her than us,” Lewis kids, slowing his board to meet us. “I prefer when you two take each other out, rather than ganging up on the rest of us.”
Color comes back to Jamie’s face with a mocking smile. “What’s wrong, Lewy? Scared to be taken down by a girl?”
Lewis looks over both shoulders. “Have you seen one of them around here?”
Jamie launches on her rollerblades, pretending to sock Lewis across the chin.
“Whoa, Jamie.” Lewis leans back, jumping off his skateboard and raising his arms in surrender. “White flag.”
Jamie blades around him, proudly laughing to herself.
“So, wait,” Parker drags out the last word, unfazed by the potential fist fight breaking out. “We’re not talking about vampires?”
“Get your head out of your butt, Parker,” Tyler mutters, subtly checking on Jamie from the corner of his eye.
That’s Ty for you. He picks up on everything and knows when to drop a subject.
Confusion warps Parker’s expression until he shrugs and kicks off toward a rail.
I can’t handle this. I thought I could watch the other guys and hang back. But I’m itching to outdo myself. Dang it, I was so close yesterday. If only I’d landed on the board properly. Then there’d be no ER and no lectures.
I board over to Jamie and gesture at one of her elbow pads. “Hey, gimme one of those, would ya?”
“Huh?” she questions. “What for?”
