“I know, but she just thought it was a team requirement and I told her that usually only seniors win the awards.”

He took off his baseball cap and ran his hand back and forth over his short hair, then replaced the cap. He seemed to decide against whatever he had been thinking about saying and handed me the now-empty envelope. “Congratulations.”

That’s when I realized what he wasn’t saying. “You told her.”

“Maybe she didn’t understand. I should’ve explained it better.”

“You told her about this award? That I was winning it?”

He nodded.

I started to make excuses for my mom. “It’s tradition . . . this thing for my brother. . . .” I trailed off when I saw the pity in his eyes. “Never mind.” I stood so fast that the chair fell over. I scrambled to pick it up, dropping the envelope. It slid beneath the chair I’d just righted. I grabbed it and made for the door. “Thanks for this.”

“Hadley—” he said, but I had already left. The shutting door cut off however he was going to finish that sentence.

My eyes stung. I just needed to get out of there, I thought as I walked as quickly as I could away from the office, trying to figure out where I could go. I made it out of the gym and around one corner before I slammed into Jackson. The award, the envelope, and I went flying backward. The clatter of metal bouncing along cement had me searching the ground where I had landed.

“Are you everywhere?” I growled.

“Moore. I’m sorry.” He held out his hand to help me up.

I picked up the plaque and saw the gold plate that spelled out the distinction was missing. It sat by Jackson’s foot. He bent over and picked it up.

“Nice,” he said, after reading it. “Congrats.”

I ripped it from his hand, scooped up the envelope where it had landed, and shoved the two now separate pieces of my award inside. Then I left. Of course he followed me.

“I’m trying to understand you, Moore.”

“Stop.”

“You hate me.”

“Hate is a strong word.”

He laughed. “Wow. I thought you’d deny it, but that was definitely not a denial. That was probably the furthest thing from a denial I’ve ever heard. Why don’t you like me?”

“Why do you care?” I asked quite suddenly.

He shrugged like he really didn’t.

My heart was pumping and my head was spinning and I just wanted Jackson out of my face. “You want to know why, Jackson? Why people like me don’t like people like you?”

“Yes, actually.”