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Because she’s a fancy chick. That’s her deal. A beautiful, rich but prissy girl who wants things to look a certain way, and I’d bet big money she’d expect whatever guy she’s with to act a certain way too.
That’s not me. I don’t conform to anyone. I am who I am and I know sometimes I can be a lot.
Scratch that, I know most of the time I’m a lot, but my parents never tried to stifle me or expected me to act like someone I’m not when I was a kid. If anything, they indulged my individual quirks. My dad is pretty outrageous. That’s part of his charm. Anyone who knows my dad even in passing, has something to say about him.
I want that too. Not that I want to be a duplicate of my dad, but I want to be memorable. I don’t want people to forget me.
Most of the people who go to this school are like Willow. Wealthy beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed or lived with. And my family is rich. My dad is a retired NFL quarterback who made millions back in the day, but we’ve still got nothing on a lot of the families whose kids go here.
Especially the Lancasters.
But I don’t let any of that bother me. I can hold my own with this group, and pretty successfully. I know I’m a solid football player and they’ve never seen anything like me play for their school team. Lancaster Prep was known for being an elite high school that only the richest of rich attend. They focused on academics but never sports. Not really. Not until Westscott became the new headmaster and changed things up.
And brought me in.
Mr. Chen starts talking, droning on about landscapes and catching certain light. I shift in my seat, already bored, and when I glance over in Willow’s direction, I realize she is too.
Her head is bent, her chin almost touching her chest, the ends of her ponytail sliding around the side of her neck. Her rosebud lips are parted and her eyes are closed.
Is she … sleeping?
I watch her for a few more seconds and she doesn’t move a muscle, save her chest rising and falling with each breath she takes. Little Miss Studious is definitely asleep. And I find that oddly …
Cute.
“You all seem a little distracted this afternoon so why don’t we go outside and I can show you what I’m talking about,” Mr. Chen announces. There’s a lot of shuffling as everyone starts to move, save for Sleeping Beauty right next to me. “Bring your backpacks. I doubt we’ll go back to the classroom before the bell rings.”
Nice. I prefer being out of the classroom anyway. Being stuck at a desk and not able to move for fifty minutes sucks big time.
People are rising to their feet, grabbing their stuff. Chatting loudly as they all start heading out of the room, following Mr. Chen. Only when someone laughs does Willow startle, lifting her head and glancing around the room in confusion.
I’m standing right next to her desk, waiting for her to notice me. And when she does, the puzzled look on her face is almost funny. But I don’t laugh. I don’t think she’d like that.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re headed outside. Chen’s gonna show us what he’s talking about versus just give us a boring lecture.” I nod toward her backpack. “Grab your stuff.”
She glances down, her movements slow as she reaches for the strap of her backpack.
“Mr. Bennett? Miss Lancaster? Are you coming with us?” Mr. Chen lets his irritation bleed into his tone. Grumpy asshole.
“We’re coming,” I answer for the both of us.
Willow scrambles, sliding out of her desk almost too quickly, and I swear, she’s gonna fall again. Luckily, I grab her arm, my fingers curled around her elbow, keeping her steady. She sends me a grateful look, shaking her head at herself. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You were napping, Sleeping Beauty.” I try to keep most of the amusement out of my voice because I don’t want her to think I’m making fun of her.
“I was not.” She sounds downright indignant. “I don’t fall asleep in class.”
With that final statement, she starts walking, heading for the door. I’m so dumbfounded by her response it takes me an extra second or two to launch into action, but once I do, I’m chasing after her, surprised at how fast she is.
“Here’s the thing,” I say once I’m right beside her. We’re all walking down the hallway toward the double doors that are on the east side of the building. Willow and I are the last stragglers behind everyone else, and no one is paying attention to us. Not even Mr. Chen. “You were sleeping. I saw you.”
She sends me a scathing look, clearly irritated. “I’m sure you’ll go tell everyone too. How Willow Lancaster fell asleep in class.”
I rear back a bit, the anger in her voice telling me she’s already written me off as a snitch. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
