Hood River Rat (Hood River Hoodlums #1) - K Webster Page 0,47
your role as her favorite will soon be downgraded. I made her cry earlier when I threw a fit over this boy. Trust me, leave it alone if you don’t want her to hate you.”
He doesn’t confirm nor deny he will as we pull into the parking lot of our school. Of course Jordy parks right next to Hollis’s purple Mustang.
Before we get out, I grab Jordy’s arm and level him with a firm look. “Leave him alone.”
His face grows stormy.
“I’m serious, Jordy. I need you to just back off when it comes to Hollis.”
“You think he’s going to tell what I did?” His eyes darken.
“No. I just don’t want to see him get hurt.”
“Why not? He’s just a fucking gay rat. No one gives a shit about him.”
I pop my knuckles and shrug. “Someone does.”
“Someone, huh?”
“Yeah. And someone cares about you too. So don’t fuck shit up because Juno is a dick and pissing you off. I need you. You feel me?”
“I still think he’s a little bitch,” Jordy tells me. “But I won’t fucking touch him.”
I let out a heavy sigh of relief.
“But that doesn’t mean I won’t tell him what a little bitch he is.” He climbs out of the vehicle and starts stalking toward a group of people.
Hollis, wearing another substitute teacher coat, turns just in time to lock eyes with Jordy. His eyes widen, a flash of fear glimmering in them. I’m out of the car and rushing to catch up to Jordy in my next breath. I manage to grab his backpack right before he reaches Hollis. All the kids around him seem to slink away. Sidney and Gio step forward like their scrawny asses will do shit.
“Watch yourself, rat,” Jordy sneers at Hollis. “Wouldn’t want you to misstep again and fall. Like last time.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
Hollis’s blue eyes dart to mine, hurt and accusing. “Not a problem, man,” he says to Jordy, but glares at me. “I’ll stay away.”
I shoot Hollis an apologetic look, but he’s already turning his back on us. A bold move considering Jordy is unpredictable as fuck. I grab my best friend and manhandle him toward the door. This whole situation is bullshit.
Hollis
I lay my cheek against the cool gray-painted cinderblock wall. I’m not going to puke. I’m not going to puke. I’m not going to puke. My stomach recoils and burns, but nothing comes up. It’s a good thing I passed up bacon and eggs this morning. That shit would be sick coming back up. Another wave of nausea hits me. Thinking of food is not wise.
Instead, I think about Dad’s text, which isn’t much better.
Dad: We need to talk.
I don’t want to talk to him. Not after everything he did. The way he went on a fucking rampage because he found out I like guys. Big deal. Apparently to him, it’s the biggest deal. I’ve never seen a grown man throw such a temper tantrum in all my life.
I should have known he would have flipped.
I’m an embarrassment to his name.
Don’t I even know what this could do to his reputation at the hospital?
In other countries, people are killed for this bullshit.
The last part is what sent Mom into a rare momma bear rage. She got into a screaming match with my father and told him I was his son. That he wasn’t allowed to treat me that way. He told her I was worthless and since I was eighteen, I needed to go. She said that if I go, we all go. He’d be left all alone. My father said it was better than living with a faggot.
And here we are.
Mom yanked her kids up so fast and left his ass, he didn’t have much time to react. He was pissed. Blamed me. Blamed her. But too much of an asshole to fight to try and at least get her and the girls to stay. Instead, the stubborn dick let us leave.
And now he wants to talk.
Too little, too late.
What does he even want to talk about? Does he want them back? Does he want to make amends? Is he trying to get our cars back?
The not knowing makes my head spin. But I also don’t want to talk to him, so I guess I’ll never know.
I pull out the other phone in my pocket. I’d bought it Saturday after I dropped Sidney off. For Roan. But then he avoided me like the plague and now has sided with his psycho bestie.