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Katie continued her rapid-fire narrative while the guard directed her--and dragged me--into the Home Economics classroom and told us to wait there while he handled the situation The room had no desks, only a couple of old couches and an industrial kitchen I dropped onto a couch Katie pulled up a chair and sat oppositejust past her neck A freckle adorned her pert nose And her eyes--those green eyes could start a rainstoro Froorgeous face I had been utterly smitten Katie knew the popular crowd but never sold her soul to be a part of theet beauty queen contests She was the real deal, a hot chick with a brain in her head and h, I’ up the vicinity with a radiant smile

My heart melted "I did?" I said in uess I did"

"What happened? How did you break his nose?"

Considering I could hardly lift my arms, I was certain an insane spike of adrenalin had saved my life But I couldn’t very well tell her I overpowered Nathan Then every other football player would decide to put that braggadocio to the test As it was, I would probably suffer in horrible and creative ways for this encounter

"He tripped," I said

She hugged me and pecked me on the cheek "You’re ed "I had to save the damsel in distress"

She put her hand over mine Heat rushed up my arm and into my body She smiled "Did you feel that? I’m pretty sure we just becaht I wanted to burst into song and dance around the rooht in shining armor I was on top of the world

Unfortunately, it alsoway to fall

Chapter 2

The next day as I hopped on the school bus, all eyes locked onto ht" with Nathan People whispered Soot our best football player expelled," said a guy from somewhere behinduntil reaching the back of the bus and settling into an eh the air and landed in the unoccupied seat ahead ofas ht and was soon replaced by the tall buildings of don Decatur, Georgia, one of many toed up in the sprawl of nore the jibes and taunts lobbed atup for myself

I could hardly believe the school board had almost expelled Nathan They never punished football players, especially not all-stars The Quarterback Club was legendary for getting its ith anything I probably should have been more worried about the potential fallout, but all I could think of was Katie and how she’d rewardto her rescue

After the bus reached the school I trudged into the basketball gymnasium where our beloved adan I searched for Katie and noticed she sat with her two best friends, Jenny Matthews and Annie Holmes The three of thelee in their eyes,about knitting sweaters for all I knew, but it didn’t aze was ht with Nathan

I wanted to sit next to Katie Wanted to see her sht in those jade eyes of hers was ht, walked up the bleachers, and took the first empty seat I found I cursed htful spot next to her Then again, what lasses, and long hair didn’t exactly roup of Goth students entered the gy out from behind me I looked up and saw Nathan Spel insults at the odd group My body went cold I hadn’t realized how close I was sitting to theenerous proportions didn’t cooperate If the school board had almost expelled Nathan, as he already back at school? I’d expected a suspension at the least Stupid jocks get aith everything

The Goth group, two guys and a girl, tromped past in their platform shoes Thank God they existed to take unwanted attention off ht be nerdy but at least I didn’t look bizarre As they passed irl’s eyes widened and settled on me with such intensity that I turned away and checked for loose boogers I couldn’t tell if she was sizing ht be a good recruit to her group of weirdoes

I stared at s backpack instead and decided noould be a good titouches onto MIT was et rades across the board if I wanted to stand a chance

The bell rang I ja at the seae foot connected withdown the bleachers and into the crowd of students filing out of the gy down to the floor to be walked on

Nathan gave uffawing toadies sauntered past

"Letters to your ripped er Thankfully, some rational part of my brain locked my muscles in place before they led me to certain doom I packed up my other books and waited for the crowd of students to die down so I could find my book and essay My heart pounded anxiously All that work, probably rendered illegible from footprints