Page 40 of Science Project

Meanwhile, I hadn’t done anything but maybe make my first friend during my senior year. Imani.

After driving to school, I waited in the parking lot for Nicole—though she would never want to be seen with me around here—until the first bell rang. Then, I lugged my backpack out of the car and walked on the sidewalk to the front doors, glancing back at her empty parking spot.

I wished that Nicole’s father had never shown up this morning.

I would’ve even considered skipping school for the first time ever to be with her.

She didn’t even show up when I started slowly stuffing books in my locker, dragging it out so I could see her one more time today. I hoped she was okay, but I doubted that she’d be in school today after those wounds on her?—

“Watch it,” João growled, shoving me into the locker with one hand.

I hit the metal door hard and gently rubbed my cheek, yet he didn’t even turn around.

“Your little girlfriend isn’t here to protect you this morning, so don’t get in my fucking way.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

João stopped and turned his head toward me, dark bags underneath his eyes and his Brazilian accent somehow even thicker now. “I smell bullshit. She fucking kicked me in the balls because she’d thought I hit you.”

My eyes widened. “She did?”

Without missing a beat, João stormed toward me again. But this time, Imani shouted at him from down the hall, pushing people to get to us.

He cursed underneath his breath and quickly headed in the opposite direction, muttering something like, “I hate this bitch.”

When Imani reached me, she placed her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

“He didn’t hit you, did he?” Imani asked.

“No.”

“Good,” she said, standing up straight. “Don’t worry about him. He’s an ass.”

But I wasn’t worried at all about João. All I could think about was that Nicole … had confronted João because she thought that he’d hit me. And she kicked him in the balls for me?! Warmth filled my chest.

Imani waved a hand in front of my face. “Uh, hello?”

I shoved the daydream of Nicole away and blinked a few times until Imani became clear in my vision. I scratched the back of my head and wiped off my glasses, as if they were cloudy, when all I could think about was her.

Nicole. Nicole. Nicole. Nicole. Nicole.

Lying in my bed. That smile this morning. Almost kissing her.

Fuck, why didn’t I just do it?!

The second bell rang throughout the halls, and I shoved the rest of my books into my locker so I didn’t have to lug around forty pounds all day. When I grabbed the books I needed for my first two classes of the day, Imani slammed my locker closed.

Students flew through the hallways to get to their classes, but I glanced over my shoulder to the front door and hoped that Nicole would walk in at any second. She had spoiled me by staying over last night.

“Don’t tell me that you’re daydreaming about Nicole,” Imani murmured.

“I am not,” I said.

She stopped, crossed her arms, and arched a dark brow. “That’s not what it looks like.”

Cheeks burning with embarrassment, I walked past her. “We’re going to be late.”

CHAPTER

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