Lucas Mabry wants it all.
He wants a girl, team captain, and the popularity that comes with it.
Unfortunately, the new girl wants nothing to do with him and he turns to the only person he thinks will help.
Nikki Young.
His worst enemy.
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Lucas
Nikki gave me a lot to think about.
I want to hold her hand.
I do.
But I spent very little time thinking about it.
After grocery shopping for Carter's mother, we put the groceries away and played video games. I went home, showered, and ate with Logan and my parents before playing Uno. It was fun... until I lost... to Logan.
"Lucas!" A hand grabs my shoulder. "What did you do?!"
My ears! I insert my pinky fingers into my ears, trying to scratch at my ear drums. Julian yells something at me, shaking some papers at me. I narrow my eyes. "What now?" I shove him away. "I apologized. You were there." Julian's frightened eyes bring me to a stop. "What did I do?"
"Nikki she's - "
A shiver runs down my spine. "Is she okay?!" Crap, that was high-pitched. I clear my throat nervously. "Is she... okay?" Not that it makes me any less pathetic.
"No! She's in the newspaper!"
Did not expect that.
"That is my fault why?" Knowing her reputation, the newspaper club is probably celebrating her contribution to the library or mentioning her high grades. Something not unknown to this Nikki worshipping school.
"Lucas!"
"What?"
"Come to earth!"
A pop goes off in my ear. I wince, repeating the ear canal intrusion. "What is so important that you're bursting my ear drums?!" My fingers dig into my ear, trying to relieve the tension.
"This!" Julian holds out the school newspaper.
The headline says "NIKKI'S PARENTS? MORE LIKE ADOPTIVE PARENTS!" And in the smaller text, it says "Nikki's Aunt is a Bully" and "Slept with Lucas".
Oh, no.
"Besides the bad writing, this has you written all over it!" Julian shoves the paper in my hands.
"What?" I shake my head in disbelief. "You think I did this?"
His eyebrows are pulled together in fake sadness. "Well I - " The corners of his lips lift in a scowl. "Of course, I do!"
A twirly nervous thing appears at the pit of my stomach. Memories jump at my brain in an unorganized fashion.
Taking Victoria to my home.
The fight in the school parking lot with her friends.
And —
I told Victoria when I was trapped in a car with her!
How did I forget it that fast?!
"I thought she would keep quiet!"
"Looks like she didn't!" Julian pulls at his face. "I don't know how to fix this, man. I don't know how!"
