Chapter 5

“I can’t believe he has siblings. And he’s nice to them?!” Maya scoffs and leans into her chair, still in disbelief after I recap what happened in Tyler’s house.

“He probably doesn’t want them to know what a monster he is,” I whisper, because Cassidy Jones just chose that exact moment to walk in with her clique.

Knowing how eager the head of the cheerleading team is to win Tyler’s approval, she’d probably run off and tell him what I said.

Sighing, I stare at the empty board, wishing today’s class would be canceled. But everyone knows Mrs. Teagues would wade through a snowstorm before missing a class.

And it just so happens that AP English is one of the few required classes for seniors.

“Nice sweater, Garcia!” Cassidy calls as soon as she takes her seat in the back row. “Did your grandma knit that during the Great Depression?”

I roll my eyes as the entire class erupts in laughter.

Beside me, Maya groans, then plasters a sickeningly sweet smile on her face before turning around. “Don’t you have other things to worry about, Cass?” She tilts her head, pretending to think. “Like those shorts of yours, for example. It looks like your ass is about to fall out of it.”

Someone howls, and the laughter doubles, but I feel a wave of satisfaction when Cassidy’s face turns red as she struggles for a comeback.

Eventually, she settles for a scowl and flippant “whatever” before turning back to her “clones,” as everyone else calls them.

Smiling, I bump my shoulder lightly against Maya’s. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” she says, her grin turning into a frown. “So, what are you going to do?”

I shrug hopelessly. “I’ve already been paid, so I can’t back out now. Besides, we stayed out of each other’s way throughout. So, it can’t be that bad, can it?” I ask, biting my lip as I wait for her to tell me I’m right, but she only looks worried.

She opens her mouth to speak when a lanky, dark-haired boy runs into the classroom.

The boy, whom I instantly recognize as Ben Schubert, looks around frantically before his eyes land on me.

He hurries towards me, causing Maya to sit up in protection mode. Ben may only be a junior, but he’s also the newest addition to the football team. I don’t doubt the possibility of him being sent here by the rest of the team to play a prank on me as some sort of weird initiation.

“What do you want?” Maya snaps, and the poor boy winces.

“I… um… You babysit, right?” Ben asks without meeting my eyes.

Maya leans forward, narrowing her eyes. “Who told you that?”

Brows raised, I give her a look. “I’m pretty sure everyone in school knows, Maya. I’ve babysat for lots of families.” I turn to Ben and smile in a way that hopefully puts him at ease. “Can I help you with something?”

Ben nods, seeming more confident. “My mom has been doing longer shifts at the hospital, and she asked me to see if you could babysit my little sister this weekend.”

“Oh. Sorry, Ben, but I’m already babysitting for the…” I trail off. For some reason, maybe out of self-preservation, I don’t want anyone to know which family I’m working for. “I already have a gig,” I tell him instead.

His face falls, and he nods, turning around to leave. However, his exit is delayed when a bunch of the guys on the football team troop in, with Tyler and his best friend, Alex, in tow.

“Hey, rook,” one of the players says. “What are you doing talking to ‘bottom feeder’ over there?”

Ben quickly shakes his head. “Nothing,” he says as he squeezes past them and runs off.

The rest of them snicker as they find their seats, but I could’ve sworn Alex smiles in my direction before he follows.

Tyler, on the other hand, watches me, not a single emotion behind those icy-blue eyes. He says nothing as he strides forward, and I hold my breath until he finally walks down the aisle right beside me.

“You’re in my seat,” his gruff voice cuts through the class, and everyone immediately goes silent.

I turn around to see him standing in front of his desk and chair, but it’s the blonde-haired boy carelessly lounging in it that makes me gasp.

Jake Holland raises his head and smirks at Tyler, not moving an inch. “I don’t remember seeing your name written on it, dude.”

The rest of the class starts to murmur in anticipation, majority of them automatically on Tyler’s side. This is how it always goes; Jake goads Tyler, Tyler reacts, and blows start flying.

Surprisingly, Tyler doesn’t take the bait. He simply rolls his eyes, slumps on the empty chair to the side, and shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

Jake looks just as taken aback as the rest of us, but even more so, enraged. His face takes on a diabolical expression, and his grin widens. “You know, I’m glad you’re so easygoing these days. It’ll make taking your spot this season even easier.”

A slow, mocking chuckle rises from Tyler’s throat. “How long has it been now since you’ve wanted my spot, Holland?” He turns lazily to address the QB2. “It’s nice to have dreams, but everyone knows you’ll always be nothing more than my backup.”

Scattered sounds of approval echo throughout the room, and Tyler smirks as if to say, “see?” Jake may be on the football team, ergo the top of the food chain on the popularity pyramid, but his slimy personality doesn’t make him the most well-liked person in school.

He drags his chair closer to Tyler, the screeching sound causing me to wince, and lowers his head. “Daddy Brooke doesn’t seem to think so,” he says evenly, and I watch amusement fade from Tyler’s eyes. “If he had as much faith in you as you do in yourself, he wouldn’t have begged Coach to increase your playing time after watching me bury your ass on that field at practice.”

An involuntary gasp slips out of my mouth. I should feel justified, considering Tyler has repeatedly made me a laughing stock in front of the entire school, but my stomach twists at the look on Tyler’s face. Jake has gone too far, and everyone knows it too because they shift in the chairs uncomfortably.

Tyler shoots up so abruptly that his chair falls onto the ground.

“Ty…” Alex drawls.

But Tyler doesn’t seem to hear. His entire body is shaking now, his hands curled into fists as he towers over Jake. “I dare you to say it again.”

Looking pretty satisfied at achieving his end goal, Jake slowly rises to his feet, standing a few inches shorter than Tyler. “You are weak, Brook. And I’m going to make sure everyone else sees it.”

A bomb could have dropped right in the center of class, and no one would have noticed. With bated breath, everyone watches as Tyler grabs Jake by the scruff of his neck and raises a fist aimed directly at his face.

“What is going on here?!” Mrs. Teagues’ shrill voice pierces the classroom, but no one moves an inch. “Tyler, Jake, principal’s office.” Still nothing. “Now!” She growls.

A few more seconds pass before Tyler releases a grinning Jake, grabs his bag, and stomps out the door. But not before he catches my gaze and I see the fire burning in those usually cold eyes.

I realize then that there’s someone who hates Tyler’s guts even more than me.