Page 12 of Mayhem

“Willow, how are you feeling?”

I step back, looking around at all the students taking notice.

“Um, Nate? Why are you talking to me right now?”

He chuckles. “I wanted to check in. How’s your head?”

“Fine.” I slam my locker and turn to walk away.

He falls into step with me. “Good. Chase won’t admit it, but he was worried too. You snuck out this morning on him. He wasn’t happy.”

I shoot a glare at him. “I didn’t sneak out. He watched me leave.”

“Sure. Anyway, see you at lunch?”

“Absolutely not. Stop being weird. Go back to hating me.”

“Oh, silly girl. I never hated you.”

He winks at me as he walks backward, back the way we came.

I shake my head. This day keeps getting weirder and weirder.

As the day goes on, that statement proves to be true. More than one student has made it a point to say hello to me or offer me smiles.

I don’t miss the whispers as I pass.

Their king has deemed me worthy of a conversation, so that means I’m something to be envied.

I hate it.

The whispers continue throughout the morning, putting me in a bad mood.

Instead of braving the cafeteria, I skip lunch, knowing I’ll regret it later when I’m starving. Instead, I make my way toward the back doors. Slipping out, I walk around the building and find a spot along the wall in the grass. I stare out over the lawn toward the baseball field.

Noise from my right catches my attention. I glance up, relieved when I see it’s only Hailee.

“Stalking me?” I ask.

She laughs. “No, but I saw you coming this way and thought you might be hungry.”

She tosses a pre-wrapped sandwich my way.

“You didn’t have to buy me food.”

She shrugs. “The lunch lady likes me. It was free.”

She sits next to me, unwrapping a sandwich of her own.

We sit in silence as we eat, both staring out over the field.

“You didn’t have to do that this morning,” she says when she finishes.

“Do what?” I ask, playing dumb.

“You know what you did.”

“You helped me first.”

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