The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

15. How To Be a Heartbreaker

{Sarah}

Returning from break is not an appealing prospect. Mainly because midterms are falling thick and fast. Despite my good grades, testing was always the worst, and by far the hardest.

   I make an effort to seek out Trevor after the first day of testing, finding him sitting on one of the benches outside, his head bent over a thick textbook.

   "Trevor?"

   He looks up at me, and I can't suppress the gasp that comes out. There's a dark bruise on his cheekbone, spreading up around his eye, and a red mark above it on both, looking like someone had pressed something like a mask into his face.

   "Hey, Campbell."

   "What happened to you?"

   "Usually 'hello' is the conventional greeting." He smirks halfheartedly at me.

   "I'm sorry, Trevor. I can't exactly act normal when there's a big bruise on your face. Who did it?" I couldn't imagine anyone beating him up, but a hunch told me who might have done it. Or had it done, at least.

   "It's really nothing," he says, reaching up to rub it.

   "Please, Trevor." I catch his wrist, and he gives me a shocked look. I guess he's got a right. I've never done that before. "Tell me. I'll try not to be too surprised."

   "Good one, Campbell." He smiles weakly. "It's harmless, really. I'm learning some self-defense, you know. Like kickboxing and stuff. I'm kinda clumsy, see? I fell and hit my face on the way down."

   I release his wrist before it gets too awkward. "Are you really?"

   "Yeah...I mean... 'cause I've been beaten up pretty badly before. This is nothing." He's looking right at me, but something in the set of his shoulders says right away there's something he isn't telling me. The restlessness of his eyes give him away too, but I don't comment on it. I don't want to ask too many personal questions, just in case that's a sensitive subject.

   "Is it?" I say instead.

   He winks at me. That gesture is so familiar I don't hear his answer. There's a rushing in my ears. It couldn't be...

   "Hey, Campbell. You okay?"

   I shake my head to clear it. "Yeah. I'm fine."

   Then there's a second deep voice behind us. "Hey, guys."

   I turn around, coming face to face with Cam, his arm in a sling. "Cameron? Hey."

   He smirks, just like Trevor did a minute ago. "Surprised to see me, are you?"

   "Well, I...what happened to you?" My eyes are immediately drawn to his sling.

   "Trying out Pat's new longboard," he says, his tone of voice casual but not looking at me. Suspicious, but I don't pursue it, just like I hadn't with Trevor. "Hey, I got a question for you."

   "Sure." I'm a little warier now that they're both acting weird enough to arouse suspicion.

   "It kinda has to do with us. Sorry," he says to Trevor as he pulls me away. "Um...so...y'know there's a holiday party coming up...winter formal, really, and...I was hoping you'd go with me."

   I glance over at Trevor, who's gone back to his book. "Well, I..."

   "Please? I went alone last year and it sucked." His green eyes roam over my face.

   "So going with me will make it suck less?" I fold my arms. "I appreciate the compliment."

   "No, no, no. That's not what I meant. I want to go with you 'cause you're my girlfriend. It sucked because I was alone. I mean, who wants to go to a dance alone?"