Page 9 (1/1)

Everyone moves in a distracted cluster, with sofriends who still haven’t caught up on their su na hidden frorab a locker at the opposite end of the room Maybe they won’t even notice me until the bell sets us free

My position hiding in the back of the line, sadly, leaves e ande quadruple-XL shirt and shorts that will fall offmy body unco lockers opening and closing fill my ears

Figuring it’s better to suffer in tightness than to havelaps, I snatch up the size-sy the edge of the roo as ade

After clais in, it’s then that I bother to notice who is standing right next to me: Vann

Like he’s got all the time in the world, he carefully removes the black leather cuffs on his wrists, sets theently slips off his sleeveless leather jacket He folds it in half lengthwise, taking special care with it as if it’s made of a precious material i that scowl of focus on his perray shirt in one slick htly tanned, defined in all the right places, supple and s to a perfect, slender waist, at which I see the white waistband of his underwear peeking out over his slightly sagged jeans He folds his shirt with just asit away I watch the , lean arins to unbutton his pants

Then he glances atsuspiciously

I snap ht out ofacross the roo at hiing out ofin on a dent ineyes Yeah, just stare at that dent Stare at that dent and don’t you dare ogle the dangerous new guy … no matter how hot he is

A sudden thought hits me Is it weird that I haven’t said hi to him? We just caned as partners for the year A nored that fact, at the very least I should say hello That’ll make all of this a lot less aard

I turn toward Vann at once and open my mouth

Wait a second Shouldn’t the same be said about him? Why hasn’t he said hi to me yet? Why do I have to be the courteous one?

The bell rings, signifying the start of class

And at once, I give up any atteyhs, and htly and barely coh of surrender, then head off

But not before nearly crashing into the very trio of football idiots I was ht at the door leading out of the locker roorin spreads over Hoyt’s face at the unexpected sight of usto His eyes drop tohih “Shoot, buddy, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you rown those shorts I can see the outline of your nuts” At his side, Julio snickers uffaws through his permanently teary-eyed face, as if there isn’t a second of the day he isn’t ready to laugh at so

I give Hoyt an uni at them”

Benji laughs again, then slaps a hand on his lance at Hoyt to weigh his reaction