Hood River Rat (Hood River Hoodlums #1) - K Webster Page 0,19

conscience. Carting around his best friend and his little sister are what gives him purpose, it would seem.

I’m thinking I’ve managed to go unscathed when a loud, big black truck whips into the parking lot. The dual exhaust is obnoxious and deafening. Thankfully it cuts off as he parks crookedly right beside my car. The three of us have to step close to my car to avoid getting run over. At least there is distance between me and Jordy. He’s near the hood of my car with Roan and I’m closer to the trunk. The driver of the big truck flings his door open with no regard to my car.

Thunk.

“What the hell?” I grind out, rushing over to inspect the damage.

A big ass guy steps out of the truck and slams the door shut. Someone shuts the door on the other side, but I can’t see over the vehicle. I stare up at a guy taller than either Roan or Jordy. The guy has a baseball cap on, flipped backward, and his big green eyes burn into me. He’d be cute in a country boy kind of way if he didn’t have the same mean look to him that Roan and Jordy do.

“Oops.” He smirks unkindly at me. “My bad.”

“Fuckin’ Cal,” Jordy says with a snort from behind him.

Our eyes travel together to the dent in the top of the upper doorframe that takes up the entire three-inch width. Unbelievable. I’m about to go off on this asshole when I feel a presence behind me. A quick glance behind me and I realize it’s Roan’s friend I saw briefly leaving Aunt Karen’s office yesterday. Fucking wonderful. Four assholes all present and accounted for, ready to kick my ass for no goddamn reason.

And, on cue, my stomach decides to choose this moment to give me problems. Nausea burns up my esophagus, making me feel like I’m going to puke. Dizziness washes over me and blackness eats at the edge of my vision.

I’m going to pass out.

I start to collapse, falling toward Cal. He shoves me right into the guy behind me. That guy pushes me to the asphalt. Protecting my face, I curl into myself, waiting for the abuse. I don’t know what to expect, but with four of them, it can’t be good. I’m groaning, trying hard not to throw up, when a foot nudges me.

“Get up.” Roan. “Now.”

I blink back the dizziness, wishing like hell I wouldn’t have turned my nose up to biscuits and gravy this morning. I should have eaten.

“Rat,” Roan snaps, a little more forcefully. “I said get the fuck up.”

Shakily, I sit up. The world spins around me. Roan, who’s now squatted in front of me, seems to go around and around like I’m on a merry go round. I reach out, grabbing his shoulder, to steady myself. Surprisingly, he doesn’t shake me away and hauls me to my feet. I lean against my car, praying like hell I don’t pass out. That was too close.

“What’s your problem?” he demands. “Are you sick?”

“You saw what he did to my car,” I spit out. “You’d be sick too.”

“Poor, spoiled baby. You have a dent in your precious car. I bet the world feels like it’s fucking end—”

Everything goes black.

“Whoa, man, why are you so pale?”

I’m vaguely aware of being manhandled back into my front seat. My clothes are wet and dirty, but all I can worry about is making the world stop spinning.

I close my eyes, willing the episode to pass.

“Hollis? Are you okay?”

I blink my eyes open in confusion to see Aunt Karen standing in front of my open car door. How much time has gone by?

“Aunt Karen?”

“You’re white as a ghost, honey,” she says, reaching in to run her palm over my forehead. “Clammy too. I’m going to run you home. I’ll call Kels—”

“No!” I bark out. “Mom just started her job. Please don’t make her feel like she has to leave to come deal with me.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t eat anything.”

“Hollis Nathaniel English,” she chides. “You know better than that.”

“Sorry. I just…maybe I can sit here until it passes.”

“I’ll grab you a soda and some crackers. Sit tight.” Then, to Roan who’s hovering nearby, she says, “Please stay with him until I get back. I’ll write you a pass.”

“Happy to help,” he says with false cheer.

“Don’t look so eager to get out of class,” she grumbles.

As soon as she disappears, Roan opens the passenger side door and sits