Chapter 23 #2
“Hey.” Barron shakes my hand. He’s built like Trystan, tall and lean, but his shoulders are wider and bigger. He smiles. “What’s it like living with Braden?”
“Okay, so far,” I lie. “As long as I don’t eat his protein bars.”
They all laugh, including the guys I haven’t met yet.
“Never touch his fucking protein bars,” the guy next to Dante says. He’s almost as big as him but not quite. “He special orders them from—”
“Australia. I know. He told me the story.” I pause. “After I ate one.”
They all erupt in laughter.
“I’m Miles,” the guy next to Dante says, giving me a flirty smile.
“Rumor,” I tell him, smiling back.
“You seriously ate one?” Barron says. “And you’re still alive?”
I shrug. “What can I say? I was starving.”
“Fucking hilarious.” Barron puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me to his side. “I like this girl. I say we keep her around.”
“Told ya,” Dante says.
His comment makes me wonder what he told them about me.
“I see someone got an invite,” I hear a girl say.
Looking back, I see Kristen there, putting on her best fake smile.
Barron quickly takes his arm off me. “Kristen, I thought you had an appointment.”
“I did. It was canceled.”
He stands up and pulls out the chair next to him. She saunters over to it and sits down.
“You meet Rumor yet?” Dante asks her.
“We met in class earlier.” She hands Barron her bottle of iced tea. “Open it, please.”
He does as she says, then hands her the bottle.
“Where’s Braden?” she asks, sipping her tea.
“Probably talking to Coach,” Dante says. “He’s trying to come up with punishments for people who miss practice.”
“That’s so Braden,” she says, flipping her blonde hair behind her shoulder.
“What are you saying about me?” Braden appears, heading to the seat at the very end of the table, which I’m guessing is his. Head of the table. Where the king sits. Makes me want to gag.
“I was saying how much I missed you this summer,” Kristen gushes, getting up from the table to give him a hug. She is so fake. Why would Jackson want to have anything to do with her?
And why is Braden still friends with her? If she dumped him for Jackson, his biggest enemy, he shouldn’t even be talking to her.
“I thought I’d see you at the party last week,” he says to Kristen.
“I couldn’t go,” she says, sitting down. “But I heard you guys had fun. My mom freaked about the chandelier.” She laughs. “Do you know who did it?”
Braden doesn’t answer as he notices me at the end of the table. He’s pissed. I can see it in his eyes and on his face.
“Rumor,” he says in a deeper-than-normal voice.
“Hey, Braden.”
“Your cousin’s awesome,” Dante says.
Kristen’s eyes shoot to Dante. “Where’s Ella?”
“Out sick.” He shoves his empty plate aside and moves a full one in front of him.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“We ended things last night.” He twirls his fork in the spaghetti. “She didn’t take it well.”
Kristen looks at me, a smirk on her face. “Hazard of dating a football player. They drop you without warning.”
The guys glance at Braden. His jaw is tight, like he’s trying to hold himself back from saying what he wants to say. Like maybe reminding Kristen that she dumped him, not the other way around?
Does nobody here know that? If they did, she wouldn’t have made that comment. Do they know she dated Jackson and still hangs out with him? They couldn’t. They wouldn’t let her sit at their table if they knew.
Maybe only Braden knows about Kristen, and they’re both keeping it a secret because Braden doesn’t want people knowing she dumped him for his enemy, and Kristen doesn’t want to ruin her reputation.
But Shayla knew about Kristen and Jackson, so do the Legion people know?
Or do they just think it’s a rumor that isn’t actually true?
“Rumor, I need to talk to you,” Braden says.
“Right now?”
He just stares at me.
I get up and follow him through the dining hall doors to the outside.
“I didn’t do it,” I say. “Dante invited me. I met him this morning, and when he saw me at lunch he told me to come over. He was yelling my name across the dining hall. Everyone was staring at me. I didn’t have a choice. I know you’re pissed but it’s not my—”
He slowly smiles. “Good job.”
“What?” I ask, surprised.
“Good job. You got an invite on your first day.”
“You’re not mad?”
“I was at first but I’m thinking maybe this could be good.”
“Good how?”
“If the guys trust you, you could keep an eye on them for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Make sure they’re not doing stupid shit that’ll affect their game.”
“Like what?”
“Booze. Drugs. Hooking up with the wrong girls.”
“Don’t all footballs players drink and do drugs?”
“Not before a game. They shouldn’t be doing that shit at all during the season.”
“Trystan said you get drunk all the time.”
“Not during the season. And I don’t do drugs. Tried them and it messed me up.”
“What about girls?”
“What about them?”
“Do you date during the season or is that off limits too?”
“I do what I need to do to stay focused.”
“Meaning you have sex, not a girlfriend.”
He doesn’t answer.
“What’d you mean by the wrong type of girl?” I ask.
“A Legion girl. Or any public-school girl, but especially one from Legion.”
“Why? Because they’re poor?”
“Because they’re spies. Or could be. We can’t let anything get back to the guys at Legion. They are not beating us again this year. I’ll do anything to make sure they don’t win.”
Principal Edwards walks by, stopping when he sees us.
“Mr. Halliway,” he says, smiling at him. “Good to have you back.”
“Thanks.” Braden stands up straighter and gives Principal Edwards a phony smile.
“I’m looking forward to the season,” Principal Edwards says. “I hear you put in a lot of hours at the gym this summer.”
“Practically lived there,” Braden says with a laugh. “I’m determined to win this year.”
“With that attitude I’m sure you will.” Principal Edwards turns to me. “Ms. Bennet, how is your first day?”
“Good.” I put on my best fake smile. “And it’s Bennet-Halliway.”
He nods. “Wise choice. Well, I’ll see you two later. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
After he walks off, Braden says, “Bennet-Halliway? When did that happen?”
“It’s not official or legal or anything. I just thought I’d add Halliway.”
He stares at me. “You’re not as clueless as I thought you were.”
“Nope,” I say, staring back.
“I want you to get to know those guys, especially Dante. If anyone’s gonna spill dirt on people, it’s him. He can’t keep his mouth shut. He’s been getting better so it may take a few tries to get him to tell you stuff but eventually he will.”
“What do I get if I do this?”
“The privilege of sitting at my table.”
“That’s it?”
He bends down, putting his face inches from mine. “You don’t ask me for favors. I give when it’s earned. And I decide what it’ll be.” He stands up straight. “You in or not?”
“Yeah. Whatever. But I’m not dating him.”
“Dante?” Braden laughs. “Why? Not your type?”
“He’s fat.”
“But there’s muscle under the fat.” He nudges me. “C’mon. Give him a chance.”
“No! Gross!”
He laughs again. “I’m joking. I wouldn’t make you date Dante. The guy would crush you during sex and then what good would you be?”
“Glad you’re so concerned for me.”
We go back inside and finish lunch. Kristen keeps her eye on me the whole time. I don’t trust her. Not even a little. I’m okay with her not liking me, but I don’t want her to do something to mess up my plan. Or worse . . . mess up my relationship with Jackson.