me.
“Hi yourself.” She smiles. “How were classes this morning?”
“Okay, I guess.” My shoulders lift in a half-shrug. “Have you seen Conner?”
“Hmm, yeah. We had third period together.”
“Cool.”
She eyes me suspiciously. “Why?”
“No reason.” My cheeks pink, and I want to kick myself for asking. It’s been three days though, and I’ve hardly seen him around school.
I mean, I get it. I told him I didn’t want him following me around like a lost puppy, but I guess I didn’t actually think he’d listen.
What did you expect would happen?
I shove down the thoughts and paste on a smile. “Are we doing lunch?”
Her expression falls. “Actually, I told Cole I’d meet him and—"
“Of course. It’s totally fine, I can handle the school cafeteria by myself.” Except, I already know I’ll probably spend the next fifty minutes on my own in the bathroom or some quiet stairwell. I heard the library is nice. Maybe I’ll go there.
“Kenny?” Hadley pales. “Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can tell Cole I‘ll see him late—"
“No, don’t do that. I’ll be fine. Lylah’s barely looked my way, and it’s Taco Thursday. Who doesn’t love tacos, right?” My smile is too forced, too bright and cheery for a girl like me. But Hadley doesn’t push, and I don’t admit the truth—which is that I’m not ready to go solo at Sterling Prep.
All week, despite our conversation after I skipped out with Conner on Monday, Hadley has been right there at my side. Even if, at first, I didn’t want her there. We’ve hung out at lunch and after school in the dorms. But I get it, she doesn’t want to babysit the new girl forever.
“Go,” I say. “Tell Cole I say hey.”
“You’re sure?” I see the flicker of excitement in her eyes.
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll hang out tonight, I promise.”
Nodding, I watch as Hadley skips off down the hall toward her boyfriend.
I’m still standing here when my cell starts vibrating. For a second, hope floods my chest. Only a handful of people have my number, since the Jaggers had to get me a new phone. And seeing as Hadley was just here, and I can’t imagine Ace or Cole texting me, it can only leave one other person.
But disappointment washes over me when I see the familiar number. It’s not Conner at all, it's Shelbie, one of the only girlfriends I had at Sterling Heights.
I store her number and then re-read the message.
Shelbie: Hey, Levi gave me your new number—says he got it off Conner. What’s up with that, by the way? Anyway, I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing? I still can’t believe W did that.
Me: I’m okay. Staying in the Bay for a while, until stuff blows over. Have you seen W around?
Shelbie: No. It’s like he just vanished. Even his old man came around Joker’s asking after him.
My spine stiffens and I move down the hall, away from the stream of kids all making their way to the cafeteria.
Me: He did?
Warren’s dad is a mean drunk but spends most of his time either passed out or in his armchair watching ESPN, drinking whatever he can get his hands on. So I’m surprised to hear he’s worried about Warren.
Shelbie: I was there helping my dad out when he showed up. No one has seen or heard from Warren since New Year’s Eve.
I don’t know whether to be comforted by that fact or concerned. Her family owns Joker’s, one of the few bars in the Heights. It’s notorious for being a spot where all kinds of bad shit goes down. I’ve been there with Warren a couple of times.
Me: Okay, well if he does show up, can you let me know?
Shelbie: Of course. Stay safe, Kenny.
The fact that she isn’t pushing me for an explanation makes me wonder just how much Jay told her. I know it was him who brought me to the Jaggers’ house.
Me: Yeah, you too.
But then something hits me. Shelbie didn’t say she asked Levi for my number. She said he gave it to her.
Conner did this.
He made sure I had another friend to talk to.
Before I know what I’m doing, I double back and march toward the cafeteria. We need to talk—I need to apologize. So he kissed me? It doesn’t have to be a big deal. We were friends long before anything else.
I’m almost there when I spot him, only he isn’t alone. He’s talking to a girl, one I don’t recognize. She gazing up at him