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Nix
“Hey,”I said to Zane at break. “Have you seen Wren? She was supposed to meet me after third period.”
“Nope. Came straight here though.” He tore into the end of his sandwich. “Want some?”
“No, thanks. I need to find her.”
“Seriously, Nix,” he said around a mouthful of food. “You need to lighten up where Birdie is concerned. We start high school next year, bro. High. School. Do you really want her trailing around after you, ruining your street cred?”
“Wren’s cool,” I said, scanning the schoolyard for her. Harleigh didn’t ever break a promise, and she’d promised to meet me after third period. My stomach twisted. What if something had happened to her mom Trina? She was barely sober these days. Or what if Harleigh had gotten sick? What if someone had—
“What’s up, douchebags?” Kye swaggered over to us.
“Nix is worried about Birdie again.”
“Again,” he grumbled. “What happened now?”
“She said she’d meet me but she didn’t show.”
“Maybe she ran off with Peter Fairn. You know he likes—”
“Shut up.” A heavy weight pressed down on my chest. I didn’t like thinking about Harleigh running off with anyone. Let alone a douchebag like Peter Fairn.
“If you’re so bothered about who she likes, why don’t you ask her out?” Kye gave me a pointed look.
“Ew. Gross, Carter. She’s like a sister to me.”
My best friend. She was my best friend.
Kye and Zane were my best friends too, but it was different with Harleigh. She got me in a way they didn’t. Maybe it was because her mom was as checked out as my dad.
He was getting worse lately. Just the other day, I’d accidentally broken the coffee maker and he’d been so pissed he’d almost knocked my teeth out. I had a wicked bruise around my jaw and a swollen lip. Everyone thought I’d fallen off my bike and hit the sidewalk face first, but Harleigh had taken one look at me, wrapped her arms around me and whispered how much she hated him.
She settled something inside me, and I liked to think it was mutual.
But it wasn’t like that between us.
Harleigh was too innocent. Too soft and shy. She wasn’t like Cherri Jardin and her friends who had already started wearing pushup bras and talking about sex.
“I’m going to look for her,” I said, feeling unsettled that she hadn’t showed.
“I’m telling you, Nix, she’s probably with Peter Fairn under the bleachers.”
I flipped Kye off and took off across the courtyard. Some of the guys on the team called after me, but I waved them off. I needed to find Harleigh. Wouldn’t be able to settle until I knew she was okay.
But as I rounded the building to check out the football field, a figure stepped into my path. “Hey, Nix,” Cherri smiled up at me. “I was hoping to catch you.”
“Have you seen Harleigh Wren?”
“Harleigh… no, why?”
“I need to find her.” I went to move around her, but she grabbed my arm, demanding my attention.
“I’m sure she’s fine. At least she will be once Peter Fairn—”
“What?”
“Yeah.” She grinned. “I heard he’s going to ask her out. Personally, I don’t know what the hell he sees in her, but whatever.”
