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she hated liars and manipulative people. Wes had definitely gone down in her opinion.
    “You can go, you know,” she told Malakai, with a smile. “I’ll be okay.”
    She didn’t want to see him go, but telling him Wes was lying was not an option. First, he wouldn’t believe her and second, it would make her the bad guy. She had learned a long time ago, at Beatrice’s knees, watching her playing people against one another, that you didn’t get between two friends. It always backfired.
    No, Malakai would find out soon enough.
    As he stood up, Malakai gave her a grateful smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
    “Sure.”
    With one last look at her and a crushing feeling of guilt Lily didn’t quite understand, Malakai left with Wes.

 
     
    Chapter Fourteen
     
     
    MALAKAI
    Malakai had seen his lunchtime as a chance to get to know Lily a little more, but football was football, and the season was short enough as it was. Come November, he would be done with his high school football career, and he really wanted to get the most out of it while he could.
    “Zoe said the new restaurant next to the grocery store is awesome. She said…”
    As they made their way to the cafeteria, Wes kept on ranting about Zoe, and Malakai wondered when he would finally get to the point. They were almost at their destination when it hit him.
    “You didn’t get me to talk about football, did you?” he asked, stopping in his tracks. Malakai resented making the accusation, but surely Wes would have mentioned the game by now.
    “You shouldn’t be seen at school with a band geek,” Wes said, turning to Malakai. “Heck, you shouldn’t be seen with her at all!”
    Malakai clenched his fists at his side. How dare anyone tell him whom he should or shouldn’t be seen with? He stared intently at Wes. He had changed, a lot.
    Malakai remembered when he and Wes had first met. He had just moved to the area and didn’t know anybody. His father had enrolled him in football, just like at his old junior high school, and Malakai had timidly made his way to the field for his first practice as a freshman in high school. He was skinny and small back then, smaller than most of the kids in school, as he was yet to get his growth spurt. A lot of kids had looked at him and laughed, but not Wes. Wes had come to him and begun talking about football as if they had been longtime friends. The others had turned around and ignored them until Malakai took the field and showed them what he was capable of. He was fast, even back then, and caught the ball nine times out of ten. That had gained him quite a measure of respect from his teammates, respect he still had to this day.
    But the Wes who was now talking to him was vastly different from the Wes Malakai had met in freshman year. He had grown distant and judgmental, things he had never been before he began dating Zoe.
    Zoe. Of course…
    “Someone said something,” Malakai said, already knowing the answer.
    “Zoe saw you talking to her earlier. She figured you’d gone with her when you left with a second lunch.”
    “Zoe?” Malakai asked coldly, an eyebrow raised.
    “Yeah.”
    Malakai took three deep breaths and willed his fists to stay at his sides. If he didn’t, he would fly off the handle. But the breaths were not enough to get all the anger out of him. Not this time.
    “Let me get this straight. You came to get me because Zoe saw me leave with a girl she doesn’t approve of. Am I getting this right, Wes?” he asked calmly. “Well, Zoe may treat you like crap and manage your life, but she won’t be managing mine.”
    “Dude, don’t take it that way,” Wes defended with his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “She means well.”
    “No, she doesn’t,” Malakai said through clenched teeth. “I’ve always remained quiet about her. I’ve always had your back, but let’s face it, Wes. Zoe is a self-centered bitch who cares about no one but her own little self, and you know it. I’ve never