Page 6 of Love Me Steadfast
Theo and I fold into the crowd of students flowing through the glass doors, all four of them propped open.
“Uh, Green Pod.” Thanks to the freshman orientation last week, I sort of know where that is. Though I’ve been going to practice five days a week since I moved here in May, that was my first time inside the highschool.
“Science?” Theo raises his eyebrows.
“Biology. With Hildenbrand.”
“Oof. He’s tough.”
I shrug. Science is the one subject I feel okay about.
“Wait, I think Charlie’s got him first period too,” Theo adds, nodding toward a group of girls walking ahead of us. “Charlie!” he calls out.
The tallest of the three whips around, her hazel eyes blazing. The red bandana keeping her straight brown hair off her freckled face matches the sleeveless red T-shirt that reveals a slice of tanned stomach above her jean shorts.
“What now?” she snaps.
“Make sure Will gets to Hildenbrand’s class,” Theo says, kind of bossy.
She looks me up and down, and I can’t help feeling like I’m a crab she just cracked open and gutted. It’s sort of annoying. My nerves are jacked up enough.
Then it clicks that this is Theo’s little sister—Charlotte.Charlie.
“Why?” Charlotte puts the hand not attached to her musical instrument case on her hip. That’s right, Charlotte is a band geek. Trumpet? The case is too big for a flute.
“Because you wouldn’t want our star QB to get lost on the first day, would you?” Theo says.
I side-eye him in surprise. I’m dedicated but far from being a star.
“A star QB getting lost sounds way more interesting,” Charlotte claps back, and spins away, her black high-top sneakers squeaking on the polished floor.
“It’s fine,” I reassure Theo while forcing my gaze on anything besides Charlotte. She looks good in those shorts. Or maybe it’s her silky brown hair. Or the burst of freckles I spotted on her tanned shoulders.
I bite the inside of my cheek.Ease the fuck back.
“Actually, do me a favor?” Theo says in a low tone, his eyes on hissister as she melts into the crowded foyer. “Keep an eye on her for me.”
Charlotte seems more than capable of taking care of herself, but I understand. She’s his little sister. “Got it,” I say.
“Thanks,” Theo says before peeling off to the right.
I hurry to follow Charlotte down a long hallway crammed with kids. I spot a couple of teammates. A few give me a nod. I start to relax enough that I can unclench my fists. Charlotte turns a corner and I hurry so I don’t lose her in the sea of bodies.
But this hallway is less crowded, and I just manage to veer back from running her over.
“What class do you have next?” she asks, not breaking her stride.
“Uh, History. McGinley.”
“Mrs. McGinley,” she corrects. “She’s nice, but watch out for her late policy.”
“Her what?”
“She won’t accept late work. Not even if you’re, like, dead.”
“Got it.” Maybe Charlotte got this info from Theo, who’s a sophomore, but it makes me feel even more unprepared.
Charlotte slips between two groups of passing students and darts into a classroom.
