I’m beyond annoyed now. It’s like she’s acting like I’m her ticket out, when I doubt I’ll even escape this town. Regardless, it doesn’t matter. She’s with Kingston, and I’m not interested. She’s smarter than this too, so I’m doubly annoyed. “If you really want out, you’ll find a way. Why don’t you go make up with Kingston? I don’t know what you two are fighting about, but you’ll fix it.” They always do.

She tosses her hair haughtily. “Yeah, I’m not so sure about that this time. I don’t think he even really wants me. And I don’t know if I really want him.”

I roll my eyes at her over-the-top dramatics. Yeah, I really fucking hate this conversation. It needs to end. “He loves you.”

“No. He doesn’t. He never says it.” I swallow hard, not knowing that, but I’ve never asked. “Ever. It’s like I’m just a pain in the ass for him. The cheerleader matched with the jock he forever wants to be.”

I don’t know what she wants me to say or why she’s telling me all this, but now I’m annoyed. “It’ll be fine, Kenn,” I say half-heartedly and then add, “and he’s more than just a damn jock.” My words are said with more than a little irritability as I stare past her and look back at the raging flames. She just stands there, glaring at me like she’s willing me to make everything better.

But I can’t.

I don’t even want to.

And that makes me a shitty human being.

6. Kingston

SIX

KINGSTON

“I’m sick of you never taking anything seriously.” I close my locker and lean against it with a heavy sigh because Kennedy is already on a tirade this morning.

As if Mondays aren’t bad enough.

She’s still pissed off about the party. She wanted to go somewhere private, and I wasn’t feeling it. I wanted to hang out with my friends and party.

Is that so bad?

Apparently so.

“I am taking things seriously,” I say a little louder than I mean to, but damn, I’m really tired of this. And where the hell is Camden? I wonder if Lucy gave him a hard time again today. It seems like Mondays and Fridays are the worst for her.

“What the hell are you thinking about now? Where is your head?”

Oh shit. She’s still pissed. Her scowl is firmly planted on her pretty face, and one hand is on her hip. I sigh again. “I said I’d go to the damn dance. I will. Drop it.”