Page 50 of Heartbeat

“How about you?” Sam turned to Ethan.

“Me what?”

He sounded like Yoda.

“Hi, Ethan!” Lucy said cheerfully, walking up to her locker along with Sara.

Sara immediately rolled her eyes, and Ethan turned to face them, his back now against the locker next to me, rubbing his shoulder on mine. I’m pretty sure it was deliberate.

“Did we make plans?” Lucy asked, earning herself another eye roll from Sara, one that was shared by Sam, for some reason.

“Why?” he asked, confused.

“You’re waiting by my locker,” she pointed out.

“Oh!” He instantly jumped and moved away. “I didn’t know. I was talking to my friends here—”

“Tyler, isn’t it?” Lucy asked me.

“Thomas.”

“How can you not know the name of the guy you assaulted?” Sara asked, making Adam laugh.

“I did not assault him!” Lucy said, blushing.

“Are you sure it’s Thomas and not Tyler? She really hit you hard.” Sara turned to me, smiling.

“I did not!” Lucy said, defending herself. “I did not.” She looked at Ethan, shaking her head.

“Listen, I’m not into violence,” Ethan said, making everyone laugh—except for Lucy.

They continued talking while Blake, Sam, and Adam waited as I got all my books and left with them to go to English lit—a class we all shared.

“I can’t stand that girl,” Sam said, making Blake chuckle.

“Which girl?” I asked.

“Lucy Bell.”

“Why do you—” I started.

“Don’t, dude,” Adam said.

I didn’t, but it was too late.

“She puts on this act, which is complete bullshit,” Sam said to Blake’s agreeable nod. “She thinks it works—”

“It totally works,” Blake jumped in.

“And I try,” Sam said. “You guys saw how I was back at Thomas’s.”

“You weren’t at all aggressive,” Adam said.

“But I just find it so—”

“Effective?” Blake said, getting a chuckle from Adam.

Sam did not look pleased.

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