Thirty Reasons Not to Date a Player

13. He Has Jealous Ex-Girlfriends

School doesn't reopen until the following Monday, and when it does, most of the second floor is still in ruins. All the juniors and seniors are directed to the main office, where we pick up our new class schedules. Since many of our second-floor classrooms are off-limits to students while under construction, we're forced to adapt to a completely new routine. 

The first thing I notice, besides the fact that I have no classes with April, and only one with Melanie, is that I AP Lit got moved to first period, instead of seventh, like I'm used to. Who has the energy to develop a full literary analysis first thing in the morning? 

"I can't believe this," Mel groans, "I have like no classes with you guys!" 

It's one of the side-effects of going to such a massive high school. 

"I know," April sighs, "but this is just temporary, right? Do we have lunch together, at least?" 

I study the yellow sheet of paper, which says my lunch period is seventh, two periods later than usual. I sigh aloud. Is the board of ed trying to starve us to death? 

"Only on Tuesdays," I frown, although I'm not as disappointed as I should be. We're used to talking every day, but maybe a little space would be good for us. 

April and I are good again. After the fire, she and Mel stopped over at my apartment to make sure I was alright. April apologized for jumping to conclusions, but I bet that Mel told her a few white lies to make her forgive me. (Not that I really did anything wrong in the first place.) 

I don't think Melanie will ever let go of her suspicions about me and Ryder, but she cares about April a lot, and she can't stand it when the two of us are fighting. She always ends up in the middle, which is never an easy place to be. 

The first period bell rings, and I head off to my new AP Lit classroom. Mel comes with me; her history class is right next door. 

"So it’s over, right?" Mel asks innocently. 

"What do you mean?" 

"The thing with Ryder," she explains. "He took the video down, so you don't have to talk to him anymore, right?"

I hesitate for a moment. Ever since my encounter with Ryder in the hospital, and not to mention during our close call with death, I've thought of him differently. There’s something about him, something I haven’t seen before. Maybe he really does have a heart, somewhere in that rock-solid chest of his. 

I feel a light brush creep up into my cheeks, and then I realize that I haven't answered Mel’s question. 

"Yeah," I say. "I mean, no, I don't have to talk to him anymore." 

"Talk to who?" someone asks, causing both of us to turn our heads. When I see that it's Ryder, I immediately look away, embarrassed to have been caught speaking about him. 

"No one," Mel answers sweetly, stepping into her classroom. I know she left the two of us alone on purpose. I almost want to strangle her. 

I glance up at Ryder, acknowledging his six feet of existence, and then continue walking. I feel a wave of nervousness rush over me, and after our conversation at the hospital, I have no clue what I’m supposed to say to him.

He follows me. "So you're ignoring me now?" 

“I dunno,” I tease, “Are you stalking me now?”

“Not a chance,” he answers smoothly, “I have this class too.”

We enter the AP Lit room, and line up against the blackboard with the other students. I figure that Mrs. Samothrakis is assigning seats, or some other juvenile crap. I was hoping we'd get new teachers with the schedule change, but obviously that wasn't the case.