Misfits Like Us (Like Us #11)(21)

“I’ll hold it,” I quip.

Oscar laughs over comms.

“Hold your shit, Donnelly,” Thatcher interjects. “Bell’s going to ring soon.” He’s keeping up with the school schedule, even though his client is Jane.

“Good Papa,” I joke on comms. I’m not in any toilet dilemma. Just trying to get the cheerleader to go.

I risk a brief glance.

Delilah hasn’t left. She looks more enthralled. “Hey, I liked your recent TikTok video.”

I stiffen more as she taps on her phone and flashes my TikTok at me.

I’m shirtless and simply nodding my head to the beat of a trending song. Just feeling myself, nothing criminal. She’s making me dislike the things that I enjoy doing—and I hate that.

I eye the door. “Your teacher know you’re not using the bathroom?”

“She won’t care. Ms. Davis is cool.”

You’re seventeen, I almost spout. I get that I look like someone who’d do immoral things. I get I’m not always proper and upstanding, but to go after underage girls isn’t in me.

It shouldn’t be in anyone.

The only time I surprised myself even going for someone much younger than me was Luna. But she was almost nineteen. I would never…

I could never…

It sickens my insides, even the thought of someone young being taken advantage of. I know what that’s like.

“Well I care,” I tell Delilah. “And you shouldn’t be talking to me.”

“Why not?” She slips me a bashful smile. “You seem just as cool as Ms. Davis. Aren’t you?”

“Nah,” I shake my head. “I think you should go to the bathroom.”

She starts walking backwards, grin expanding towards me.

I avoid her eyes.

“I like a guy who plays hard to get.” She wags her fingers to catch my attention.

“You have no shot with me, Delilah.”

She giggles like I’m joking, then winks. “See you at the football game, Paul Donnelly.”

I don’t reply.

I wonder if I should be asking for a temp to cover the football game instead of me. Nah, I’m not letting a high school cheerleader scare me off from doing my job. I wish I could just post up in the classroom, but the administration decided my presence inside the class distracted the students.

Instead, they’re distracting me outside the class.

Bell rings while she’s still in the bathroom. No second confrontation with Delilah is my single stroke of luck for the day. Xander hustles out of the class first.

“Let’s go,” he says quickly, practically sprinting with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein against his chest. Swiftly, I shift out in front of Xander as the halls fill with the student body. Lockers click open, backpacks and books appearing as everyone heads home or to after school functions.

“Locker?” I ask as we pass his, but he shakes his head, cheeks beet-red.

“Just go.” He catches on to my tee a few times as students bump into him.

“Hey, Xander!”

“Wait up, Xander!”

Girls call after him. His popularity is fake. Built off his persona that Celebrity Crush created through paparazzi pics and rumors. The only real friends he has are his family and Easton, who’s not here today. He’s sick with the flu.

So I’m not shocked Xander is ready to get the hell out of here. I can only push off high schoolers so much without parents yelling at Dalton’s administration for my involvement. Easton does a good job of warding away unwanted attention from Xander.

And Xander lost that second shield today.

On his way out of the double doors, a girl tries to snag his shirt. I sidestep, moving behind Xander and blocking the girl from him. “Don’t touch,” I remind her.

“He’s my friend, you asshole.”

Xander peeks back for two seconds and then gives me a slight shake of the head. He has no clue who she is.

“No means no,” I tell her while sprinting after Xander, catching up to his side in another half second. Arm around his shoulders, he relaxes, and I pull him towards our car. Opening the door, I guide him into the passenger seat.

Once I’m in the front, he exhales a giant breath of relief. “Today fucking sucked.” His eyes seem solemn as he leans backwards. “Everyone kept asking me about Sulli, Banks, and Akara. Like I know what’s going on in Fiji—I’m the last one told anything.”

I doubt that’s true. Someone in the fam jam gossip hotline has to be more disconnected than Xander. I’d say Audrey, for being the youngest and for leaking the Hot Santa Video that catapulted me and SFO into some fame.

“You heard they got married?” I wonder. It’s not like it’s secret among the families. He should know.

“…Winona told me.” He frowns at himself. “Okay, maybe I do know some things.” He explains that students have badgered Winona more than him this week. She’s Sulli’s little sister, and everyone wants answers about the infamous triad.

The only reason I know the truth now: Akara and Banks sent selfies to an SFO text chat. Their arms were around Sulli, and we could clearly see the braided wedding rings.

We married her – Akara





I flooded the group chat with confetti emojis. Like I predicted, they’re holding off on a public announcement, so people will keep speculating based off photos from Fiji. I’m thrilled for the happy triad, and I wish I could go tweet in all caps THEY DESERVE LOVE #KITSULLETTI #CONGRATS #MARRIED.