Page 3 of Frenemies

“Careful, Chase may find you amusing.” He crossed his arms and puffed up his chest, “But I don’t put up with bitches.”

My brow rose at the way the muscles in his arms flexed. Was he seriously trying to intimidate me? That right there was a prime example of why Tanner should be the last person out looking for Chase.

“A skateboard might be better,” Ava said—she was entirely oblivious to our conversation. Staring up at the sky as if it held some secret answer.

Alright, then.

“Well, you have fun with that,” I shot Tanner a look and marched across the parking lot.

I didn’t have time for either of their crap. God help us if they did get together. Tanner could do whatever the hell he wanted right now. Run into a gunfight, fuck random girls.

I didn’t care what the fool did with his time, but if Ava cared about him, then I’d have to, and I spent enough of my time pulling her away from shiny objects.

I tossed my purse in the backseat of my car and slid behind the wheel. A few seconds later, Ava hopped in beside me.

“What are you doing?”

“Obviously, I’m coming with you.” She rolled her eyes as if I was stupid for even asking.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“And you didn’t have to stick up for me all those years ago.”

I still had nightmares about that. Ava’s screams, her cries, and the things they’d done to her were a nightmare I’d never forget. But for Ava, that was the day her soul was shattered…

I toyedwith the pink ruffles on my dress. Mommy took me shopping yesterday for a pretty dress for my tea party with Ava. It was perfect. Pink and sparkly with a puffy skirt. I spent all night staring at it. It made me smile when daddy said I looked pretty.

When Logan’s dad said it, I wished I picked the ugly black one. Clothes shouldn’t make you feel icky.

“Why the frown, Little One?” Logan’s dad bopped my nose. “This will be fun, won’t it, Boy?”

I looked over at Logan. He clenched his teeth and balled his hands as he did right before he got in a fight with Micha. They fought a lot—Mommy said that’s just what boys did.

Ava didn’t fight with me. We smiled and laughed and ran around. Logan and Micha were worse than those wrestlers on TV that daddy watched. Boys were dumb.

Mr. Hudson walked over to the wall and grabbed a stick off a shelf. Daddy called those sticks cues. I didn’t know what they were supposed to cue? The men at the orchestra waved around a tiny stick. Maybe it was something like that?

“You should be happy, Little One,” Mr. Hudson tipped his head and smirked at me. “I only let special people come down here.”

My eyes locked onto a small spider in the corner of the room. I was jealous of the way he could move around unseen. He built his web, swinging from one end of the wall to the other without anybody noticing him. No one called him special or wanted to play bad games with him.

“I’m not special,” I argued while fisting my hands.

Why should that spider be able to swing around carefree and happy? Someone should crush him.

Logan’s dad frowned. “Don’t you like my playroom?”

That’s what he called this place, but I didn’t like the games he played.

“Leave her alone,” Logan yelled, making me jump.

He shouldn’t have done that. Everyone knew you didn’t yell at the boogeyman.

“Careful boy,” he lifted the cue and pointed at Logan. “You don’t want to piss me off before your mother gets home.”

I dropped my head because I didn’t want him to get mad at Paisley. Logan’s mom was nice. She played tea party with us and baked cookies.

“You two should be more like your friend.” Ryker nodded at Ava, who was playing with her bear in the corner. “Look how happy she is.”

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