Sins of the Innocent - Jamie McGuire Page 0,39
ten minutes, we finally made our way to the front of the line to order, only to be given a number to take to our table.
Morgan chose a two-seater high top in the corner, and we sipped on our sodas while we waited for our BLTs and seasoned fries. We were just two teenagers eating junk food with time to kill instead of demons. That was why I hadn’t invited Levi. Morgan was my escape. Everyone needed a break from the difficult parts of their lives even if it was just lunch once or twice a week.
We chatted about Morgan’s summer job and his parents until the food arrived, and then we didn’t talk at all. Instead, we stuffed our mouths full of juicy goodness.
Morgan used a napkin to wipe his mouth, smiling when I reached over to steal his leftover fries. “Just six weeks before you move into Andrews at Brown, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said.
Since graduation, I had thought I wouldn’t make it to college. Now, having Levi’s help while still remaining neutral, I was beginning to believe that I might stay alive long enough to have some semblance of a normal life.
“When do you leave?”
“Mid-August.”
“Are you nervous?”
“I wish I could have gotten into Brown. Let’s just put it that way.”
“You’ll be fine.”
“You’re my only friend.”
“For now. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be the only friend you’ll ever have.”
Morgan looked past me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see a group of girls giggling at a table on the opposite side of the room.
I stifled a smile, and stole another one of his fries. “College is going to be a whole new world for you, Morg. You can be anyone you want to be. It’s a clean slate.”
“What if I’m just myself, and I still don’t have any friends? That will be confirmation that I’m a complete loser.”
“I like you. You can’t be that bad.”
“You don’t have any friends either.”
“By choice.”
“Well, it’s not a choice for me. People just naturally don’t like me. Tell me the truth, Eden. Do I have bad breath? Body odor? Do I dress like a dork? What is it about me that people don’t like?”
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.” I leaned forward. “But whatever it is, no one will know about it in college. High school is a cesspool, and we just happen to fall at the bottom. There is a stigma attached to that. But it has a way of disappearing in college.”
“How do you know?”
I shrugged again. “My mom told me. Well, she just agreed with my aunt because I didn’t believe her. Claire was homeschooled. She’s also kind of a bitch but in the best possible way.”
“I’ve never met your aunt.”
“Count yourself lucky. Levi didn’t love her.”
“Wait. We’ve been friends for years, and I’ve never met your family or been to your house. You kind of know Levi for a few weeks, and he’s already met your aunt? The one who is gone most of the time?”
“It was a freak accident.”
Morgan was still unhappy.
“Morg, if it makes you feel better, come over and meet them all. Just … call first. My grandmother is a little weird about guests.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Good.” I looked at my watch. “I’d better head out. Training.”
“You should train with Levi. He seems like he knows his stuff.”
I breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, maybe I should.”
The ground was still wet, even after warming all day in the summer sun. I curled my toes in my sneakers and cracked my knuckles, standing before Levi in the courtyard. My family stood in the corners. Claire could barely contain her anticipation, Bex and Dad watched with interest, and Mom and Ryan looked concerned.
“You ready?” I asked Levi.
A permanent frown had taken over his beautiful face since sunrise. “I’m not comfortable with this.”
“Why? Afraid you’ll lose?”
“We’re equal, Eden. It will take more than strength. You’ll have to use your head.”
“Use my head?”
“Yes, you can’t just—”
I reared back and head-butt him, my forehead knocking hard into his. He fell backward and then scrambled back to stand.
“Like that?” I asked.
Claire hopped up and down, too excited to stand still. “I told you. She’s got this.”
Dad hushed her.
Levi strolled around me in a wide circle. “I want to reiterate that I don’t want to do this.”
I crouched into a defensive position. “You’re supposed to challenge me. All I hear is talk.”
He put his hands on his hips and looked down. “This is not what I had in mind when I thought about what it