Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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ANXIETY CRASHES like waves into my heart and sends my fingers drumming across the tabletop. I grip the charm around my neck and watch the cafeteria doors swing open a dozen times.
Pimpled, hairy and freckle-faced students stride inside with laughter and chatter falling from their grinning mouths. Not one comes close to reflecting the fairness of Amber's complexion or the rich drops of sun that weave into her hair.
I drag my thumb over my bottom lip before bringing my nail between my teeth.
What if she changed her mind? She probably regrets saying yes.
With a quick flick of my gaze, I begin to scan for Pepper as well, hoping she joins me before Amber can catch me alone. Mason just had to choose today of all to snatch her away. These thoughts need to leave my mind and soak into her ever-advising-self.
What if she cancels on me again? It wouldn't be the first time Amber's agreed to hang out, just the two of us, before some ungodly force makes her cancel.
My fingers twitch towards my phone to bring the screen to life. Ten after. Where is everyone? Lena and Martsia should be showing up soon with their bickering in tow.
A familiar head of raven locks duck into the cafeteria. My pulse jumps. Leaning forward and narrowing my eyes confirm the tall physique of Mason striding in with a thunderstorm looming above his slumped shoulders.
I slide from my seat and weave through the passing students and roundtables to reach him. I tap his shoulder, making him jump and whirl around. Storm-riddled eyes expand as they land on mine. "Hey, man. Where's Pepper?" I arch my neck around him in case she decides to appear.
"I um..." He rubs his neck red and gravitates toward the growing lunch line, though I know he's never eaten a school lunch a day in his life. "I don't know." His voice is shrunken to near inaudibility. "She could still be outside."
"What do you-"
"Sorry. I need to go." Mason slinks past me before I can finish another thought.
"What the hell?" I mumble beneath my breath and watch him weave and vanish around the lunch line.
Why would he just leave her? The question fogs my mind and I'm squeezing through the populating cafeteria to scour the halls for her. I grip my charm again and bypass a dozen sets of lockers until I reach the gym area.
Slam! The double doors leading to the soccer field reverberate through the barren hall. The thrumming of my heart increases and I kick into a jog to look down that direction.
Pepper is dragging her boots across the tiles, making them squeak with each sluggish step. She's a shadow of herself with windblown curls shrouding her shoulders and Mason's black jacket sliding off her petite frame.
Concern tightens around my lungs but I manage to call out, "Pep?" With a short sprint, I meet her halfway and place my hands atop her shivering shoulders. "Is everything-"
