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And I needed to breathe

Besides, ere there ever sparks fro but ere interrupted by a gangly ared fro li at least three different shirts all layered in chaos, a short sleeve, a long sleeve and then another short sleeve His loose, loaisted jeans were ripped at the knees and tattered at the cuffs and his hair was curlier than yesterday but I suspected that had so He was also wearing big, pink fralasses that I was sure were purchased in the Junior’s section of Target

"What’s up, Phoenix?" Chase asked hi out into a friendly suys before this year Although Central was a very big school, several hundred to each graduating class Still, they were good looking enough and seeh that they at least should have been on es stitched to Chase’s letterman jacket I remembered soccer was his sport of choice and last year had been all about h the basketball team

"Not much," Phoenix returned and then his attention fell to ed happily

"Phoenix," I replied back in a mock imitation of his deeper voice

"Kenna tells ht You should have stuck around, you could have chilled with the band," Phoenix’s smile widened with pride and I realized he must have been part of the band

"You’re in the band?" I asked bluntly, a little disturbed that I hadn’t noticed It wasn’t like I was into Phoenix for more than friendship, if that could even exist for ain I couldn’t place faces to any of the band members

Save for one, the stupid lead guitar

Freaking Ryder

He was seriously throwing ame

"What? Yes! I’m the druo

Oops

"Sorry," I gushed with a little bit of laughter "I guess I couldn’t see you beyond the egoave aveout after?"

"Sure," I conceded, hoping to avoid any future Sugar Skulls concerts and if at all possible run-ins with Kenna or Ryder in general

"You went to see Sugar Skulls last night?" Chase asked His eyebrows had drawn together and he seeone if I would have known you were going to be there" His lips curved into his signature char smile and the hurt ashed away and replaced with easy flirtation

"It was a, uh, lastto see Sugar Skulls I didn’t even knoho they were until last night I was just getting out of the house and I like the Slon on Wednesday nights" That was more like the truth, but not cohthis reed via question "Slon gave us a pretty steady gig for Wednesdays, so there will be plenty of chances to hang You can be like our groupie!"

"Ugh," I groaned "I ht I didn’t realize you thought so little of enuinely surprised

"Well, I don’t know if they could be applied to the whole band, but uot both Chase and Phoenix to laugh "Of course he does," Chase grinned "Speak of the devil"

Kenna and Ryder appeared fro the steps to the school building Ryder had his ar and laughing and drooling and ly eyes at each other and in love And I wanted to vomit Chase slipped his hand to ainst his body, thankful for a place to go I pressed against his side; half hoping he would just absorb ht? Still the desperation to disappear weighed consus

Chase wasn’t home, but he could at the very least be a shelter fro love birds," Phoenix called out to them

Suddenly I was surrounded by people… by friends? It was very confusing I didn’t do friends And aswas

She had the good grace to only hesitate for a second before responding, "Hey, Ivy"

She eyed me over like I was ready to attack her precious boyfriend at any second and I shuffled backward out of the tight circle we had created My eyes flickered to Ryder instinctually, but not in theway Kenna assumed I meant, more in like the… I didn’t knohat kind of way! The kind that felt like a gravitational pull, the kind of way that h I was helpless to stop the slide ofme with careful amusement, like I was his entertainment, like it was possible for him to look anywhere else, but he chose to look at et out of there Chase’s arm dropped from my back and he turned to face led for an excuse but then ods, and I reached for it quickly

I held it up in apology, waving it around and letting the loud ringtone pierce the conversation that surrounded us I walked into the school building away fro friendships

"Hello?" I asked into the speaker without checking the caller ID first

"Nix is here? Why didn’t you tell me?" Exie screeched froive me in the silence of the air ways No such luck "Who told you?" I sighed into the phone This is why I didn’t do friendship… I wasn’t any good at it But I did like to protectI would ever have to real relationships

"Sloanesoiven us the heads up" She sounded hurt "You should have toldin the car"

No She sounded terrified

And she was right

I should have given her the heads up