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Authors: Michael Harmon
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competing with your biggest distributing contributor. And nobody can pin a thing on you. Especially the fact that after you met with Bosworth, you invested over a million dollars in the company under Mom’s maiden name.”
He narrowed his eyes. “My personal business is
mine
. You understand that, Jason? I brought jobs here when we needed jobs. End of story.”
“It’s wrong.”
“It’s life. Business. Get used to it.”
“You play both sides just to get what you want, and I’m just saying I don’t want you to do that at Lambert.”
His face darkened. “You have
no
say in what I do or don’t do.”
I thought about Carter and the Chamber and Chancellor Patterson playing some sort of game, and they all sounded the same. Power. It was all power. I thought about Elvis and his dad, and how they were the ones who were manipulated and used. “I want out of Lambert.”
“You belong where I say you do. Now get out. I’m busy,” he said, turning away.
CHAPTER NINE
D UE TO A CAN of beef stew decorating my windshield, Mom dropped me off at school, and as I walked across the street, I watched Brooke open her car door. I’d spent the night thinking about what I should do, and she was a part of it. I walked over. “Hi.”
She scowled. “Jerk.”
I smiled. “I’m still a jerk, huh?”
“You’ll always be a jerk.”
“I told you I didn’t have anything to do with it, and besides, I apologized.”
She faced me. “What about that kid? The food drive? I saw the posters. You set it up, and the whole school is laughing at him now. That makes you a jerk.”
I couldn’t win. “I didn’t do it.”
She laughed, her voice full of contempt. “Is there anything you don’t blame on other people? God, you make me sick.”
I winced. “You don’t understand, Brooke. I didn’t do it.”
“Then who did? Somebody set you up? Some sort of conspiracy against the golden child?”
“I’m not a golden child, but yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why are you standing here?”
“Because I like you. And I’m not bad.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she clenched her teeth. Then she slapped me. Hard. The sound echoed, and other students stopped, staring as my cheek burned.
Her eyes didn’t leave mine as I straightened up. “What was that for?”
“Looking,” she said. “And to make it clear that I’ll never like you.”
I groaned. Talking to this girl was like eating soup with a knife, and simply being around her was painful. But something about her, the way she was, convinced me to stay. “I need your help.”
She frowned. “What?”
I studied her. “Why are you at Lambert, Brooke?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Come on. Tell me. Are you gifted? Brilliant? A genius?”
She paused, then her mouth went tight. “So what if I’m not?”
I shrugged. “So I’m not, either.”
A long moment passed, and she looked away. “So?”
“So you’ll help me if you want to make it so guys like Singletary don’t have to put up with this crap.”
“So you really didn’t do the food drive?”
I nodded. “Meet me after school in the library and I’ll tell you more.”
CHAPTER TEN
E LVIS LAY SPRAWLED on the gymnasium floor like a dazed pelican, staring at the ceiling. The volleyball-turned-torpedo bounced across the court, and the guy who had spiked it directly into his chest called out, asking if the wounded pelican was okay. Elvis groaned.
I stood over him. “Hey.”
“I think I’ve fractured my sternum,” he panted.
I held out my hand. “Here. Get up.”
He took my hand as warm-up balls sailed around us. “Thanks.”
I looked at him. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Meet me in the library after school and I’ll tell you.”
“I can’t.”
“Listen, Elvis. I have to make things better. Please?”
He frowned. “I’m not going to be in the Group.”
“I know. It’s not about that.”
“Then what?”
“Just meet me, okay?” I
He narrowed his eyes. “My personal business is
mine
. You understand that, Jason? I brought jobs here when we needed jobs. End of story.”
“It’s wrong.”
“It’s life. Business. Get used to it.”
“You play both sides just to get what you want, and I’m just saying I don’t want you to do that at Lambert.”
His face darkened. “You have
no
say in what I do or don’t do.”
I thought about Carter and the Chamber and Chancellor Patterson playing some sort of game, and they all sounded the same. Power. It was all power. I thought about Elvis and his dad, and how they were the ones who were manipulated and used. “I want out of Lambert.”
“You belong where I say you do. Now get out. I’m busy,” he said, turning away.
CHAPTER NINE
D UE TO A CAN of beef stew decorating my windshield, Mom dropped me off at school, and as I walked across the street, I watched Brooke open her car door. I’d spent the night thinking about what I should do, and she was a part of it. I walked over. “Hi.”
She scowled. “Jerk.”
I smiled. “I’m still a jerk, huh?”
“You’ll always be a jerk.”
“I told you I didn’t have anything to do with it, and besides, I apologized.”
She faced me. “What about that kid? The food drive? I saw the posters. You set it up, and the whole school is laughing at him now. That makes you a jerk.”
I couldn’t win. “I didn’t do it.”
She laughed, her voice full of contempt. “Is there anything you don’t blame on other people? God, you make me sick.”
I winced. “You don’t understand, Brooke. I didn’t do it.”
“Then who did? Somebody set you up? Some sort of conspiracy against the golden child?”
“I’m not a golden child, but yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why are you standing here?”
“Because I like you. And I’m not bad.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she clenched her teeth. Then she slapped me. Hard. The sound echoed, and other students stopped, staring as my cheek burned.
Her eyes didn’t leave mine as I straightened up. “What was that for?”
“Looking,” she said. “And to make it clear that I’ll never like you.”
I groaned. Talking to this girl was like eating soup with a knife, and simply being around her was painful. But something about her, the way she was, convinced me to stay. “I need your help.”
She frowned. “What?”
I studied her. “Why are you at Lambert, Brooke?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Come on. Tell me. Are you gifted? Brilliant? A genius?”
She paused, then her mouth went tight. “So what if I’m not?”
I shrugged. “So I’m not, either.”
A long moment passed, and she looked away. “So?”
“So you’ll help me if you want to make it so guys like Singletary don’t have to put up with this crap.”
“So you really didn’t do the food drive?”
I nodded. “Meet me after school in the library and I’ll tell you more.”
CHAPTER TEN
E LVIS LAY SPRAWLED on the gymnasium floor like a dazed pelican, staring at the ceiling. The volleyball-turned-torpedo bounced across the court, and the guy who had spiked it directly into his chest called out, asking if the wounded pelican was okay. Elvis groaned.
I stood over him. “Hey.”
“I think I’ve fractured my sternum,” he panted.
I held out my hand. “Here. Get up.”
He took my hand as warm-up balls sailed around us. “Thanks.”
I looked at him. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Meet me in the library after school and I’ll tell you.”
“I can’t.”
“Listen, Elvis. I have to make things better. Please?”
He frowned. “I’m not going to be in the Group.”
“I know. It’s not about that.”
“Then what?”
“Just meet me, okay?” I
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