The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High #2) - Emma Doherty Page 0,53
you thinking?”
“Just that I can’t see you ever getting into the school spirit and enjoying a pep rally.”
“Just because I’m not athletic I’m not going to like those things?”
“I would have thought you’d think they were below you.”
“Well maybe if you put more thought into your senior year, we wouldn’t be here now.”
I scowl at him. That seems unnecessary. “Don’t be a dick.”
He huffs in response. It would seem I’ve touched on a sore point.
There an awkward silence as he stares at the desk.
Okay then. “So do you, like, work out or do sports in your own time?” I ask. He’s actually got a fairly decent body, I suppose, if you’re into that sort of thing. He’s tall and lean, not exactly muscly, but still, there’s not an inch of fat on him, but he’s not too skinny either. He doesn’t say anything, and I shrug. “Sorry, I was just asking.”
“I play basketball with my cousin and his friends,” he mutters. “I’m terrible, but it’s kinda fun.”
“Are you close to your cousin?”
He nods. “He goes to Liberty. That’s who I was with when I saw you at that party.”
That’s right. That guy did look just like him.
“I don’t have any siblings so he’s the closest thing I’ve got to a brother.”
“That’s cool.”
“Do you have brothers and sisters?”
I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have thought he’d be remotely interested in my life. “One older sister. She’s great.”
He nods, looking like his mind is elsewhere.
“So your cousin plays basketball?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty good actually. He got a scholarship to play in college.”
“Wow, that’s great.”
He looks irritated at that.
“What? What did I do?”
“Nothing.” He lets out a long sigh. “I just think it’s shitty that high schools put all their worth in sports. Like, there are other things out there that people enjoy.”
Is that what he thinks I’m doing? Judging him because he’s not athletic?
“There’s a lot more out there in the world,” he says emphatically.
“Like what?”
“Anime,” he says immediately. “Do you have any idea how cool that is? Way better than sweating and running around in the sun.”
I bark out a laugh at that. It’s definitely not a good look when the Florida sun is beaming down on us during practice.
“You like anime?”
He shrugs, like he’s embarrassed about revealing that part of himself. “Yeah, I guess. I was in a club for a while. I like a lot of things, though.”
“Like what?”
“Anime, European soccer, thriller books, action movies. I just don’t think people should be pigeonholed.”
He’s the smartest kid in school.
That’s all I’ve heard when it comes to Brett. I guess it would suck when people only see one side of you…and I can definitely relate to that.
“Anyway, you don’t seem like the preppy type to even want to be a cheerleader.” He snickers. “There I go judging you.”
It doesn’t feel like he’s judging me, more like an observation.
He’s right, too—I don’t particularly care about being a cheerleader. It’s just something I tried out for as a freshman because I thought it would lead to friends and popularity, but I’m really not passionate about it—that’s all Sasha. I’m not sure I’ll miss it after I stop.
“I guess you’re right.”
“I just sometimes…I think that at times…” I look at him as he shifts in his seat, seemingly trying to get something off his chest. “People just have all these opinions about others, and it’s bullshit. No one needs to judge anyone else and decide what they are.”
I blink at him. I’ve never really thought about it before, but I couldn’t agree more.
“Like look at you—you’re pulling it together and studying your ass off and raising money for charity.,” He clears his throat. “Proving everyone who had preconceived ideas about you wrong.”
Proving everyone wrong or proving him wrong?
“My point is that we get too caught up in what other people think about us. You get to decide who you are, no one else.”
He’s right. I’ve spent my whole time caring what other people think about me when really, apart from those who are closest to me, I shouldn’t give a damn what anyone thinks.
“I just think we should do what we want as individuals and screw everyone else.”
This topic has gotten deep fast, but I completely agree with him. “You’re right.”
We sit there in silence for a couple of minutes, both of us lost in our own thoughts. After a while, it starts to feel awkward, so I chuckle to try to break the tension and take it back to studying, which we were doing before Ms.