know where to look.
“I’m not even sure what a field party is,” Lincoln admitted, running a hand over his short hair, “so I probably won’t be going.”
“Aw, you should come! It’ll be fun!?” Mariah enthused. “It’s kind of like a bonfire, but without the bonfire. We usually have those up at Verdana, but this one’s going to be in Statlen because no one can be bothered to drive up to Verdana. Besides, the really drunk ones can just walk home because it’s so close. So, whaddya say?”
Lincoln shook his head. “I’m not much of a drinker or a socializer, so I think I’ll pass. I’ll tell my sister, though. It sounds like her thing. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, Hadie.”
I glanced up at the sound of my name. “Oh, sure, was it about those English notes? Because I don’t need my book today, so if you wanted to finish copying those notes then you can borrow it. Or did you want me to tutor you, because I’m free today, but not Wednesday or Friday because I have work…” I stopped suddenly. I was rambling again.
“Where do you work?”
“At Belle’s . It’s a diner. They sell burgers and fries and coffee and…”
“Yeah, I think we had diners back in New York,” Lincoln said smoothly, making my face heat up and proving, once again, that I was a rambling idiot. “Anyway, since you failed miserably in your duty as my buddy during my first week here, I thought you could make it up to me by showing me around town tomorrow after school.”
“Hey! You were the one who avoided me and refused to let me show you around!” I argued.
Then I stopped as the rest of what he’d said sunk in. Had he just asked me out in an indirect way? Me? He had asked me out! Me!
This time I was going to play it cool. I was not going to make a moron out of myself. Composing myself, I pushed away my insecurities and looked him right in the eye. “I guess I could do that, as long as you keep your hands to yourself and try not to stare at me. I know it’s a tough ask, but my dad keeps a shotgun handy and he’s very trigger-happy.”
Lincoln seemed surprised by my response as I turned to go. My friends laughed and followed after me, Mariah talking excitedly as usual. “We finally got you back, Hadie!”
Ray was right. This was the closest to normal that I’d been since the breakup and I was liking it.
And to think that Lincoln, of all people, had brought it out of me.
Chapter Ten
Lincoln
Hadie had surprised the heck out of me yesterday. She’d seemed so closed off before and then all of a sudden it was like she’d become a completely different person. The real Hadie, not the broken, angry one.
When I walked into school this morning, I’d become determined to speak to her again. What was I going to say? I had no idea. All I knew was that something had passed between us yesterday and some pathetic part of me wanted to hold onto it even though I had no right to be interfering in her life.
I was a lost cause. A girl like Hadie didn’t need someone like me in her life, screwing things up. That’s what I always did—ruin things. I shouldn’t be ruining this poor girl’s life for my own selfish reasons, but I couldn’t keep away. Hadie wasn’t like the other girls I’d known. She was troubled, frustrated and angry, but she was also kind, caring, sweet and funny. Was it such a bad thing that I wanted to see that sweet side of her, that I was intrigued as to why she was so broken?
As I headed down the corridor, I saw three girls coming right towards me dressed in cheerleading uniforms. I drifted to the left so they could pass, but instead they stopped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Hi, Lincoln,” Kance said, flashing me a sickly sweet smile. “Where are you off to?”
“Hey,” I said absently, my eyes flickering over to the two girls who were with her. One of them was Ciara and I didn’t recognize the other girl, who had white-blonde hair and long legs. “Just looking for
“I’m not even sure what a field party is,” Lincoln admitted, running a hand over his short hair, “so I probably won’t be going.”
“Aw, you should come! It’ll be fun!?” Mariah enthused. “It’s kind of like a bonfire, but without the bonfire. We usually have those up at Verdana, but this one’s going to be in Statlen because no one can be bothered to drive up to Verdana. Besides, the really drunk ones can just walk home because it’s so close. So, whaddya say?”
Lincoln shook his head. “I’m not much of a drinker or a socializer, so I think I’ll pass. I’ll tell my sister, though. It sounds like her thing. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, Hadie.”
I glanced up at the sound of my name. “Oh, sure, was it about those English notes? Because I don’t need my book today, so if you wanted to finish copying those notes then you can borrow it. Or did you want me to tutor you, because I’m free today, but not Wednesday or Friday because I have work…” I stopped suddenly. I was rambling again.
“Where do you work?”
“At Belle’s . It’s a diner. They sell burgers and fries and coffee and…”
“Yeah, I think we had diners back in New York,” Lincoln said smoothly, making my face heat up and proving, once again, that I was a rambling idiot. “Anyway, since you failed miserably in your duty as my buddy during my first week here, I thought you could make it up to me by showing me around town tomorrow after school.”
“Hey! You were the one who avoided me and refused to let me show you around!” I argued.
Then I stopped as the rest of what he’d said sunk in. Had he just asked me out in an indirect way? Me? He had asked me out! Me!
This time I was going to play it cool. I was not going to make a moron out of myself. Composing myself, I pushed away my insecurities and looked him right in the eye. “I guess I could do that, as long as you keep your hands to yourself and try not to stare at me. I know it’s a tough ask, but my dad keeps a shotgun handy and he’s very trigger-happy.”
Lincoln seemed surprised by my response as I turned to go. My friends laughed and followed after me, Mariah talking excitedly as usual. “We finally got you back, Hadie!”
Ray was right. This was the closest to normal that I’d been since the breakup and I was liking it.
And to think that Lincoln, of all people, had brought it out of me.
Chapter Ten
Lincoln
Hadie had surprised the heck out of me yesterday. She’d seemed so closed off before and then all of a sudden it was like she’d become a completely different person. The real Hadie, not the broken, angry one.
When I walked into school this morning, I’d become determined to speak to her again. What was I going to say? I had no idea. All I knew was that something had passed between us yesterday and some pathetic part of me wanted to hold onto it even though I had no right to be interfering in her life.
I was a lost cause. A girl like Hadie didn’t need someone like me in her life, screwing things up. That’s what I always did—ruin things. I shouldn’t be ruining this poor girl’s life for my own selfish reasons, but I couldn’t keep away. Hadie wasn’t like the other girls I’d known. She was troubled, frustrated and angry, but she was also kind, caring, sweet and funny. Was it such a bad thing that I wanted to see that sweet side of her, that I was intrigued as to why she was so broken?
As I headed down the corridor, I saw three girls coming right towards me dressed in cheerleading uniforms. I drifted to the left so they could pass, but instead they stopped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Hi, Lincoln,” Kance said, flashing me a sickly sweet smile. “Where are you off to?”
“Hey,” I said absently, my eyes flickering over to the two girls who were with her. One of them was Ciara and I didn’t recognize the other girl, who had white-blonde hair and long legs. “Just looking for
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