Page 50 of Giving In

He’s wearing the uniform trousers, burgundy with double white lines running the length of the side seam on both legs. He picked the navy polo with Stoneview Prep’s logo of an Eagle wearing a crown and wears the navy jacket sporting the logo too.

“We’re matching,” he says, stopping me in my observation.

I raise my eyebrows, wondering what he means, and he points at my clothes. I look down to my burgundy skirt with the double white lines just above the trim and the navy polo tucked in the high waisted skirt. We have a lot of options with our outfit. Every student can buy navy or burgundy polos, skirts, and pants with white button-downs. It’s nice, it means we don’t have to wear the exact same thing every day.

Chris is right, today, wearematching. Like a real non-dating couple. I only smile in response.

Please make this quick, I can only stand this so long before I start being reminded of last week’s embarrassment.

“Look, I have a question and I really need you to be honest with me.”

I stop abruptly and fully face him. Maybe this is not about last Friday. “Is everything okay?” I ask him.

“I–look, I don’t know how to ask this and I want to apologize in advance if I assume wrong but…” he shifts on his feet. So typical of Chris, not wanting to hurt other people’s feelings.

“I won’t take it the wrong way,” I encourage him.

He takes a deep breath and I suddenly feel uneasy. This is not good.

“Rose had something stolen from her locker during practice on Monday and she said you’re the only one who left early. She wanted to mention it herself, but I insisted on talking to you first. She can be a bit...you know?”

“Hostile?”

“Right, I guess we can say that. I trust you, Jamie, and if you say you had nothing to do with it then I’ll believe you.”

My thoughts are running a thousand miles an hour. Rose knows her phone is gone. She thinks it’s me. She wanted to confront me about it. I’m screwed.

I try to keep my face as blank as possible while my brain tortures itself. She mentioned me. Did she also mention what happened with Camila and Beth? Why wouldn’t she, she probably hates me now and for good reasons as well.

“Jamie?”

How long was I out? I take an extra few seconds before replying, “It wasn’t me.”

He looks me in the eyes, and I can’t stand it. I look away. Behind him, Rose, Jake, Camila, and Jason are walking out of the school's heavy wooden doors. Jake is holding Camila by the waist and Rose and Jason are walking dangerously close for a couple of friends. Her olive skin looks pale next to Jason’s dark complexion. He says something in her ear and her raspy laugh makes me shiver. I need to stay away from her and her friends if I don’t want to have Jake’s gun to my head again.

A honk coming from the parking lot makes me jump and I turn around to see Emily popping her head out of the window.

“Hurry up!”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful,” I say to Chris before heading away.

He quickly catches my arm and I turn back around.

“Jamie, are you sure? You can tell me anything. I won’t get you in trouble. I won’t let the twins get back at you. But I can only help if you’re honest with me.”

He keeps going after another long silence from me. “Come on. Don’t lie to me. You know me, there’s nothing I hate more than dishonesty between friends.”

His behavior changes slightly from the sweet Chris to the powerful man he could be. His brows furrowed, he observes me, waiting for any kind of reaction. I take in his height and size. He looks taller and bigger than usual and I realize that it’s exactly how he’s trying to make himself look. Is he trying to intimidate the truth out of me?

I frown at him. He needs to get off my back. With what Jake has done to me, taking their phone is nothing.

But Jake isn’t Rose.

I don’t care, they’re the same.

And Chris doesn’t know what happened.

I try to calm down, but Chris’ behavior is riling me up and I can’t help it.

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