“Hey,” a voice called out. “Where are you guys heading off to?”

I twisted at my waist, looking behind us, and swallowed a groan when I saw who it was. Henry Williams. He wasn’t alone. Two friends flanked him. All three of them were in a grade higher. All three were total douche bags. Especially Henry. He was a special kind of douche bag. The kind that was good-­looking and totally knew it, therefore the latter totally zeroed out the former.

“Just keep walking,” Charlie said under his breath.

I didn’t listen. Facing the boys, I planted my hands on my hips. “Nowhere you all are invited to.”

Charlie muttered something as he stopped, turning around. I think he said something about my mouth getting me in trouble, but that wouldn’t be the first or last time I’d heard that.

One of Henry’s friends laughed, and the sound grated on my nerves. It was high-­pitched, much like the cheerleader’s voice was, but this laugh reminded me of a cat getting hit by a car.

Henry was absolutely unfazed by my greeting. He swaggered up to where Charlie and I stood, puffing out his chest like a peacock. “You’re looking good tonight, Roxy.”

I arched my brows at him.

Charlie sighed.

“I’m looking good every night.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

He smirked as his gaze crawled over me, leaving behind a sensation of ants marching along my skin. It really was too bad he was such a pinhead, because he wasn’t bad to look at. “That’s true.” He passed a baleful glance at Charlie, and my spine stiffened. “So, what are you doing tonight?”

“We’ve got—­”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” Henry cut him off, and it truly was like I had an internal bitch switch inside me, and he’d just flipped it into the on position. “Why don’t you drop this homo and hang out with—­”

“Excuse me?” I saw red. “What in the fuck did you just call him?”

Charlie grabbed my arm. “Let it go. You know there’s no point in arguing with stupid.”

There was no way in hell I was going to let it go.

As I pulled myself out of the events of that night, I sat back and rubbed my palms along my cheeks, just below my glasses. Guilt coated my skin with clammy sweat. Lowering my hands, I stared at Charlie. His head was turned just slightly, like he was looking at me, but his gaze was focused over my shoulder, at the window.

Let it go, he had said.

If only I had listened.