“I’m sorry, Kenn, I really am. But I can’t do this. I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want to go to dances. I don’t want to discuss the future. I just want to enjoy the last part of high school.”

She shoots me a furious glare. “Right. The future scares you so damn much. You’ll be this pathetic guy, living for high school well into his forties. Reliving it over and over again as your glory days. It’s sad.”

I try not to let what she says get to me. She’s trying to hurt me. Then I think back to my fight with Camden, and I wonder if he feels the same way. If he thinks I’m pathetic too. “Well then, you should be happy to let me go.”

“Oh, I am.” She walks closer to me, putting her finger in my face. “Don’t think you can have me back. I can have anyone I want, Kingston. I don’t need you.”

“Great,” I say, pulling open her door and heading out, not slamming it behind me because I feel her on my heels as I head for the front door.

“I mean it, Kingston! Don’t come crawling back to me. I want nothing to do with you or your small dick.”

I turn around, glaring at her. She’s baiting me. I know this. I’ve fallen for it so many damn times. If I stay and defend my dick—she’ll win. She’ll punish me and then make me apologize somehow.

No. Keep walking. Your dick is fine. You know this.

I keep walking with her hot on my heels, pulling open the door and racing out to my car. She still follows.

“You’re also a lousy lay. I mean, just awful. I’m going to find a real man who knows how to fuck me. Maybe I’ll even get to come.”

Nope. Don’t let her bait you. Don’t fall for it.

I unlock my Mustang and climb behind the wheel, starting the engine. She taps on the hood with her palms, but I don’t care. I block out her shouting as I pull away from her house and escape that toxic fucking shit.

It’s not totally over. I know that. Kennedy doesn’t let things go easily, and she’ll raise hell through the rest of school, I’m sure of it.

By Monday, there’ll be gossip about my sad sexual skills and my supposedly small dick, but I don’t care. I won’t let her do this to me anymore.

I think about my grandpa and his final days on this earth. He was weak, lying in his hospital bed, but he smiled at me. He told me what he always told me. If it’s not fun, don’t do it. Live life as happily as you can.