Spin the Bottle

Chapter 4

It's Tuesday. The week seems to be slowly creeping toward Friday, and I'm not complaining. Clarity seems to be avoiding me today, though I don't know why. I find myself in Alex's company more than normal.

We finally have a break in our schedules. I have art and he and Peter have gym.

I walk down the hall rummaging through my backpack and trying to find the sketch I was working on. "Ow!" I hiss. My body slammed into another girl's.

She has strawberry blonde hair and she holds a phone in her hand. She has an annoyed look on her face, but her features are unmistakable. She looks almost identical to Peter, except that her face is more feminine. Her eyes are much greener and the freckles on the bridge of her nose are much darker. This must be Peter's little sister. "Sorry," she murmurs, then walks off.

I think about calling out to her, but I decide against it.

My art class was fourth period, then fifth was lunch.

Clarity was nowhere to be seen.

I heave a sigh and sit my tray down next to Alex's.

"Ew!" one of Alex's friends, Jaden, exclaims in a rather high pitched voice. "Girls have cooties!"

"And you have an STD," I bite back at him.

"Shut up, both of you," Peter interrupts, setting his tray down across from me. "I've got a headache from those assholes in gym class."

"You should've seen him Zure," Max, a friend to both me and Alex, says excitedly. "He beat them up and left the locker room before Mr. Taylor even noticed!"

Peter scowls. "She didn't have to know that."

"I'm not a baby, Peter," I snap.

"I never said you are."

"It was heavily implied!" "

Alex clears his throat loudly.

Peter ignores him. He leans across the table. "You know, you're getting annoying. Why are you even sitting here?"

I want to slap him. "That's none of your business!"

"Peter," Alex growls, "I'd appreciate it if you laid off of Azure. Clarity's been an asshole all day to both me and her, so I'm not in the mood."

Peter scowls.

"You didn't have to do that," I say quietly to Alex.

He turns to me and smiles.

Peter's scowl deepens.

Alex glares at him.

I shrink back into my chair, not eager to know what's going on with them.
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Every Tuesday afternoon, I stay after school to help my teacher Miss Allen. Today she has me delivering messages to other teachers.

I have to walk through the weight room in order to get to Mr. Taylor's office. As soon as I walk in, I spot the last person I want to see.

Peter is by the free weights section. He's lifting weights, and surprisingly enough, he's not wearing a shirt.

My cheeks flush red at the sight of this.

"Not so fast," Peter says as I attempt to scurry passed him.

I stop dead in my tracks, slowly turning to him.

"What're you doing here?" Peter asks.

"I'm running errands for Miss Allen," I sigh.