The Fragile Ordinary(64)

He needed help.

But if I told anyone, an adult, Stevie would end up in so much trouble and with his mother being sick, it was the last thing that family needed. I didn’t know what to do.

There was no way I was telling Tobias.

Tobias would more than likely punch him for frightening me like that.

Plus there was the fact that Alana Miller would come after me if I told on Stevie. She and Stevie had something casual but long-term going on between them. She was a scrappy girl, always on the defensive about something. I knew two of her brothers were in prison, and the entire family had a reputation in town for being aggressive and dangerous. They were constantly in fights with other families. She was raised rough and tough and didn’t seem to know any other way. Since the school year had begun, I knew of at least two physical fights she’d gotten into. One of them was with a boy.

So even though I stewed over Stevie and fought with myself on what to do, I didn’t mention our encounter to Tobias in English class. It was easy to let it slide to the back of my mind, because by fourth period everyone was buzzing about us dating.

Tobias held my hand under the table as people shouted harmless, teasing taunts across the classroom. My neck was on fire under the heated stares in the room. Tobias rolled his eyes when someone shouted, “We hope you’re treating her right fine and good, Mr. King,” in a fake Southern accent.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?” His eyes were bright with mirth. “Because you’re stopping the flow of blood in my hand.”

I immediately released my tight hold on him and gave him a sheepish, apologetic look.

“What is all the excitement about?” Mr. Stone said loudly as he walked into the class. “I could hear you from the other end of the corridor.”

Tension glued me to my chair like a tongue to an overfrosted ice lolly. Please, no one say anything, please, please.

As if they heard my inner prayer, my classmates did me the courtesy of not embarrassing me in front of my favorite teacher. It might have seemed silly, considering how proud I really was to be holding Tobias’s hand, but I wanted Mr. Stone to always see me as the girl who was dedicated to his class. If he found out everyone was gossiping about me and Tobias, I’d seem like just another silly teenager.

I thought we were home free when the bell rang for the end of English but after I’d put all my stuff into my bag, Tobias took my hand. It turned out making sure he knew I was proud to be his girl trumped impressing my favorite teacher, because at that instant, standing in front of Mr. Stone, I made the decision to clasp Tobias’s hand tight.

Sneaking a peek at Mr. Stone as we walked away, I saw him frowning at our hands.

I sighed inwardly.

Over time he’d come to realize Tobias was smart, and that there was so much more to him than a mouthy, angry teenager. I suspected Mr. Stone was getting there already, but he didn’t know that Tobias was grieving. If he thought I was a fool for dating “bad boy” King then...well, truthfully, that would suck, but I’d deal with it.

We were almost out of the door when Heather McAlister suddenly blocked our way. She curled her lip in disgust at me before turning to Tobias. “Her? Really?”

I felt my boyfriend tense but before he could even say a word, Vicki shoved her way between us. “Comet isn’t to blame for everything that goes wrong in your life, Heather. So...shoo.” She gestured for her to leave, like she was an unwanted bug at our friendship picnic.

I smiled gratefully at the back of my best friend’s head.

She was my favorite.

Clearly stumped for a comeback, Heather stormed away.

“Nice.” Steph threw her arm around Vicki.

“Agreed.” Tobias nodded in approval.

I smiled at her. “Thank you.”

Vicki glowed under our praise. “No one messes with my Comet.”

“Heather’s just jealous.” Steph threw Tobias a look over her shoulder. There was a look of longing in her eyes that bothered me. Steph wasn’t interested in Tobias for who he was—she loved how much attention he got. She wanted a piece of it.

A streak of possessiveness coursed through me, surprising me. I tightened my hold on Tobias’s hand and glared at the back of my other friend’s head.

Two seconds later I was berating myself for it.

Steph loved being center of attention, but she would eventually be happy for me. It would just take her a little longer than Vicki. Once people stopped speculating and putting Tobias and me under the spotlight, Steph would think nothing of us.

However, it was too early for that, which I realized as soon as we walked into the school cafeteria. It was a place where people usually paid little attention to anything that was going on beyond their own group of friends.

Today they noticed.

It would appear that students of all ages had heard the news that King was going out with Comet Caldwell, of all people. Most had probably had no idea ’til now who I was. The staring made me feel paranoid, the noise level seeming to rise when Tobias sat with me and my girls instead of heading over to Stevie and his crew.

And that was when everything took a turn for the worse.

“Oy, too good for us now, King!” Forrester shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Ignore him,” I said.

“I’m going to.” Tobias bit into his burger, staring straight ahead.