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Back The Infinite Noise Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  70. Newsletter Sign-up

I make an aborted step toward him, opening my mouth to say something, who knows what, but he picks up his bag and flees. That’s the only way I can describe it. He just full-on runs away.

Another villain vanquished by the Great Amazing Feelings Boy. Hooray.

12

ADAM

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

I need to go to calc but my legs aren’t working properly—it feels like I’m walking on two Twizzlers. I detour to the boys’ bathroom, rushing into a stall and leaning up against the door. Breathe in deep. And out.

I can’t believe that just happened. An honest-to-god knight-in-shining-armor moment from the object of my stupid, illogical, uncontrollable teenage affection and that’s what happens? He defends me by calling out the fact that apparently I am noticeably some sort of depressed emo loser? What kind of messed-up twist of fate is that?

Stupid Bryce. Just because he’s a complete cretin doesn’t mean I should be punished for it. But he always does that. It’s like he woke up one day and decided, “Hey, that Adam kid is smart and therefore the reason I’m not. I’m going to harass him until I can leech all his intelligence for myself or he punches me in the face and I get to beat him up. Whichever comes first.”

It doesn’t matter about Bryce. Bryce is a dunce. Bryce I can deal with (even if being called a freak hurt more than I’d like to admit). It’s Caleb that’s the surprise element in all of this. Why did he—how did he—

My heart and my brain are running circles around each other as I replay the moment in my head. It felt like he saw right through me. How did he do that? Is he really that perceptive? Or am I just that obvious?

If someone who barely knows I exist is noticing that I’m low, then I’m being sloppy. I need to get this under control. Because if my classmates are picking up on it, then my parents will start to pick up on it and they’ll start hovering again and I’ll be back with the doctors and the open doors and I just … cannot have that.

I stand in the stall for ten more minutes, waiting for the coast to clear. Waiting to not be this way anymore. Waiting to leave this place, and these feelings, forever.

13

CALEB