Page 16 of Pretty Broken Things

Tessa barks a short laugh. “Well, it’s good to hear you say that, because after I joined you for lunch, I’m pretty sure my old friends are going to make my life hell.”

I shrug. “Let them try. We’re pretty good at raising hell ourselves, and we fight dirty.”

ChapterSeven

Tessa

I seriously underestimated howpetty my friends, or should I say former friends, could be. Without thinking, I pull my car into my usual spot. Doors slam on either side of me, then Brandie and Erin move to stand in front of my car.

I guess I should have expected them to confront me eventually. I haven’t straight up ghosted them, but I’ve been pulling away all week in favor of hanging out with Ford, Shane, Tracy, and Lydia. It’s nice to have new friends who like me in spite of my money, not because of it. For the most part the week has been pretty tame.

At least at school. It’s after school that’s been interesting since I’ve been spending almost all my free time with Ford. I say almost because he has football practice every day after school. Lucky thing too, because even though we study every night, I find I can’t concentrate much when he’s around. At least not on Trigonometry. The flecks of gold in his hazel eyes, absolutely, but sines, cosines, and tangents, not so much.

“What the fuck is going on with you? First you ditched us at lunch yesterday, and then you didn’t come to Blake’s back to school bash on Wednesday. Don’t forget who your real friends are,” Erin starts in on me the moment I step out of my car.

Sick of her shit, I step up and get in her face. “I might have chosen to have lunch with other people, but you guys have been shunning me for days. Why in the hell would I have come to that party?”

Brandie groans and leans her hip against the hood of my car. She’s never liked it when Erin and I fight. She’ll bicker with her without a second thought, but when I do it makes her anxious. “Are we going to the mall after school to buy you an overpriced birthday present? Daddy’s guilt for ignoring you once again should be worth those cute boots you were checking out last week.” I knew the next words out of her mouth would be to change the subject, I’m just surprised she remembers what today is.

It’s not like I couldn’t just get myself the boots with the credit card he gave me.Daddy’s guilt,as she calls it, lasts a lot longer than my birthday. “I don’t really feel like celebrating my birthday, and not just because shit is weird with us. Eighteen just means my parents are not breaking the law for abandoning me anymore. Doesn’t feel like something worth celebrating.”

Erin pulls a face and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Is this all because we’ve been giving you shit about hanging out with Ford? Like, okay, we get it. He’s hot. Doesn’t mean you need to throw away everything for the chance to ride him. I mean, the dude is kinda like the town bike for Christ’s sake.”

Am I attracted to Ford? Absolutely. He’s tall, ripped, and charming. His hazel eyes seem to peer right into my soul, which is actually a bit unsettling, but also makes me feel seen for the first time in my life. As much as I am drawn to him, I know enough about the transient nature of love to ignore what I’m sure will be a fleeting feeling. At least I keep telling myself this over and over.

“Blair said he saw you drive off with Tracy and Lydia Monday after school. That can’t be true. I mean, it’s one thing to chase after Ford, we’ve all done it,” Erin continues.

Brandie raises her hand. “I haven’t. Just sayin’.”

Erin shakes her head. “Yeah, well that’s because you claim to be saving yourself for marriage, but we all know you’ve been screwing Wade since last semester.”

I tune them out while they continue to bicker about the same stupid shit they always do. I’ve often wondered why they’re even friends, because they don’t seem to like each other much. This only leads me to wonder if I even like them. What brought us together in the first place? I’m not a cheerleader like Erin and I don’t volunteer for every committee and charity like Brandie. Has my life been this superficial that my two so-called best friends are in my life only because we run in the same social circles?

Ford comes around a line of cars, unusual for him since he parks in the back, and holds out his hand for me to take. “You coming?”

Memories from last night come flooding back. We had my house to ourselves, since like I told him, my dad never comes home anymore. For a moment, I thought maybe I saw his colorful eyes heat with desire, but instead of making a move, he hit me with a pillow. The tension between us, that had been building for a week just disappeared, and from that point on we hung out platonically. Now it seems there’s an unspoken vow between us to fight our feelings.

This is a turning point. If I choose to ignore Ford this fragile friendship we’ve been building will crumble to dust. Conversely, if I go to him, these two girls I’ve classified as friends will turn on me in an instant. Abandoning a tradition that has lasted for five years isn’t something they’re going to easily forgive. Straightening my spine, I take the step that will alter the course of my senior year, and into Ford’s world.

As soon as I’m close, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and bends down to whisper in my ear. “Change is scary, but I’m right here.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Shaw. Those two are going to be out for my blood after this.” He doesn’t ask what about today is so different than the few other times I’ve chosen him and his friends over my old ones, and I don’t offer the information. I’m in no mood to celebrate.

As the day drags on, I realize how prophetic my statement to him is. It doesn’t start right away. First period Ford and I have English together with Miss Phillipa, and even though my old clique likes to look down their nose at him, not a single one of them is daring enough to do it to his face. Being with him gives me a false sense of security. That courtesy they show him, or cowardice rather, doesn’t extend to me. When I’m not with him, I’m bumped into and tripped, accidentally of course. Then there are the increasingly imaginative rumors being spread by people I’d considered friends less than a week ago. Ones they make sure I overhear.

By the time lunch rolls around, I’m exhausted from trying to keep my former friends from seeing how hurt I am. The timing of all of this doesn’t escape me, and I know Erin is behind this. It would only bring them joy, like all bullies climbing on top of others to stop feeling small.

They might not see how I’m struggling, but it only takes Ford a second to read me. Without a word he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight to his chest. My nose burrows between the mountains of his pecs, and I’m enveloped in his spicy scent.

“Have they been hassling you all day?” His voice rumbles in my ear, and I can hear the undercurrent of violence laced through his words.

I know I’m throwing sparks on a powder keg by answering him honestly, but lying to him feels impossible. “Yeah. It’s been pretty much nonstop since second period.”

For a second I fear he’s going to storm over to the table with all my former friends and start throwing punches. Not because I think they stand a chance against him, but because I know how politics works in a place like this. Ford has neither the money nor the connections to get himself out of a bind, while those assholes have both.

He surprises me by turning his anger on the Parkers gathered around the back corner of the room. “How many of you assholes have seen her being bullied all day and did nothing?” his voice booms.

A skinny guy in the corner squirms in his seat. “C’mon, Ford, she’s not one of us. Why should we stick our neck out for the Countess?”

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