The Middle | ✔️

Chapter 37

Jamie

"Morning, Mr Archibald. Nice of you to join us this week."

Professor Orb's annoyingly friendly tone echoes in my ears as Will takes a seat next to me. I ignore him and continue scrolling through Spotify on my phone. His presence isn't pissing me off as much as it did a couple of weeks ago. I guess because my mind has been firmly fixed on thoughts of Noah since last night, I'm not so worried about the impending conversation I'm gonna have to have with Will.

"Hawkins." He greets me through pursed lips. Lovely. "You guys rocked last night, as always."

I raise my eyebrows in acknowledgment of his compliment. It really does mean a lot to me when people have good things to say about our music, even if those people are pricks.

Fifteen minutes of silence, because Professor Orb has made it clear that we can spend this classroom time doing whatever the fuck we want. Then Will speaks again, and I look up from my phone for the first time since he got here.

"Are you going to the beach party tomorrow night?" His eyes are still fixed on his own phone. He's attempting to keep things casual. Whatever.

"Yes." I answer his question.

Another fifteen minutes of silence.

"Are you going with the guys?" I roll my eyes, who the fuck else does he think I would go with? But he's not done. "Or Aubrey and Kim?"

Okay, what? How the fuck does he know about Aubrey and Kim? Is he officially stalking me now? I glare at him, and sensing my annoyed confusion he looks up from his phone.

"I know John McDermott. That guy you helped out last night. So I know you're pretty friendly with those girls." He explains. Okay, makes sense. He's friends with John? Ugh, keeping Will out of my life really is gonna be difficult, it seems.

"I'm going with the guys. What's it to you?" I snap at him, keeping my volume down so that Professor Orb doesn't send me and Will off for a private chat or some shit like last time.

"Just friendly conversation." He replies. Friendly? Is he fucking kidding me right now?

I'm about to give him a dressing down, but he cocks his head in the direction of the professor, and I stop myself.

"Do I need to warn Aubrey and Kim about you?" I whisper. "I don't want them being the subject of any bets."

He sighs and looks me in the eye again. "Jamie, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry about all of it. Can't you just forgive me? Can't we just move on from what happened? We're in college now, and..."

"I don't wanna hear it, Will." I raise a hand between us, silencing his latest attempt at reconciliation. He's only doing this because he didn't go to Harvard. It isn't genuine, and I don't need to hear it.

Fifteen more minutes of silence, and me saving a new Spotify playlist. Then I'm the one that talks.

"Have you talked to Maddie?" I say her nickname with a little extra venom. "She's at NBU too."

His features freeze, and I know my words have effected him. Madison Hudson. If what Will did to me was shitty, what he did to Madison was fucking diahorrea. He's been leading the poor girl on for years, toying with her emotions then dropping her like she's nothing. She may be a bitch, and I do not care for her in the slightest, but she doesn't deserve to be treated the way Will treats her.

I blink at him and wait for his reply, but it doesn't come.

"Well, it appears I have hit a sensitive spot. I didn't know you had any." I say.