ログインHe gave me an encouraging nod, and somehow, impossibly, I found my voice again."I know I may not look it," I said, hating how my voice shook, "but I've always wanted to be a cheerleader. To represent our school this way. I always thought you all looked so—so cute in your uniforms, and it hurt when I would get told no year after year without even being given a chance to apply.""That's because you don't meet the requirements, nerd." Allison's voice was sharp, cutting. "How the hell are you gonna do a backflip with glasses on? You'll break your neck and sue the school."She turned to Noah, her expression shifting to something almost apologetic. "I'm sorry, Noah. You're cute, really. But I'm not putting that girl on my squad." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Please get rid of her. She's making me uncomfortable. I think I might throw up."Something inside me cracked.I pulled my hand out of Noah's grip and turned toward the exit, tears burning in my eyes. Angry, humiliated tears that
stood outside the gym doors, my application form clutched so tightly in my hands that the paper was starting to crumple at the edges.Through the small window, I could see them—the cheerleading squad in all their coordinated glory. They moved in perfect synchronization, their uniforms bright and crisp, ponytails bouncing as they executed flips and formations with practiced ease."Five, six, seven, eight!" Allison's voice rang out sharp and commanding. "From the top! And this time, Madison, actually point your toes. We're not doing modern dance here."The girls reset, panting slightly, then launched into the routine again. A series of backflips rippled across the front line. The flyers went up, held steady by their bases, arms locked in perfect Vs.They looked amazing. Professional. Untouchable.And I wanted to be one of them so badly it physically hurt.It felt almost trivial now, compared to everything else happening in my life—the debt, my mom's exhaustion, Jace's confusing hot-and-
"So wait, you're telling me you've never been to Marco's Pizza?" Jake leaned forward, looking at me as though I'd just confessed to never breathing oxygen. "How is that even possible?""I just... haven't?" I picked at the crust of my sandwich nervously. "I don't really go out much.""Marco's is literally a Westbrook institution," Nicole chimed in, twirling her fork. "It's where everyone goes after games. The breadsticks alone are worth selling your soul for.""Nicole would know," Jake said with a grin. "She once ate an entire order by herself and then passed out in the parking lot.""That was one time and I had the flu!" Nicole threw a grape at him, which he caught and popped into his mouth, looking ridiculously proud of himself.I watched their easy banter, the way Jake's eyes lingered on Nicole when she wasn't looking, the way she pretended not to notice but smiled anyway. They had that thing—that obvious, unspoken thing where everyone could see they liked each other except apparent
Chapter Fifty-Five"Alright, everyone, settle down." Mrs. Sinatra stood at the front of the classroom, tapping her copy of The Catcher in the Rye against her desk. "I hope you all remembered your analytical reports were due today. So let's see those papers."The familiar sound of rustling filled the room as students dug through backpacks and folders, a few of them groaning and whining as they did it.I pulled out my own report, the pages slightly crumpled from being shoved hastily into my bag this morning before getting in the car with Noah.It wasn't my best work, not even close.I'd written it at two in the morning, exhausted and distracted, my mind replaying the kitchen scene with Jace over and over until the words on the page blurred together.Tap tap tap.I straightened in my seat, trying to ignore the rhythmic tapping coming from directly behind me.Tap tap tap.My jaw clenched, and I knew exactly who it was without even having to look.Mrs. Sinatra walked up and down the aisles
Homeroom was in Mr. Peterson's classroom, it was a bright, airy space with motivational posters covering the walls and rows of desks that had seen better days.I slipped into my usual seat near the middle, trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible.Noah had been swarmed the moment we entered the building.Students asking questions, introducing themselves and offering to show him around.He'd handled it all with that easy charm, but he'd caught my eye once and mouthed "sorry" before being pulled away by a group of curious juniors.Now he stood near the door, scanning the room. When he spotted me, he waved, his face lit up and he started making his way over."Is this seat taken?" he asked, gesturing to the empty desk beside mine.Before I could answer, a high-pitched whiny voice cut through the chatter, gossiping behind us."Oh my God, Allie, you need to stop defending him."I turned to see Allison sitting three rows back, surrounded by her usual entourage. Tracy was ru
The BMW purred beautifully as Noah navigated the streets toward Westbrook. I barely knew anything about cars, but I knew this was a good one.In fact, good didn't even begin to describe it.The leather seats were buttery soft, the interior immaculate. Everything about it screamed wealth, from the polished wood trim to the subtle scent of expensive cologne that lingered in the air.It was so much better than walking the long distance or taking the bus every day.I sat in the passenger seat, my bag clutched on my lap, still processing what had happened in the kitchen."You okay, Lenny?" Noah asked, glancing over at me. His voice was gentle now, all traces of the earlier angry confrontation gone."Yeah. I'm fine.""Lena." He said my name in that way and I knew right away that he could see straight through the lie. "What happened back there...""We weren't fighting," I said quickly. "Jace and I. It wasn't like that. We were just having a disagreement over nothing, really. He wasn't a dan
"Lena!"A small voice came from the doorway, bright and excited, completely shattering the heavy moment between mother and daughter.Both of them turned to see Martin standing in the entrance to the cleaning supply closet, his face lit up with a smile that seemed wider than usual. He was practical
Why do I keep surviving?The thought circled through my mind over and over as I walked down the sidewalk, my vision still blurry without my glasses. My bag felt heavier than usual, weighed down by all the books I'd stacked inside, with broken pieces sitting on top of the pile. Broken glasses. Brok
Allison's foot slammed against the turf with enough force to make several people flinch."I'm not doing it!" Her voice cut through the murmurs of the crowd, causing everyone to gasp. "Fuck you, Jace! You're just as bad as I am!"Jace opened his mouth to respond, but she wasn't finished."Why should
The stadium lights blazed overhead as Jace crouched behind the centre, scanning the defensive line. His breath came steady and controlled, every muscle coiled and ready."Blue twenty-two! Blue twenty-two!" he called out, his loud powerful voice cutting through the roar of the crowd. "Hut!"The ball







