CHAPTER EIGHT

XAVIER

I don't have any classes with Rain which sucks for my plan but I anticipate seeing her at lunch. Today I sit next to Eric who always sits facing Rain's table. I watch them come in and go to the lunch line to get food. Rain goes with them but doesn't get anything. She never gets anything from the cafeteria. She always brings her own food.

Today she doesn't even bring food. When they return to the table, everybody is eating except her. She's on her phone but sometimes raises her head to talk to the stoners’ girlfriend.

Someone kicks me under the table. I look up and Camden is giving me a look.

"Cut it out," he mouths.

I smirk and put a fry into my mouth.

"Are you coming to practice today?" Derrick asks.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Hopefully, coach isn't too mad."

Hopefully he is and he kicks me off the team. He won't though. He's on my dad's payroll. He won't do anything to fuck his money up.

A female hand slides across my back and I roll my eyes. Lacey shoves Eric and sits between us.

"Hey baby," she says.

"Cut that shit out Lacey, we're over."

"Okay, let's start over."

I look over at Rain's table and I see a guy I don't know place a tray of food in front of her. She smiles at him and rejects the food but the guy insists. He picks a slice of pizza and feeds it to her. What is going on here? Who is this guy? Guys avoid Rain. They know she's on our radar and they don't want to get involved. Who is this boy and why is he getting involved?

Camden kicks me again and I come back to the conversation happening around me.

"Do you agree?" Lacey says.

"No, I don't agree."

I don't know what the fuck she said but I know I definitely do not agree.

"Xavier, I'm for real going to move on to someone else, I've embarrassed myself enough for you."

"Okay, do that. I don't care."

Lacey huffs and leaves.

Eric slides back close to me. "That's cold man," he says.

"Yeah, Xavier. That's a hot piece of ass begging you. Whatever she did man, it's time to forgive her." Derrick says.

"She tried hooking up with the caption of the basketball team." I say.

Derrick's mouth hangs open. "Fuck that bitch, she's not that hot." He says and we all laugh.

Derrick hates everybody on the basketball team, even more than he hates Rain. Speaking to them is considered betrayal in his books.

I look up at Rain's table again and she's in deep conversation with the guy. At least she's eating on her own now, even if it's the food he brought.

"Who's that guy talking to Rain?" I ask, keeping all curiosity and jealousy from my voice.

They all turn to look at Rain's table. Camden shakes his head at me. Derrick has the biggest glare.

"I don't know him. Why is he talking to her? She's off limits to everyone." He says.

I'm sure that by the end of the day, Derrick will know who he is and we'll go with him to tell the guy off.

Practice sucks today. Coach didn't kick me out but he did put me on more death drills than anyone else on the team. I'm sure dad instructed him to do it.

Finally practice ends and I lie down flat on the field to catch my breath. I'm thinking of ways I can be airlifted to my car when Winston whistles.

"Is that Rain?" He says.

I sit up and look around. At first I look past her because surely what I'm seeing cannot be Rain but I can recognize her hair anywhere in the world.

"Is she laughing?" Camden asks.

Rain is chasing the unknown guy around and her she's laughing. He's holding something over his head so she can't reach it. She looks happy, prettier than I have ever seen her.

Camden looks at me and shakes his head. Damn him and his perceptive nature. Derrick starts running towards them and we follow.

"Yo, new kid!" He calls out to the guy who stops and turns to see the entire football team staring him down.

"You don't know this yet but that girl is off limits to everyone. You can't speak to her, look at her or think about her."

"Why, do you like her?" The new guy asks.

Derrick almost foams at the mouth at the question. Rain's eyes meet mine and I look away. I'm too angry to look at her. My attention is on the guy who's holding her hand. I want to break his bones for touching her.

"Fuck no. She's a pariah at this school which means that you stay the fuck away from her unless you want to deal with us."

The guy looks from Derrick to the rest of us, understanding finally dawning on him.

"Sorry man, I didn't know."

He walks off. Walks off! How the fuck does he just walk off, leaving Rain to the wolves? Derrick laughs and turns his attention back to Rain.

"You thought you were getting a boyfriend? In your dreams. Stay invisible Rain." He says and pushes her.

I clench my jaw and my fist. It's not worth it. We go back to the field to collect our gears. Some of the guys are still talking about Rain and her boyfriend.

Camden pulls me back when we get to the parking lot.

"She's hot but you're becoming obsessed bro."

"Who?" I say acting dumb.

He glares at me. "Don't fucking do that. I'm not Derrick, I'm your longest friend. I know you more than these guys."

"It's all good, bro. I'm just looking."

"You're doing more than looking. You pointed out new guy to Derrick.”

"You would have done the same."

"Yeah cause messing with her is fun sometimes not because I'm jealous of a guy talking to her."

"Relax, I'm just looking."

I almost tell him about the kiss. I can't do that cause then he'll want to know when I came and why I didn't attend the meeting I told them I was attending, things I never want to talk about.

"It better be just looking. Derrick won't understand it if you ever hook up with her."

Like I give a fuck what Derrick wants?

"Yeah, bro. I'm just looking."