Piece By Piece (Book #2)

Chapter Eighteen

All four girls returned back to school on Monday. Other than a couple of claw marks Jensen didn't have a scratch on her. Cassie was perfectly fine too. Darcy looked like a crash victim. I was surprised that she got the same punishment as the other girls. Apparently, the school claimed she incited the fight with her words and actions and that was good enough to give her the suspension.

I felt like it had more to do with Mrs. Stone wanting to give everyone a week to chill the fuck out. Darcy was skittish to say the least. Our coaches sat with their faces to the wall so that we could change but so that we knew we couldn't get away with fighting again and it encouraged us to keep our mouths shut in the locker room. They also ran us... hard. They had waited for all the girls to be back before instilling the team punishment. Something about not letting teammates fight.

How in the hell were we supposed to stop an all out cat fight like that one? We weren't the adults.

Still, there was a divide now with the team. The coaches underestimated girl pettiness. The upperclassmen were on Jensen's side and the younger girls either sided with Darcy or thought the whole thing was stupid. I was on team stupid if I was being honest. I didn't condone what Jensen and Cassie did. Especially since it involved Tyler's sister. If it had just been Darcy, I might have felt differently but I still had love for Miri. We hadn't been close this year because of who she chose to hang out with but last year wasn't completely lost on me.

I was doing my best to be Switzerland. Jensen waited until I was on my way to second period before she started talking about Ari.

"So you gave him my number huh?"

She was smiling so I assumed she hadn't minded. "He wanted to check in on you."

"He's actually a really good listener. Declan always loved to talk about himself. It's been refreshing to talk to someone who actually cares about what I have to say."

"I thought you and Declan were solid. I'm still trying to process what the fuck I saw at the party."

"I will gladly catch you up at lunch. I didn't want to have this whole conversation via text."

"That I can understand."

She gave me a hug and I headed into Colewood's. Nina was talking to Tyler about why he couldn't play at her Halloween party this weekend.

"Sorry, Nina, not this time. I want to enjoy a party for once. And you already have Reggie deejaying, you don't need me."

"But everyone loves when you play."

"I love hanging out with my girl and having a night with just us being teenagers at a party."

"I second that." I smiled and sat down. I hadn't asked Tyler not to play but I was all for not having to lose him to set up, playing, and tear down. That always took up half the event. While I supported him fully, it was nice to get one party alone with him.

Nina pouted but let it go.

I was excited for the party. I was going to be a cop and Tyler was going to be an inmate. It was what the Halloween store had in stock that didn't creep me out and wouldn't get me grounded. I texted Jensen to meet me at Tyler's truck so we could ride to Chew Chew's together.

Elle and I were walking out to the lot so she could meet Aaron. She nudged me and nodded in the direction of the lot. I looked around and saw what she saw. Ari was standing next to Jensen in the lot. I recognized his stance. He was standing a lot more confidently than he would have a few weeks ago. It was how he used to stand around me. I liked seeing this side of Ari coming back.