“Look, Clarity,” Hannah says, shifting so that she’s firmly between me and the hallway. I can’t tell if she’s blocking me or shielding me, but I’m forced to look up at her either way. “I still want to be wi—” She stops short, glancing over her shoulder before refocusing on me. Her eyes lock on to mine, direct but soft. “I still want to do what we talked about. I know that what happened at camp was scary, but it doesn’t have to change things.
“So, the offer stands. Be my girlfr—be…mine. Think about it and let me know by the end of today.”
She turns to leave but pauses. “No matter what you decide, the team is down for helping your committee. I know how important the festival is to you.”
I watch her walk away, disappearing into the flow of studentsfinding their lockers and rushing to homeroom. I could yell for her to come back, give her an answer right now. Tell her that I’m not going to change my mind; I just want her to drop it.
But that might not be true.
Chapter Five
Hannah’s ultimatum runs on a loop in my mind, making it nearly impossible to retain anything I hear in my first three classes. I thought pushing her away,blockingher, would’ve surely taken our plans for a secret relationship off the table. The fact that it hasn’t… Well, it shouldn’t change anything. I still stand to lose way too much.
After third period, Kristen bumps shoulders with me at my locker. Since Jameson and Yasmin have both renounced me like I’m Satan himself, I can’t help but wonder if I’m willing to lose Hannah, too. And maybe keeping everything from Kristen isn’t going to make my life easier. How am I supposed to sort through the last twenty-four hours without my best friend’s advice?
“Hey,” Kristen says.
“Hey,” I say, trying to keep myself from sighing and sounding as flustered as I really am.
“You promised, remember?”
Right, meeting mystery man.
“I did.” I grab my lunch box and close the door to my locker, thankful that I have something else to focus on for now. I can talk to Kristen after school, away from any eavesdropping ears.
We start toward the cafeteria, moving between the madness of seniors exchanging books for lunches.
“Are you going to tell me who it is?”
I notice a few girls taping a decorated poster to the locker at the end of my row. It readsHannah Bananawith hockey sticks drawn around the words. Our lockers being this close also factors perfectly into our plan, to use Hannah’s own wording.
“Ugh, maybe I should,” Kristen admits, looping her arm through mine.
I look at her, and she looks at me. The worry in her eyes is concerning.
“I mean, it’s not like it’s a teacher or anything,” I say, laughing. When her expression pinches even more I nearly trip. “Wait, Kris, please—”
“No, it’s not a freaking teacher,” she admits, a short fake laugh escaping before she snaps her mouth shut again.
“I don’t like this.” We turn the last corner, reaching the main hallway. It’s a straight shot to the cafeteria, and to the truth. “You’re acting weird and it’s making me start to judge.”
She takes a deep breath, her coral-pink nails digging into my arm.
“It’s Vincent Miller.”
Vincent. Miller.TheVincent Miller?
“The guy who started the weed rumors?” I ask, just to makesure I’m not about to break my no judgment promise in vain.
“You’re judging.” Kristen deflates.
“I’m not judging, I’m asking a question.” Hey, for all I know, there could be another Vincent Miller at our school who’s an upstanding citizen and not some douchebag liar.
She rolls her eyes, which only serves as a confirmation that I’m right.
“Kris, he told our entire class all those rumors and made you miserable. Oh, yeah, and hedruggedyou!”
In eighth grade, Vincent Miller got it in his little Obey snapback–capped head to start spreading rumors that Mr. Haverford—Kristen’s dad—grew weed and that the family tree farm was a front for his drug business. At first Kristen didn’t care. But then kids started asking her for weed and made jokes about her being high in class. Vincent and his friends started saying if she wasn’t going to share, they would sneak onto the farm at night and find the stash for themselves. Kristen was paranoid. She lost sleep and started dozing off in class, which only added more fuel to the fire.