Page 71 of Deeply Examined

“When’s the show start?” he asks.

It’s an effort, but I hold back my sigh of annoyance. He’s the principal—he should know this. “Tomorrow is opening night.”

Kent’s gaze shifts to West, and the room seems to freeze.

West stiffens next to me, his shoulders tight and squared. The color drains from his face. I glance between the two men, confused.

What the hell?

“This is Adam West,” I tell Kent. “He’s been helping me out with the musical.”

“Adam, this is Kent, my principal…,” I trail off, baffled by the obvious tension in the room.

In strained voice, West says, “I thought your boss was named Wilson.”

“Yeah, Kent Wilson. We mostly call each other by last names around here.”

My gaze bounces back and forth between the two men, who look like they’re locked in a staring contest.

Kent breaks first, with a disbelieving shake of his head. “AdamfuckingWest. Itisyou, isn’t it?”

West flinches next to me.

“I’m sorry,” I ask, baffled. “Do you two know each other?”

Kent barks out a laugh. “Are you serious, Jess? You don’t remember this little twerp?”

I glance around the room, wondering who he’s talking about. Surely it can’t be 6’3’’ West with his chiseled body and model good looks. “Who?”

Kent’s laughter turns cold. His gaze slides to West. “This kid. I used to beat him up all the time. Such a weak little cunt. He never lifted a hand to stop me.”

West doesn’t respond. He just stares at Kent stonily with his jaw tight.

“Remember, Jess? He was a senior, in the same grade as me.” There’s pure spite in the glare Kent sends West. “Fucker kept ruining the curve in every class I had with him. It’shisfault my grade-point average fell. I missed a football scholarship in Florida because of this asshole.” He takes a threatening step toward West, but I move forward to block him.

“Stop it, Kent.” I put a hand on his chest, so he can’t come closer. “I don’t know what this is about, but leave him alone.”

Kent gapes at me, then flicks a look to West and back. “Wait…wait a second. Don’t tell me you two are together?” His voice pitches louder with disbelief. “No fucking way.You?Withhim?”

I pull myself tall and let the pride I feel for West flow into my words. “He’s my boyfriend. The one I told you about.”

Kent points with his mouth hanging open. “Thisnerd loser? Isyourboyfriend?”

I nod and say, “Yes, but I think you’ve mistaken him for someone else. West didn’t go to school with us.”

Malice dripping from his words, Kent leans around me. “Tell her, Adam. Tell her how I used to fuck you up.”

Silence from West. The first tendril of doubt takes root in my mind.

My chest tightens as I turn to West, my voice barely above a whisper, and ask, “West?”

It’s like watching a balloon deflate. West’s shoulders bow, and his frame sags like the weight of this moment is crushing him. His mouth moves, silently counting. 1, 2, 3, 4. When he gets to 5, his mumble is so quiet that I strain to hear. “It’s true.”

My heart stutters. “What?”

Louder this time, but still not meeting my eyes, West says, “I graduated from here.”

My stomach lurches, my world tilts dangerously like the ground opened beneath me and I just tumbled into a new reality. One where West isn’t who I thought he was, who hesaidhe was.

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