Three months after the death of her childhood friend and first love, Lea Martinez moves to New York to live with her older brother.
Desperate to escape the trauma of 'that night' and fight her lingering insomnia, she drowns herself in the impending...
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NEITHER CALLUM NOR HIS GIRLFRIEND was at lunch today, and I haven't had the courage to approach him in our remaining classes. Lately, I've been doing more damage than good trying to befriend him. Ethan wasn't nearly this complicated to get along with or even close to. No one is. Callum is so hostile, angry. How could someone so similar to my best friend be so drastically different?
It doesn't help that people seem to dislike him at this school, and I have no idea why. Not even Jeremy will tell me. His answer was the same as Callum's. 'Ask him.' I'm not one for gossip, but I find a group of teens not disclosing whatever made them hate someone so much to be odd. It's been the only thing on my mind as I walk the filth-ridden streets to work. Callum is already in his uniform zipping around the floor taking orders and passing out drinks to hungry customers when I arrive. I rush to the back, slip into my uniform, and come out to assist him.
He doesn't acknowledge me besides working tables, and I'm thoroughly surprised when he addresses me during our break. His eyes appear bluer instead of green tonight, raking over my face as I join him in the break room. I'm not sure whether I should apologize or keep quiet around him. It seems like my mere existence bothers him even when I thought we were making progress. They say Rome wasn't built in a day. I sit on the worn padded chair next to him and rest my hands on my knees. Just stay to yourself tonight. Maybe he-
"Hey."
My heart skips and my brain becomes a canvas of white. He's talking to me first? "Uh- Hi!"
"Do you know Reyna? My girlfriend?"
"Er." I think back to the isolated moment I saw her in the cafeteria earlier this week. "Not really."
"She's a good person," he declares as if I've implied otherwise. "Unfortunately, people don't see that."
"I'm sorry." I lock my fingers and stare at my dirty shoes against the white tile. Why don't people like you? "I'm sure you guys are good people."
"Reyna is." He takes in a deep breath, chest expanding, and scrubs his palms over his thighs before turning to me with his usual scowling expression. Though he seems less angry and more uncomfortable than anything. "You're so desperate for friendship, right? Why not talk to her?"
"I-" Amber eyes pierce my skull as I relive the moment we saw each other. Not a single word was said, but it was clear from the second she laid eyes on me, she was less than impressed with my presence. My friendship is the last thing she would want. My friendship is the last thing he wants either. What's the difference?
"If you're friends with my girlfriend, you're inherently friends with me." He sits up straight like we're bargaining some sort of association between ourselves. "Deal?"
I giggle. It comes out too fast to stop and I slap my hand over my mouth. "Sorry," I whisper.
Callum's scowl deepens, and discomfort writhes in his posture by the second. "What? I thought you wanted to be my friend? Is my girlfriend a deal-breaker?"
