Page 398 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

We laugh as I fumble through my first attempt, but it’s easy after that. Minutes later, I feel someone watching me. I peek over my shoulder, flinching when I see Jude standing in the doorway. He’s wearing jeans and his letterman jacket. There’s a scowl on his face that disappears the moment my mom turns to see what I’m looking at.

“Off to the game?” she asks.

Jude gives her a barely civil nod and leaves, his duffle bag thumping against his back when he tosses it over his shoulder.

Mom gives me a theatrical shudder. “Don’t tell Wayne, but that boy gives me the creeps sometimes.”

Chapter 19

Harper

Were we robbed? I stare at the empty shelves behind the pool house bar, my heart in my fucking throat. Ha. Who am I kidding? I knowexactlywhat happened. While I was locked in my room, waiting for my mom to come home, Jude was in here cleaning out the place.

Guess he wasn’t betting on me sticking to my promise. Maybe he doesn’t believe I can.I should probably be relieved. This way, I can’t mess up, which means there will never be another session like the one behind the bleachers today.

But I’m not relieved.

I’m fuckingfurious.

Who the fuckdied and made him king?

I think about the beer I saw in the cinema room...but I’d have to be really desperate to crack open one of those.

Hmmm...Does Talia deliver? I have a bunch of money burning a hole through my new bank account. Might as well put it to use. I consider texting Eliza, but I have no idea what to say. I’m sitting on my bed with my phone in my hand, typing and re-typing messages but never sending them, when my phone rings.

Speak of the devil.

“Eliza?”

“Hey, Harper. It’s almost half-time, so I thought I’d give you a call. Your brother ison firetonight!”

“Stepbrother.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, uh, are you free on Sunday?”

“Sunday? Yeah, why?” I twine a lock of hair around my finger, frowning at nothing as Eliza speaks.

Eliza giggles into my ear. “There’s a party at Sean’s house. It’s going to be epic. You wanna come?”

A party?My stomach twists into a pretzel at the thought of being surrounded by a bunch of kids from school, the pressure to be social, to be cool. But this is exactly what I want. Exactly what Ineed. There’s a massive chunk missing from my life. Friends, parties, dancing, beer pong. If I really want to make a go of this, then this party would be the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet.

“Yeah, I mean, can I?”

Eliza laughs. “I just invited you, silly.”

I laugh too, but inwardly I’m groaning. “Then yeah. Only...I don’t have a car, so?—”

“Oh, Jude can come—”The laugh I bark out makes Eliza cut off. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sorry. It’s just...Jude’s studying really hard right now, so I doubt he’ll make it.”

“Well, if you need a lift I can get Maxwell to pick you up. He lives in the same street as you guys.”

I don’t even know who Maxwell is, but if Eliza vouches for him, then I’m in.She wouldn’t send a serial killer to pick me up for a party, right?

“Cool.”

“Awesome! I’ll see you then!”

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