Ariella never saw Mike like a brother; she only loved his goofball personality and flair for creativity. Mike never dreamed that bubbly and fierce Ariella would be interested in him. Once she confesses she's crushed on him for years, Mike staunchly...
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"Not going to make it, Ari. Scoot that little ass!" Ella swats my butt with her notebook while hurrying past.
Her long legs take one step for every two of mine, so I tell her to head to class without me while stuffing my backpack.
I want to jet out of school after class and not look back. And I like my butt fine, thank you very much.
The chaotic hallway is lined with blue lockers and people rushing between classes to pit stop at them. Good-natured shouting and scuffles between friends and students heading to the last period of the day before the weekend.
Pfft. Like I'd miss Algebra II. It might be my least favorite subject, but it's my absolute favorite class.
"Yo, Little Garrett."
Hitching my backpack higher, I roll my eyes, then flip my middle finger at Kevin Peters talking with a few other senior boys. He laughs and holds up a hand. "Stop for a sec."
I pause. Kevin's a nice enough guy; I've just been called Little Garrett too many times in my life. "Okay. Hi, Kevin. Guys."
"See ya." His locker bangs shut, and he lightly grasps my arm to walk with me "Are you still going out with Tony?"
I fidget with a button on the front of my jacket. Technically yes.
"Yep. Why?"
Pressing his lips into a thin line, Kevin shakes his head. He drops his voice. "I was afraid of that. Rumors are going around that he hooked up with somebody else."
I halt, rapidly blinking. "Who told you that?"
He nods back to where he left his friends. "Lincoln and Jason."
"Were they there?"
He nods, and I make a face and aim a finger at the guys he deserted. "With Kristin, right? And they don't have the guts to tell me?"
Kevin nods again, and I sigh. That's insulting on every level. But believable.
"Well, thanks for letting me know, Kev."
He offers a faint smile and steps around me. "Sorry, LG. See ya."
My long waves spill over my shoulder as I spin around. "Hey."
He whirls, and backpedals, lifting his eyebrows while nearly bowling Howard Petree over. "Can you please stop calling me that? And spread it around how much I hate it?"
Kevin chuckles and nods, and with a salute, he turns the corner and vanishes. My lips vibrate as I let out a long sigh, sliding into the room just as the warning bell goes off.
After a quick scan of the occupied desks, my heart drops. Disappointment number two as I realize he isn't here today. Ms. Bell twirls a finger in the air. "Have a seat, Ari."
