Kiss and Break Up - Ella Fields Page 0,79

her body into Danny Vestin.

“Mother of a sorry fucker.” I launched off the bed, racing around the room to collect my things.

Peggy

Monday was a bust.

I’d arrived late on purpose to avoid any gossipmongers staring their fill after the little show I’d put on last Friday night.

I needn’t have worried. Not only because they were all still too caught up in Annika and Lars’s flakey presence, but because I’d actually done something fun, even if slightly stupid. I shouldn’t be embarrassed for doing the things most girls in our year would do if and when they partied. Dancing and drinking, however sloppily.

Ugh.

After fluffing my hair and applying an apple-scented gloss, I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

“Oh good, you’re up. Take the trash out, please.”

I stopped and looked over my shoulder at Mom, who was in her robe on the couch with her Kindle in her lap and dusk pink mug in hand. “Not working today?”

“I’ve got my period, and my daughter’s recent proclivity to engage in reckless behavior has me in need of a mental health day.” Her eyes darted up at me, and she sipped her coffee, loudly.

“Such a librarian,” I muttered, dumping my bag and dragging myself to the kitchen to empty the trash.

“Such a teenager,” Mom said, and I cracked a smile despite not wanting to.

“Anything else before I’m late for school?” I tried to keep the sass from my voice, but well, it was Tuesday, and I didn’t feel like trying much of anything.

“That’ll be all,” she said, and I grabbed my bag. “For now.”

I half rolled my eyes, then waved over my head as I passed by the living room to the front door and grabbed my keys.

Inside my car, I turned the music up, needing something to drown out my thoughts. When left to their own devices, they chose to torture me with the same images on repeat until I could hardly see.

I parked next to Daphne’s little Merc, then flipped down the visor to check my hair. I’d straightened it this morning, and without the bouncing curls, the strands hung just past my shoulders. I’d also lined my eyes with a hint of eyeliner and went to town with mascara. A layer of concealer muted the freckles that dusted my nose and upper cheeks.

“No curls today?” Willa asked, jumping down from Jackson’s truck when he pulled in a few spots over.

He gave her a smile that reddened her cheeks, and with his bag over his shoulder, stalked over to the building that was starting to feel like a prison cell.

“I had some extra time,” I said, closing the door and locking it before pocketing my keys. We waited for Daphne to finish tying up her hair into a high ponytail, then we crossed the lot and joined the cluster of students heading up the wide concrete steps.

My skin prickled as we weaved between bodies smothered in expensive perfume, aftershave, cologne, and hairspray. Our lockers were within sight when I had the urge to turn around and discover why my stomach had begun squirming.

I ignored it, unlocking my locker and sorting through my books. “Shit,” I hissed when I saw my history book. “I haven’t finished the assignment.”

“It’s due today,” Willa said, closing the door and tucking her things against her chest.

I knew that, and I knew I had to do it. I’d been distracted at every turn, my brain unwilling to function as it usually did.

“Who cares,” Daphne said. “You’ve never been late to hand one in before, so he’ll give you another day without it costing you.”

I still didn’t like it. This was senior year, and if there was any year, any semester, to take seriously while applying for college, it was this one.

Almost rubbing my eyes out of frustration, I remembered how much eye makeup I’d put on, and dropped my hands. They hit my sides with a slap as Danny stopped by us, his grin digging into his cheek. “Sup, drunken dancer. Better see you out this weekend.”

It was all I could do to smile, and even that felt insincere.

“Oh, fuck,” Daphne exhaled.

“What?” I turned to her, then followed her gaze to the middle of the hall.

“Damn it all to hell,” Danny said. “When did he get back?”

“Better run along,” came Lars’s voice.

Daphne looked at me, her eyes panicked, then darted down the hall to class.

Lars’s grin dropped as he watched her disappear, and he wiped a hand over his mouth. Danny was long gone, and it took