Page 68 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

I didn’t text back because the next text message made my blood run cold.

Dad:I confirmed your attendance at the mixer. It’s a week Saturday on campus. I’m going to personally drive you up there. It will be good to see some old faces.

The bastard wasn’t goingto let it go, even if he had to physically drag me there. Shit. I needed a get out clause, a legitimate one. But I drew a blank.

Denial seemed like the best course of action. If I pretended it wasn’t happening, then maybe it would go away. Maybe I’d wake up and realize that my controlling, piece-of-shit of a father was nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

But the thing with pretending…

Usually, the truth came around to bite you in the ass.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Sofia

I didn’t goto school for the rest of the week.

I couldn’t.

The gnawing pit in my stomach had developed into full blown nausea and I’d spent the best part of yesterday puking my insides up.

Today, I’d stayed curled up on the sofa, eating ice chips and plain crackers. Mom wanted to stay at home with me since Dad needed to go into the office, but I’d insisted she go to work.

Nothing either of them did was going to help me, and the truth was, I couldn’t take much more of their coddling.

Besides, my friends had kept me entertained all day with their many, many text messages. But none made me smile like Cole.

After his dancing in the rain quote, he’d taken it upon himself to send me more quotes, memes, little digital notes, and even some song lyrics.

It was sweet.

Romantic even.

He didn’t push me for a reply though. And I didn’t text back which left a bitter taste in my mouth. But if I invited him into my life, things would only become even more complicated. This—a few texts here and there—was safe. It kept him at arm’s length.

The front door burst open, startling me.

“Yo, Sofe. You in here?” Aaron came bounding into the room.

“Hello to you too,” I murmured.

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay. The nausea is gone mostly.”

“Good, get ready.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Sis. You need to go upstairs, throw on a Raiders hoodie, and get your butt back down here. You’ve wallowed enough.”

“Wallowed? Aaron, I’m not… I’ve been sick.”

“And you just said you feel okay now. So jump to it or I’m going to be late and Coach will be pissed. And you know I don’t need to give him any more reasons to hate me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.” I rolled my eyes.

“Of course he doesn’t.” My ridiculous brother grinned. “I’m impossible to hate. But this, you being all sad and mopey at home while the game is happening, doesn’t sit right with me. I need you there, Sofe. The team needs you.”

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