“Can I help you?” I grit my teeth. “I have practice in like one minute.”

“I was just thinking.” Tessa crosses her arms in a stupid attempt to get me to look at her boobs. It’s painful not to blurt out go to hell, you ugly bitch, but I manage it. “Does the school know the history of that girl you took in? I saw the text, doesn’t exactly look good, especially now that your dad’s gone. My condolences, by the way.”

How she manages to actually look sad is terrifying in a very real way.

“I’m sure he knew, and even if he didn’t, she’s part of our family now. So drop it.”

I rush by her and wonder if it makes me a bad person that I’m praying for her to trip on her high heels, chip a tooth, and then somehow impale herself on a pencil.

“Yeah, I kiss my brother like that too.”

I ignore her and stomp down the rest of the hall with my shit and hope to God she isn’t going to use that against her or us.

I’m furious by the time practice starts, even Xander gives me a wide berth, and he likes pissing me off when he knows I’m in a mood.

I’m a midfielder, and I’m ready to literally chuck the ball at his face when my coach blows the whistle for some running drills.

I point my stick at Xander. “You got lucky, bitch.”

Coach blows the whistle again. “Ambrose, laps!”

“Shit.” I throw my stick onto the ground.

“Two miles,” Coach yells again. “And Xander gets to go with you.”

“Fuck.” Xander curses under his breath and kicks the grass. “Thanks Ambrose, real cool.”

I don’t apologize, I just start running the route that will take us around the school, down the street, and back. We’ll have to do it twice.

I’m annoyed, but maybe a run is good as long as Xander doesn’t open his mouth.

“…so I think I have an STD.” Is the first thing he says.

I nearly trip over my own feet. “What? How?”

“Sex, bro, lots and lots of sex.” He bursts out laughing. “Wow, the expression on your face was worth it. What the hell is wrong with you today? Trouble in perfect paradise?”

He matches my stride. “Yeah, you could say something like that; with Tessa being back, I’m not exactly thrilled to see her face haunting our halls.”

“Fuck her.” He snaps. “She chose Quinn anyway; let it go.”

“I have. It’s not that; she’s just evil.”

“Most women are,” he grumbles. “Oh, and I don’t really have an STD. I wrap it tight, bro.”

“Doesn’t matter sometimes, bro.” We fall into silence until he opens his giant mouth again, as per usual.

“So what’s your sister’s deal… like, did she really come onto her foster dad? Because that’s some messed up shit.”

I hold the anger in and up my pace. “It’s not true. He was trying to take advantage of her; you’ve seen her, she’s beautiful.”