Page 7 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

“Will you just wait a second? Talk to me… let me explain.”

I whirled around and glared at him. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“That’s some bullshit and you know it, Sofe. I only told them because I—”

“Because you what? Huh?” I got right up in his face. “I told you about… things because I trusted you. Because I thought… Forget it. I was wrong to trust you. Stay away from me, Cole.”

I stormed off, but he snagged my wrist, holding me there. “Sofia… I—”

“Yo, Kandon.” My brother’s voice went through the air and as if my skin burned him, Cole jerked away.

“Yeah?” He called back.

“Grab us some extra bags of chips while you’re in there.”

“You got it.”

Cole glanced back at me, panic dancing in his eyes.

Pressing my lips together, I shook my head a little and went inside.

I was stupid for ever trusting Cole.

He was my brother’s best friend. Of course, his loyalty would always side with Aaron.

But just for a second, I’d hoped—

Oh, what did it matter now?

Cole had shown me exactly who he was, and I didn’t have time to waste on a boy who would always choose my brother over me. Not when I was almost certain my life was about to implode.

“Sofia…” he called after me, following me into the house.

“You heard Aaron,” I murmured. “Better not keep him waiting.”

“Come on, that isn’t fair, and you know it.”

My brows pinched as I glanced over my shoulder at him, “Didn’t you know, Cole? Life isn’t fair.”

Then I walked away from him.

Because let’s face it, I had bigger things to worry about.

* * *

I didn’t makeit to school the next day. Dr. Peters called Dad. My blood work was back early, and he wanted to see us.

He didn’t have to fill in the blanks—it wasn’t good news.

But of course, they never told you that over the phone. No. They went through an entire rigmarole of inviting you to an appointment, of surviving the long agonizing wait until you finally got in the doctor’s office.

“Sweetheart?” Mom squeezed my hand and I blinked up at her. I’d mentally shut down somewhere between leaving Rixon and driving to Allentown. I was numb. Hollowed out. And I hadn’t even heard the words yet.

But I knew.

Call it instinct or intuition or some higher power. Or maybe it was the simple fact that I felt wrong. On the inside. In the deep, dark places you weren’t supposed to feel.

“It could be nothing,” Dad said, his expression full of worry.

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