FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS OF THE CHEATER.FAKER.TROUBLEMAKER SERIES (WATTY'S 2016, FICTION AWARDS 2016, HACHETTE AUDIO 2017), JENNY ROSEN & KRISTEN MAGLONZO.
After bullies, braces, and brutal heartbreak shatters his faith in love, soon-to-be fre...
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Note: Check out this week's emotional read of Chapter 12 by kaelking12! Happy listening!
CHAPTER 12
Elias
I should be at the hospital right now.
I should be waiting for my brother to come out of surgery instead of waiting for Mr. Packer to figure out how to get through his history lesson. Fifteen minutes into class, his screen's frozen, and he's about a click away from throwing his laptop across the room.
The whole class is staring at him like he's crazy, but he's not.
He's just pissed.
At his laptop. At his dead-end job. At everything.
And, I totally get it.
I mean, I'm not supposed to understand some balding middle-aged teacher who's raging at life for screwing him sideways—but right now, I do.
'Cause right now I'm not any different than he is. I just haven't lost it yet.
Mr. Packer's computer flickers, sputters, and then shuts itself down for what looks like the final time. He sucks in a sharp breath, grumbles to himself, and then slams his fist against his desk with a hard, loud thud. A couple kids in the front row freak out a little and start whispering about him the same way they whisper about everybody else.
The same way they've been whispering about me.
Tanner got admitted at Scripps Memorial on Saturday night, my parents forced me to go to school on Monday morning, and I've been the topic of everybody's side conversations ever since.
After two days of girls gossiping every time I pass them in the hallways, low key threats from Trevor's friends, and more than a few concerned chats with the student counselor, I'm itching to beg my dad to transfer me out of this place.
But I already know he won't.
I'm stuck here with the stares and whispers.
And that's the problem with people here.
They're all vultures. Just like Brad, and Stacey, and everybody else who sucked at PBMS. They live for other people's drama like it isn't real. Like other people's problems are as entertaining to watch as prime time television.
I wish I could do that. Watch from the sidelines. Live out my life like I don't have any real issues aside from the ones I decide to make up for myself.
The biggest thing the kids here are probably worried about is whether or not they can get through the rest of Packer's lesson without having to watch another breakdown.
