Page 43 of I Don't Need Your Protection
“Oh, sorry. You were hanging out with your friends and I didn’t want to bother you.”
He lifts his brows. “You think I would ditch you for my friends?”
“Um…maybe?”
He chuckles. “I’d choose a cute girl over them any day. Can I join your dance? You guys have some sick moves.”
“It’s all Carly,” I tell him. “She’s the choreographer.”
“Nice.” He flashes her a smile. Then he focuses back on me. “So can I join? I can’t promise I can dance like you guys, though.”
“Of course you can join us,” I say.
He moves slowly as he tries to imitate the moves. Honestly, he’s not the best dancer out there, but that doesn’t matter because he’s having fun. And after a few minutes, he has all the moves down and gets this huge smile on his face that makes him look so…approachable. Not like he was born into a world I may never understand.
“Look at you,” Carly says with a laugh. “You were so stiff at first, but you’re totally showing off now.”
“You guys are great teachers.”
We dance for quite some time, but then Warner says he needs a break. He and I head to the drink table while my friends continue to dance.
“Your friends are cool,” he says.
“Thanks.”
He and I both get Cokes, and then we sit down at an empty table. I feel intense eyes on me, and when my gaze flits to Caleb, I find him glaring at Warner. It takes everything I have not to roll my eyes.
As Warner and I chat about our lives, Clarissa saunters over with a drink. She looks gorgeous in a pink dress that fits her body perfectly. Her hair and makeup are perfect as well. Iwouldn’t be surprised if all the guys at school are secretly in love with her.
“Hey, Warner,” she greets as she sits down. Then she smiles at me. “Hey, Addie. Your dress is so cute.”
I shift in my seat, not sure if she’s making fun of me. “Thanks.”
“You and your friends looked like you were having so much fun,” she says, still with that smile. It looks genuine enough. “It must be nice to do your own thing and not care what other people think.”
“Of course we care what other people think. But there will always be people out there who try to make other people feel rotten, or bring them down. The best we can do is ignore them and have fun.”
“I don’t think the kids here would make fun of you, though,” she says. “I mean, sure, we might not be best friends with you guys, but we don’t have a problem with you being here.”
I narrow my eyes at her, trying to determine if she’s BSing me. Again, she seems genuine. Maybe I judged her too quickly?
“Thanks.”
Her phone buzzes with a text. She grabs it and scans the screen. “Luna is looking for me. Ugh, she’s had too much to drink. See you guys later.” She gets up and walks away.
“That was…odd,” I say.
Warner’s brows dip. “Odd?”
“I thought she hated me.”
“Why would she hate you? Look, most kids here aren’t evillike all those TV shows portray. We’re just normal kids like you. We just happen to have trust funds.”
“Minor detail,” I joke.
He laughs, then finishes his drink.
“Want to go back to dancing?” I ask.
