Chapter 13

Chloe’s POV

I sat at a corner table in the cafeteria, right next to the dented metal emergency exit door. The lunch today was a total disaster, some kind of meat slathered in brown gravy, a pile of lukewarm tater tots, and a carton of milk that was already sweating. 

I dug my hands deep into the pockets of my oversized, scratchy wool cardigan, slouching my shoulders until my spine rounded. I was mimicking her exact "don't look at me" posture.

Then, the sharp, screeching sound of metal chair legs scraping against the linoleum floor shattered my focus.

I flinched, instinctively bracing myself for Tristan to slide into the seat with a heavy sigh and a million questions about why I was acting so weird lately. But when I looked up, the breath caught in my throat.

It wasn't Tristan. It was Jaxon.

He dropped his heavy plastic tray onto the table, making my milk carton rattle. He didn't look around to see if his teammates were watching. He just looked straight at me, a soft, almost shy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. It was the exact expression he used to give me when we were completely alone in his car after a long Friday night game.

"Hey," he said, pulling a glossy red apple from his tray. He took a slow bite, his eyes locked onto mine. "Mind if I sit here? The guys are being incredibly obnoxious today. My head is absolutely pounding."

My heart did a dangerous, frantic little flip against Maya’s ribs. I could feel the heat instantly rushing up my neck, a blotchy, awkward blush that probably looked terrible on her uneven skin, but I couldn't stop it. I squeezed my hands into tight fists inside the cardigan pockets.

"Um, sure," I stammered, my voice cracking slightly. I cleared my throat, trying to force Maya's typical quiet, monotone reserve. "Go ahead. It's a free country."

For the next twenty minutes, the entire chaotic room seemed to blur into white noise. We actually talked. Like really talked. Jaxon leaned across the table, his arms crossed over his leather varsity jacket, pouring his heart out about how stressed he was with the upcoming college football scouts. He talked about his dad’s crushing expectations, the brutal late night practices, and the fear of messing up his future. Then, right out of nowhere, he made this stupid, brilliant joke about our chemistry teacher’s lopsided toupee that had me laughing so hard I almost choked on my water.

See? I thought to myself, watching the familiar crinkles form around his eyes when he laughed with me. He isn't the heartless monster she thinks he is. He’s just completely misunderstood. A massive wave of triumph washed over my chest. I practically wished the real Maya was hiding in the bushes somewhere to witness this. Jaxon Reid, the golden boy of the eleventh grade, was sitting with the school "weirdo" in full view of the entire student body, and he didn't care at all. He liked me for me, even in this skin.

Later that afternoon, the floating high from lunchtime hadn't faded one bit. I was up in Maya’s bedroom, pacing back and forth across the creaking hardwood floor, smiling like an absolute idiot every time I replayed Jaxon's laugh in my head. The small room felt tight and suffocating, cluttered with stacks of old textbooks and clothes thrown over the desk chair.

Suddenly, the heavy front door downstairs slammed shut with a loud, echoing thud. A second later, a tiny, furious, furry blur came sprinting up the staircase, his paws clicking frantically against the wood.

It was my little furball.

He burst through the bedroom door, barking at the top of his lungs, his tail wagging in an anxious circle. Right behind him walked Maya.

She was wearing my favorite cream colored cashmere sweater, but she had slouched so deeply that the expensive fabric looked totally ruined. Her expression was entirely drained, her mouth set in a hard, bitter line. She stepped into the small room and shut the door firmly behind her, letting out a loud, dramatic sigh.

"Your stupid dog wouldn't stop howling at your house," Maya said, her voice sounding weirdly deep and raspy. She crossed her arms, glare cutting right through me. "He was scratching at the front door until his paws were red, and your mom was starting to get incredibly suspicious. She kept asking why Chloe’s dog was trying to break out of the house. I had no choice but to load him into the car and bring him back here."

"Oh. Thanks," I muttered, feeling a sudden pang of awkwardness. I bent down, scooping the shivering little dog into my lap, burying my fingers in his scruffy fur to calm him down. "I didn't realize he'd miss me this much."

Before Maya could say another word, the smartphone resting on the cluttered desk buzzed loudly. The screen lit up, casting a bright blue glow against the bedroom wall, and the name JAXON flashed across the display in bold, white letters.

Maya’s eyes instantly locked onto the screen. Her eyebrows snapped together so tightly they almost met, and her entire posture went rigid. She took a sharp step toward the desk, her voice dropping.

"Why is Jaxon calling your phone? Why are you talking to him, Chloe?"

"Because he’s misunderstood, Maya," I said defensively, my voice rising as I scrambled across the bed to snatch the phone off the desk before she could reach it. I held it tightly against my chest, staring back at her with total defiance. "You don't know him like I do. We sat together at lunch today in the cafeteria. We talked for the entire period. He loves me for who I am inside, Maya. He doesn't care about the popularity or the face card. He even just texted me to plan a mini eat out date for us this weekend."

Maya stared at me, her face twisting into an expression of pure, unadulterated disbelief and boiling anger. It was terrifying to see that kind of rage on my own face. She took another step forward, her hands clenching into tight, white knuckled fists at her sides.

"Are you serious right now?" Maya hissed, her voice trembling so violently it sounded like she was choking on her own words. 

"Are you actually out of your mind? I am over at your house, stressing myself to death every single second, trying to keep my distance from everyone, and doing everything in my power to keep Jaxon so I don't mess up your perfect little life... while you mess up my life by going after him? No. Uh-uh. We are not doing this, Chloe.”

“Who knows if we're ever gonna switch back, Maya?” I snapped. “I love Jaxon and I'm gonna go after him. I don't care if I look like you.”