Page 9 of Damaged Boys Don't Fall For Bubbly Girls
“Really cool, man,” Nate says.
Brock gives him another small smile. Even though it’s so tiny, it changes his whole face. Makes him look even more handsome than he already is.
Cooper’s been glaring at him since he got off the bike. But Brock waves with another smile. “Hey, Coop.”
It looks like Cooper wants to chop his head off, but then he bounds over and throws his arms around him. “Welcome back, dude! You suck, you know that?”
Brock laughs lightly as he pats his back. “Yeah, I know.” He steps back and offers us an apologetic look. “Sorry for, you know, the last four years. I…um…”
I move forward. “You don’t owe us any explanations.”
A surprised look passes over his face, but then his features relax with a relieved smile. “Thanks.”
We all stand in silence.
Theo puts his arm around Brock. “Why you standing there like a statue? Come see the school.” He leads him toward the doors. “I bet your old lame school has nothing on Edenbury High. Bet the girls are much hotter, too.”
The rest of the guys follow them, each one exchanging words with Brock. He seems a bit overwhelmed, but appreciative, too. Like he was worried his old friends wouldn’t accept him.
I take a deep breath and slowly release it, then hurry after them.
Chapter Four
Brock
My friends are telling me all these different things as they lead me into Edenbury High. Like the time Theo broke his arm three years ago after he fell from his skateboard. Or when Dean and Cooper got into a fight last year over a girl they both liked. As glad and relieved as I am that they’re making me feel like nothing has changed, there’s still something in the air. Some distance.
Or maybe that’s just on my end. Maybe because my insecure brain keeps telling me that they don’t trust me. I did hurt them after all. But they have always been good friends to me. I was wrong to shut them out.
The only one in the group who doesn’t say much is Lexi. She lingers at the back of the group, arms wrapped around herself like she’s cold. I only have a chance to look at her for a few seconds—and notice her eyes are on me—before Cooper hits me in the chest as he nods to the girl he and Dean both tried to get with. She didn’t choose either of them in the end and their friendship is as normal as it was before.
“She’s hot, right?” Cooper asks as we pass her and the kids she’s talking to. I didn’t realize it before because the guys have kept me busy, but every single person we pass stops what they’re doing and stares at us. At me. I squeeze my grip on my motorcycle helmet.
Everyone knows what happened four years ago and why I left for Boston. Edenbury is a very small town, so everyone basically knows everything about each other. The kids stare and whisper, probably surprised that I’m back. I wasn’t the only one who lost a classmate that day. Our entire grade did. But I was the only onewho saw it happen. And they all know how messed up it made me.
“Nothing to see here, folks,” Dean says to them as Theo tightens his arm over my shoulder. The others motion for them to return to whatever they were doing. Most continue to gawk and whisper as we pass.
“Sorry, man.” Gael gives me an apologetic look.
“Yeah, you’re the most interesting thing to happen here since forever,” Nate says.
I push a smile on my face. “I get it.”
As we make our way to our lockers, I notice Finn hangs behind with Lexi and bends close to whisper something to her.
“Cool! Our lockers are near each other!” Theo cheers with bright blue eyes. “Nice. Last year, Lexi was all the way down there.” He points his thumb to the other end of the hallway. “Now she’s with us.”
Lexi scowls. “Yeah, and that locker was so far from all my classes. You guys were so nice to carry my books for me.”
Cooper ruffles her hair, causing her curls to fly all over the place. “You know we’d do anything for our queen.”
The others nod and cheer in agreement. A pang strikes my stomach. I’ve missed so much. I’m like an outsider. Will I ever feel part of them again? Do they want me to?
Lexi looks at me, then gives me a sweet smile. I return a small one, wishing I could do more. Or saysomething.
The bell will ring soon and we quickly dump our school things in our lockers. They’re empty now but will be filled with books as we attend our classes. After I shove my helmet inside, I grab the paperback I’m currently reading and tuck it into my back pocket. It’s a mystery book. I usually go for sci-fi or fantasy, but if I find a good mystery, I’ll check it out.
I’ve always loved to read, something I share with my dad, a well-known fantasy writer. Mom’s not much of a reader, though Dad has gotten her into it. And Zoey loves to read, too.
