Page 43 of Brutal Days

Christ.I rolled my eyes so hard that I almost gave myself a headache.

“Come with me,” she said and pushed through the crowd.

“No thanks.” I snorted.Not likely.I hung back, warily watching my best friend’s ambitions expand to the point that I wondered if they would eclipse our friendship.

With nothing but a bad feeling to keep me company, I scanned the people by me until I found Tucker O’Brian. He was a wrestler who also happened to be on the debate team, so I gave him a free pass on my dumb jock stereotype because of that.

“Hey, Sky.” Tucker one-arm hugged me then tipped a flask to his lips.

“Tucker.” I took the flask when he handed it to me, relishing the burn of whatever I shot back. “What was that?”

“Tequila.” He grinned then tapped the spot on my neck where it met my shoulder. “Got any salt and limes? We could do body shots.”

“Hilarious. I’ll just pull them out of my purse.” I shrugged off his arm.

“You came alone?” He turned for a second then fist-bumped another guy who dropped into his group.

“Nah. Gia’s over there.” I pointed to where she hung on the outskirts of Damon’s crowd.

Desperation washed off her in waves, noticeable even from where I stood, and I hated that look on my best friend. I threw back another shot-sized gulp then handed back Tucker’s flask.

Tucker glared in the direction of Gia and the others she stood with. “I can’t figure out what’s going on with her. I didn’t think Gia was like that.”

“Like what?”

He pursed his lips, seeming to weigh his words. “I used to think she was sweet, kind. But I don’t know. She’s changed.”

Hasn’t she though?He didn’t know the how or why, but he saw the results. The way she let the fangirls who hung around the Elite influence her. How fake she acted when the situation called for her to fit in. I didn’t like it, either, but I knew what she was made of, and that wasn’t it. I suspected the change would be temporary. Gia was good down to her toes. She just hated confrontation.

“She’s still the same person, just going through something.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t sound convinced, and he visually tracked her for a few more minutes. “And you’re okay with her new friends?”

I snorted. “As if. But whatever. I don’t think it’ll last. Besides, I have friends like you, so it’s not like I’m hiding in a corner while she’s with another group of people.”

He barked a laugh. “True. That would never be you, Sky.”

A wave of excitement swept through the crowd, a charged energy that was impossible to miss. I knew what that meant. One of the Elite would be entering the ring soon.

“Hey, when are you covering a wrestling meet?” His grin widened. “I’ve been winning all my matches.”

“Not my call, Tuck. Stephanie tells us what we’re covering.” I made a face to show my extreme distaste. “She almost put me on baseball, but I threatened to walk.”

His hands found his hips, and he dipped his head for a quiet laugh. He probably had friends on the team and couldn’t say anything bad. I didn’t care. Baseball made my skin crawl. I hated it with every fiber of my being.

“Is that how you got assigned to cover the football games?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes. Pure evil on her part.”

“Or genius manipulation.”

“Or that.” I waved away another sip from his flask and studied him, my mind circling back to how he’d looked at Gia. “Why did you ask about Gia? You like her or something?”

He shrugged his big shoulders. “What’s not to like? Other than the company she’s kept lately.”

“Hmm.” I filed that away. I wish I’d thought of him when she was looking for a guy to fulfill all her wildest senior dreams. He might not have been able to swing the prom queen one, but that was a long shot no matter what. She would have had a real relationship with Tucker. Based on what I’d just observed—he liked her.

The problem was that everything could go to shit and blow up in our faces.If she, by some miracle, opens her eyes and loses the filter she has when it comes to Damon and his ridiculous top-tier popularity, could she and Tucker have a shot at something real?I hoped so.

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