Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,15

off the table. “Okay.”

“You don’t have to sit with her,” Felix said and grabbed my arm.

It wasn’t that I wanted to sit there. I didn’t. Not even if it got me closer to Matt. But I had to go. Because I was already scared of Mr. Pruitt. “It’s just for today,” I said. I looked at Kennedy and hoped she could read my mind. I didn’t want her to think I was ditching her. I’d figure a way out of this from here on out. But today? I might have to spend all weekend with the Pruitts. I didn’t want to start that off on bad terms.

I followed Isabella over to her table. She sat down across from Matt, and I sat down next to her.

Matt was staring at Isabella now. But not the way he stared at me. He looked beyond pissed off. I hoped he never looked at me like that. No one said a word to me when I sat down. And I felt myself shrinking. I focused my gaze on my salad and hoped the next twenty minutes would hurry up already.

The person next to me cleared his throat up. I looked up. I hadn’t even realized that Isabella had made me sit right next to James.

He gave me a sheepish smile.

I looked back down at my salad.

“Brooklyn.” He nudged me with his shoulder. “I’m really sorry about your uncle.”

“Thanks.” I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I hated those words. And he wasn’t sorry. Because if he was, he’d apologize for what he did to my uncle. Not apologize for his untimely death. I’m sorry? Screw you.

“And I’m sorry about what happened in the cafeteria before. I didn’t know about your mom. I swear.”

That sounded a little more sincere. But I knew the only reason he was apologizing was because Matt probably made him. And I didn’t want to play games with any of these people. I just wanted to go back to my normal seat. “Why else would I live with my uncle? Did that thought really not cross your mind?”

He ran his fingers through his perfect hair. “Honestly?” he asked, lowering his voice. “I wasn’t thinking at all. That was the whole problem.” He stared down at his food like I had been doing a moment ago.

Something about the action pulled at my heart. He was actually sorry. I could feel it. And ultimately, he was Matt’s friend. Which meant…wasn’t he going to be mine too? And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of the reason I was angry at him was because he was part of the reason keeping Matt away from me. But that was Isabella’s fault, not his. And I couldn’t put that blame on him. I needed to stop blaming him for something he knew nothing about.

“It’s okay,” I said and nudged him with my shoulder like he’d done to me when I first sat down. “Maybe we can just start over? I’m Brooklyn.” I awkwardly held out my hand.

He looked back up at me with a smile on his face. “Deal.” He shook my hand.

“Sissy, you’re not making a good first impression,” Isabella said. “Introduce yourself to everyone, not just James.”

I let my hand fall out of James’. “Oh. Um. Hi, I’m Brooklyn.” But I was pretty sure everyone already knew me. Isabella and her minions had been trying to make my life hell ever since I started going here. Matt obviously knew me. Rob knew me. James knew me. I’d even met Mason once at a party.

“Sup, Sanders?” Rob asked as he shoveled some pasta into his mouth. “Are you really related to Isabella? That’s…wild.”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure why it came out as more of a question.

“Sucks to suck,” Mason said with a laugh. “Just kidding. So you’re friends with Felix and Cupcake?” He nodded at the table behind me.

I didn’t turn around. I knew they were probably staring over here. And I was worried if I turned around I’d run back over to them. “Mhm.” I took a bite of salad and prayed that no one else would speak to me.

“So now that we’re friends, does that mean I get a discount?” asked Mason.

I stared at him. First of all, he’d only ever spoken a few sentences to me. The only things I knew about Mason were that he was the Empire High quarterback and he liked to smoke pot on the weekends. That didn’t make us friends. And second of all…what was he even talking about?