Page 48 of I Don't Need Your Protection
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The trumpet blares in my ears again. The first thing to enter my head is that Caleb caught me watching him sleep last night. That’s so mortifying. I kind of don’t want to get out of bed, but I know I have to.
Grunting coming from his end of the room tells me he’s working out again. I peek at his side and find him doing sit-ups.
“You’re awake,” he says, glancing up at me. His hair falls into his eyes, some strands sticking to his sweaty forehead as well.
“It’s not like I can ignore that annoying alarm,” I grumble.
He continues doing his sit-ups while still looking at me. Is he thinking about what happened last night? It’s hard to tell from the indifferent expression on his face. Maybe he doesn’t care.
Why am I making such a big deal about it? I just wanted to get a drink and didn’tpurposelywatch him sleep.
He lifts a brow. “Do you find something fascinating with my face or are you going to get ready for school?”
My cheeks heat up. “I wasn’t staring at you. As if,” I mutter the last part as I get out of bed and reach for my school uniform. His eyes are on me as I enter the bathroom and they meet mine for maybe thirty seconds before I shut the door.
The day starts like usual, breakfast with my friends and thenmorning classes. I’m looking forward to third period because I have business class with Warner. I didn’t see him in the dining hall this morning, which again was a little disappointing. But I’m glad I get to see him now. I just hope he’s not avoiding me because of the party. I thought we had a good time dancing.
I find my seat in the business classroom, tuck my fingers in my lap, and look around. None of my friends share this class with me. Caleb does, of course. He’s sitting two rows away from me, pretending to scroll through his phone, but I know he has all four—yes,fourbecause the dude has eyes at the back of his head—on me.
My body perks up when Warner saunters into the classroom, wearing a smile as he greets the rest of the students. Hudson and some girls surround him. He doesn’t look in my direction. I guess he’s too busy working the crowd. I try not to let the disappointment wash over me and focus on reviewing my notes from the previous class. I never know when a teacher will give us a pop quiz.
“Addie!”
Raising my head, I nearly lose my breath when I find Warner standing at my desk.
“Sick moves on Friday,” he says as he sits down in the desk in front of me. He frowns. “But you bailed on the party so quickly.”
I shrug. “I didn’t think you noticed.”
“It’s hard not to notice you.”
I go still. What exactly does he mean by that?
“Can’t wait for us to tear the dance floor at the next party.”
“When is it?” I ask.
“Don’t know, but there’s always a party.”
“Cool.”
He stands up, giving me a wide smile. “Catch you later, Addie.” He meets his friends at the other end of the classroom and laughs with them.
I feel intense eyes on me and don’t have to wonder who they belong to. Caleb’s not looking at his phone anymore but at me. I shoot him a “What?” look, but he continues to watch me with an expression I can’t read. It’s not anger or annoyance. Maybe he’s finally giving up on whatever his problem is with Warner.
But I still have no idea why he’s looking at me like that. Does he maybe feel bad for me? Does he think I’m pathetic for trying to get with a guy like Warner?
Ugh. Who cares what my prison guard thinks?
The teacher, Mrs. Powell, enters the classroom, letting us know that she’s assigning us a new project that will be worth fifty percent of our grade. There’s a collective groan from the students.
She waits impatiently for the sounds to die down. “Can I begin? Thank you. The project is as follows,” she says as she passes papers to the students. “You’ll split into teams of two and your task will be to create a product and sell it. This includes coming up with the product, finding investors, marketing the product, and everything else that comes with starting a business.” She explains in more detail exactly what we’re required to do for the project. Once she’s sure no onehas any questions, she says, “Please choose your partner.”
Most kids pick their partners quickly. I’m left sitting in my seat as I glance around. Of course no one will choose me, the new girl. Should I go up to someone and ask them to team up?
Warner has a large group of kids fighting to partner with him, many of them girls. It’s not surprising that everyone wants him. I wouldn’t mind teaming up with him, but I know that’s not going to happen.
