“I’m sure,” Carissa said coldly. “He’s also really smart. He’s always getting picked for the Beat the Brains Team when Mr. Robinson does games in his class. He knows everything about history, so no one ever beats him. And he might not have a lot, but he’s also got a job so he doesn’t get given everything, which isn’t a bad thing. At least that’s what my dad says. And Theo and his jerk friends were being mean to that kid with all that awful acne and Carson just walked over to them, crossed his arms on his chest, and they scattered. Didn’t say a word and they took off. That was cool, and it was a cool thing to do. And Theo and his friends don’t do that kind of thing anymore, not if Carson is around.”

“Does Aaron know you have the hots for Carson Steele?” Brittney asked bitchily.

“I don’t have the hots for him,” Carissa returned sharply, and Carson felt his gut lurch. “I just think he’s a nice guy. And he doesn’t deserve some girl pretending she’s into him just to get in his pants. He’s a person. He has feelings. And if you did that, Britt, that wouldn’t be cool.”

“Goody-two-shoes,” Brittney muttered.

“Maybe, but I’d rather be that than be mean,” Carissa fired back immediately.

“All right, calm down, I won’t play with Carson Steele,” Brittney replied.

Carissa didn’t say anything. She looked back to the field.

“I need a Coke,” Theresa decreed into the tense silence. “Does anyone else need a Coke?”

“Coke? Are you crazy? There are more calories in a Coke than there are in a piece of chocolate cake,” Marley stated.

“That’s not true,” Theresa returned.

“I’ll go. Get a diet. Anyone?” Brittney asked, rising from the bleacher.

“I could get a diet,” Marley said.

They all rose, except Carissa.

“Riss? You wanna come?” Theresa asked.

“I’ll stay here, save our seats.”

Carson looked to the rest of the bleachers. They weren’t even half full, and there was no one anywhere near the bitch girl crew.

“Okay,” Theresa said quietly.

“Whatever,” Marley muttered.

They took off.

Carissa remained.

He watched her lean further forward and put her jaw in her hand, her eyes to the field.

He wondered if she was thinking about him.

He figured she wasn’t. She was cool, she’d had his back, but he would be the last thing on her mind.

He studied her, wishing he knew what she was thinking.

And as he studied her, knowing she had her eyes to the field but her thoughts somewhere else and they didn’t look happy, suddenly he remembered about her sister.

Everyone knew about Carissa Teodoro’s sister. It was a long time ago, but what happened was so ugly, no one forgot.

Freak accident. Tragic. Even his dad flipped out about it.