Callum & Harper (43 page)

“Not when they’re too busy
getting
busy in the bathroom before the games.”

He laughed and I looked at him with a smile. He was so different somehow.

While gazing at him I forgot to watch where I was going and plowed right into a freshman, but he may as well have been Andre’ the Giant. He was huge and the fact that I was a girl apparently had no effect on him.

“Watch it,” he growled.

“Sorry.”

“Why don’t you just take your,” he slapped my butt hard, “pretty little pampered spirit squad butt back to where you belong and get out of my way.”

“Whoa, pal,” Eli said and pulled me behind him. I was surprised by it but grateful. “Don’t talk to her like that and don’t
ever
touch her again.”

By this point there was an eager crowd with the word fight dancing in their eyes.

“Who are you, Pippy?” Everyone laughed and snickered. “If I were you I’d watch it. You’re not making a very good first impression at this school. First, you’re hanging out with spoiled ice queen over here, and now you’re messing with me. I’d just go around me and pretend you never got in my way if I were you.”

“Sure. I’ll do that after you apologize,” Eli said calmly.

“I don’t apologize to brats who get everything they want. She should apologize for bumping me.”

“I did,” I mumbled at the same time that Eli said, “She did.”

“Whatever-”

“Get to class!” Mr. Brank called from his classroom and everyone scattered. “Now.”

“Later, Pippy,” the big freshman jerk called. “Later, spoiled brat.”

We started to walk and heard the bell. We were still a couple hallways away from class and I saw no point in rushing now.

“Thank you,” I said after some time. “I have no idea who he was but he apparently knows me.”

“I don’t think he does if he thinks you’re a pampered spoiled brat.”

“You don’t know me,” I said but thought it sounded defensive so I added jokingly, “I could be a horrible drama queen who stomps freshman under my leather stiletto boots.”

“I highly doubt that,” he rebutted and looked at my feet, then dragged his gaze back up to my eyes. “Besides, I don’t see any stilettos.”

I realized we’d stopped in the hall and were now just standing there, looking at each other.

“Thanks. Really. You didn’t have to do that. Now you’ve already made an enemy and it’s the first day.”

“Yeah, but I made a friend too.”

Gosh, his eyes were so breathtaking. It made me feel like I had Jell-O knees looking at him. His face changed and he cocked his head a little before opening his mouth slightly. He looked surprised this time though. He had that same look before, last night, when Tate and I had been fighting; like he was in ecstasy.

“What is it?” I asked.

He shook his head and smiled sheepishly at me.

“Sorry. You’re just...um. We better get to class.”

“Yeah,” I said nodding.

We walked into Menendez’s class well after the bell, everyone turning to look and see the new guy. I saw a couple people I sat with at lunch in this class too and dreaded the conversation I knew would take place later as we took the only two seats left; the two sitting right next to each other in the back.

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