Page 35 of Landon & Shay: Part One

I knew what she was getting at, and I hated it. I hated how that April chick made Mom doubt herself. Her insecurities were so loud through the messages.

Me:She’s not you.

She waited awhile before responding.

Mom:I love you, love you, Land.

Me:You too, Mom. Night.

* * *

“What isthis thing between the two of you?” Monica hissed, marching up to my locker on Thursday morning. She looked wild in the eyes and pissed off, but then again, it was Monica—she always looked wild in the eyes and pissed off.

“You’ll have to be more clear on who you’re talking about.”

“Little Miss Perfect and you—what’s the deal with this bet?”

Oh. Shay. Of course.

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s just for laughs.”

“No one’s laughing,” she muttered. “I don’t even know why you would want to spend any of your time thinking about that annoying bitch.”

I smirked. “Oh really? Because at my party the other day it seemed like she was one of your closest friends, which prompted you to slap me repeatedly.”

“Whatever, I was drunk. Just drop whatever it is that’s going on between you two, okay?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, did I miss the chapter of this messed-up book of ours where you get to tell me what I can and can’t do?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You owe me. You promised me you’d be there for me.”

I knew exactly the promise I’d made to Monica over a year ago, a promise to look after her whenever I could, and for the most part, I’d kept my end of the bargain. If she was low, I was there for her, but that didn’t mean I had to give up the small bit of life I had to give in to her ridiculous requests. Soon enough, we’d both be off to college anyway. She’d have to learn to stand on her own two feet.

Also, I’d made the promise when I was high as fuck. Promises made under the influence should be null and void.

“Listen, I promised to look after you, all right? And I’ve done that. When you need food, I get you food. When you’re fucked up, I help you sober up. But let’s be really clear about this: I am not yours to control, Monica. I’m going to do what—and who—I want, when I want.”

She pursed her lips and eyed me up and down. “You’re really going to do this stupid bet with Shay Gable? Seriously? We hate her guts.”

Wrong.Ihated her. Monica hated the way I hated Shay, as if my hatred was giving too much attention to another girl.

“It’s really none of your business what I do.”

She pushed her purse up on her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Landon. It’s not like she’d ever want to fall in love with someone like you, anyway. A person like her would never fall for trash.”

There it was, the insults. Right on time.

Then, she shoved me hard in the chest.

What the hell?

Was she drunk?

High?

It was ten in the morning. How was she already messed up at ten in the morning?

I took a breath and stepped away from her. It was too early to be dealing with her antics. I had hardly shaken off the exhaustion in my body from yet another night of only getting about an hour of sleep.

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