Page 27 (1/2)

I threw the book back into the drawer, stalked out of the room and down the stairs, and out the front door

I don’t even reerie for sos I saw for a while

MyI either sat there withthose aroundelse to keep ht

Teachers didn’t call on rades stayed up, and I smarted off when they did askthe to lunch

She would be there, and I didn’t want to sit back and watch us both try to ignore each other when I just wanted her next to me

"Tatum Brandt!"

What the…?

I halted in the lunchroo her name

I had spied Saotten done grabbing a drink and sandhen I’d heard a low voice yelling very loudly

I zoned in on Madoc, facing away fro in thedance with , I clenchedthe sandwich in my hand

Shiiiit

A very surprised Tate had turned around, her shoulders tensed and eyes avoiding everyone else’s like she was more annoyed than embarrassed

Tate couldn’t stand Madoc

Oh, what the hell was he doing now?

The packed cafeteria hushed to a silence

Madoc walked on his knees up to Tate and took her hand

A few giggles sounded around the roo inher He’s alanted her

No, stay put He’s your friend He wouldn’t do that

"Please, please! Don’t say no I need you," he yelled, hs and cheers, egging him on

"Please, let’s ," he continued, and I could see Tate looking down at him, wide-eyed and flushed, like she was sick

Sick and pissed

Sheto him I couldn’t hear, and then he shouted, "But the baby needs a father!"

WHAT THE FUCK?

My sto in the room turned red

Tate’s face fell, and the crowd hollered their enjoyment of Madoc’s spectacle

Her lipsto hi pleased, because he stood up and enveloped her in his arht of the audience

Everyone whistled and applauded, and I threw

She’d said yes?

I turned around and stalked out before he’d even put her down

Chapter 25

"Goddammit!" Madoc howled as his hand shot up to his face, and he crashed backwards to the row of lockers behind hiether, and I hadn’t even waited for hiht in the eye

The class in the locker rooot out of the way, and I stepped over the bench to sit down in front of my best friend who’d slid to the floor

I rested my elbows on top of my knees and looked down at him

"I’m sorry," I breathed out, and it was the truth "But you do know you’re pushingwith one hand over his eye

He always pushedit He wanted rovel at Tate’s feet and make her want me

But she’d said yes

That pissedto ask her to the dance

But thanks to s like that in the past, and she obviously wanted to

A bitter taste settled in ht before your choke down a mouthful of pride

"Hey, Dr Porter" I ran into my sophomore year Chemistry teacher in the hallway after school "Is Tatuestured to the door behind hi oddly relieved to see me "She is But it just occurred toher? I’"

"Alone?" My jaitched with a pent-up s, and I opened the lab door,with the promise of the kind of trouble I wanted to drown in

The roo from the supply closet, so I took the seat at the teacher’s table and propped er side of the classrooms at the school It held about twelve tables with two to three seats per table The tops were lined with beakers and flasks, burners and sinks

I liked the tables