Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1)(60)

I timed it so I was walking in just as the last bell rang. Now we would all be late to first period. But I hadn’t asked them to wait on me. I just couldn’t handle going to my locker and seeing Maggie. I wouldn’t be able to ignore her, and I didn’t trust I wouldn’t start begging her right there in front of everyone.

“I got Mr. Tremble first period,” Asa said with a grin. “He won’t count me late,” he added as he ran past me.

Gunner came up beside me. “We won’t get counted late either if we hurry.”

I didn’t mind getting a late slip in exchange for putting off going to class. But I knew Coach would have me running suicides after practice if he got word I was late. That was protocol for a player being late to school.

“I need to grab my notebook,” I told Gunner.

He shoved a notebook at me. “Use this one and run,” he said before breaking into a run himself.

I followed behind him. When practice was over, I wanted to go home and be alone. Last night I hadn’t been given room to think. They had all meant well, but being by myself was what I wanted right now.

Gunner opened the door to our first-period class and stepped inside. Mrs. Sentle glanced up at us and frowned, then motioned for us to take a seat. “Glad you could join us, boys” was all she said.

I sat down beside Gunner, who found an empty desk first. He glanced at me and smirked. “Told ya.”

“Hey, West,” a blonde I didn’t know said as she turned to smile at me.

Gunner chuckled beside me. “The news you’re a free agent again is out.”

I ignored them both. If I was to prove to Maggie that I loved her, then girls like this one weren’t going to help. I shot Gunner an annoyed glare.

He just laughed harder. Asshole.

I Don’t Like Attention

CHAPTER 45

MAGGIE

This was something I had to face sooner or later. I couldn’t avoid West. That wasn’t possible or fair. Not going to my locker for the first three periods had been tough. It was time I faced reality. Although, he wouldn’t actually be there this time because of his schedule, so I wasn’t really facing anything yet.

Moving through the crowd, I could feel people watching me. It had been that way all morning. Several girls had called me a bitch and a whore. The general consensus was that I was a horrible person for breaking up with West just after he lost his father. Part of me agreed with them.

When I finally reached my locker, I opened it quickly only to have it slammed closed by a hand with long red fingernails. The metal door just barely missed my hand as I jerked it back. “You are low-life scum,” a female voice hissed in my ear. I knew that voice. I had expected her to confront me at some point today. I just hadn’t expected her to do it like this.

I turned to face Raleigh. She was glaring at me with something close to triumph.

“You’re a coldhearted bitch,” she said loud enough for everyone around us to hear. People got quiet, and I knew we had an audience. That was just going to make her worse.

I didn’t respond to her. She was angry because she cared about West. She wanted to be furious with me and to have a right to be. This was her chance.

“Nothing to say? What? You’re gonna be silent again?” she asked, then shoved me in the chest until I fell back against the locker behind me.

She pointed her finger in my face, and I wondered if she planned on clawing me with it next. “You weren’t good enough for him. You’re a freak. Just. A. Freak.”

Right before her pointy nail touched my face, she was jerked back.

“Why don’t you go take your crazy bitch demonstration somewhere else?” Nash said, moving her away from me and putting himself between us. “I think Maggie has seen enough to know that you are indeed f*cked-up.”

“You’re taking up for her? You’re his friend!” Raleigh yelled.

“I’m one of his best friends. And even if Maggie wasn’t one of my friends too, I’d be doing this for him. Because West would lose his shit if he’d seen this. Attacking her ain’t getting him back, Ray.”

“She used him!” Raleigh’s voice carried down the hallway now that everyone had gone silent to watch.

“No, Raleigh. She saved him. When no one else could. Now take yourself far away from her before this bat-crazy episode you just had gets back to him. Because he’ll come for Maggie first to check on her. Then he’s coming for you.”

“You’re wrong. He’ll need me,” she said, sounding convinced.

I hated that the idea of West with her or any girl made my stomach twist in knots. I had been the one to end what we had. He would move on. And when he did, I would have to deal with it.

Nash shook his head, then turned back around to face me. The concern in his eyes almost made me cry. I hated drawing attention to myself, but today it seemed like just breathing brought attention I didn’t want.

“You good? Bitch is loony as hell,” Nash said with a roll of his eyes.

I managed a nod. I wasn’t good. But that wasn’t Raleigh’s fault.

“You look pale,” he said, frowning.

“I don’t like attention,” I whispered, afraid people were still listening to us.

He sighed. “Well, babe, you are going to have to deal with it for a while. I’ve heard what they’re all saying. That’s why I came to find you. See if you were okay.”