Page 34 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

“Okay.” Even though my face hurts like heck, I’m glad I’m getting out of PE.

“Please escort Mia to the nurse, Declan,” Brayden says.

“What?” I cry, then wince when my cheek pounds. “I know the way, Coach Barrington.”

“I know, Mia, but you hurt your head and I don’t want to take any chances. I would like Declan to take you to the nurse.”

I want to correct him that I didn’t hurt my head—Declan hurt my head. But it won’t do any good.

Declan holds out his hand to me, that guilty look still on his face. I bet he’s hoping someone is recording this and then he’ll be known all over social media as a hero. So I ignore his hand and pull myself off the floor, my body completely off balance because my head kills. Declan puts his hands on my shoulders to steady me, but I jerk away and march to the door, ignoring that little spark that shot up my arm.

My hand is still on my cheek because I have no idea how it looks. Maybe it really is peeled off and Brayden didn’t want to freak me out. Do I look like Frankenstein’s monster?

“I’m really sorry, Mia,” Declan says as he catches up to me.

“Sure you are,” I mutter.

“I’m serious. I didn’t mean to hit you—”

I stop moving and whirl around to face him. “Of course you wanted to hit me! I’m not stupid. You don’t want me to play Scarlett and figured this was your best shot at getting rid of me. I don’t want you to play William, but I’m not going to throw you off a building, even though every part of me is burning to do that right now.”

He gapes at me. Then he shakes his head. “No, that’s not true—”

“Just get out of here and leave me alone.” I continue marching to the nurse’s office.

Declan quickly follows me.

“Didn’t you hear me?”

“I’m not leaving you.”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll tell Coach Barrington that you were a good little boy and took me to the nurse. Now take a hike.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“I don’t want an escort.”

“I don’t care what you want. I’m not leaving until I bring you to the nurse safely.”

“Oh, you think you’re all of a sudden a gentleman? What a joke.”

He stops. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I whirl around but continue marching. “It means that you, Declan Hart, may act all cool and charming, but you’re not a gentleman and you never will be.”

I spin around and smack into a wall. “Ow.” I rub my forehead, which is now throbbing along with my cheek.

“Are you okay?” Declan reaches to touch my arm, but I wrench away from him and continue toward the nurse’s office.

He’s smart enough to walk behind me and leave a small distance between us. Whenever we pass a kid in the hallway, they wave at Declan or say hello. Declan gives them a second of attention, but it looks like his focus is on me.

“Why are you still here?” I grumble.

“Like I told you, I’m not leaving until I see you safely in the nurse’s office.”

I scoff. “You’re something else.”

“What’s your problem?” he demands.

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