Love Novel 26

Nikkis jaw drops the moment she sees me. She points at me, standing from her spot on her blanket.
“Y-you’re wearing Aiden’s jersey!”
I smile, “I am.”
“Did he ask you to be his girlfriend?”
“Yes,” I whisper, though he didn’t really ask me. It doesn’t matter though, I’m his girlfriend now and that’s the important
thing.
Nikki squeals, clapping her hands together as she turns to dig up something from her bag, “I have something to show
you, too.”
She pulls out her own jersey, this one with the number 16 and the last name Black. My eyes widen. “Is that Parker’s
jersey?”
She nods like crazy. “I was going to tell you yesterday, but you didn’t come to school.”
She beams down at the jersey while I sift through my thoughts
*Chronomentrophobia: Fear of clocks*.
“He took me out to dinner Sunday night, he got me this,” she points to the cute little necklace she’s wearing, gold with
white flowers.
“That’s beautiful!”
“I know, right, he has such good taste.”
I snort. “Well he chose you, so yeah, I’d say he does.”
“That’s right, bitch,” She playfully nudges me and we sit down to eat lunch.
I tell her about my weekend, about Aiden. I leave Zaid and Jake out completely, because even I have a hard time no
judging myself. For now, it just has to remain my secret.
She tells me more about her and Parker but she stops halfway through her sentence when shadow appears behind me.
She lifts her face to look up and her eyes widen.
I turn, frowning at Jace. He stands there looking between the two of us with his nostrils flaring. “You happy?”
I recoil, standing. “What?”
He scoffs, his eyes taking in the jersey I’m wearing. “I can’t believe you,” he sneers, frowning as he looks down at me.
I can feel Nikki stand behind me, her presence welcome. Jace is alone, which is odd but I say nothing about that. “What
are you talking about?”
“What do you mean what am I talking about, do I really have to spell it out for you?”
“Do I look like I can read your mind?” I cross my arms over my chest.
He scoffs, looking away as he drags his hand down his face. When he looks back at me, he has a sorrowful look in his
eyes, a serious expression in his set jaw. “Zaid? After everything, you’re just walking around sucking face with Aiden, wearing his jersey? Aiden of all people?”
I sigh, rolling my eyes. “I don’t owe him anything for saving me with Will, Jace. And if he has such a problem with it, then
why doesn’t he come and talk to me himself?”
Even as I say the words, I hope to god that Jace doesn’t repeat them to Zaid. After the way he kissed me at Parker’s party,
I did not want to be anywhere near him.
“Oh,” Nikki sighs, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You haven’t heard?”
My eyes swing between them, “No? Haven’t heard what?”
“Zaid got expelled,” Jace spits.
My eyes widen. “What?”
Nikki nods. “Will’s parents were furious and got all involved and shit. They demanded Zaid not be allowed on campus
ever again.”
The tips of my ears burn hot and I shake my head, my voice breathy.“That’s not…that’s not fair. Zaid was just defending me.”
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Jace nods, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, we know that.”
“What happened to Will?”
He shakes his head, “Nothing. He played the victim well. He’s still recovering from what I heard, but he should be back in
classes next week.”
My stomach turns at the idea of seeing him again, and my chest constricts with guilt. “Why didn’t they ask me, I would
have defended Zaid, why didn’t they call me? Will should be the one that got expelled.”
Jace frowns. “Will didn’t bring you up, that would only make things worse for him.”
That makes sense, but still. “What about Zaid? Bringing me up would have helped him.”
“He refused to bring your name up.”
I rub my arms to calm myself, my thumb finding the scar on my wrist. “Why?”
Jace shakes his head like he can’t believe we’re having this conversation.“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Nikki mutters.
“You know, you all give him such a bad rap, have you ever stopped to think that maybe he’s not the bad guy around
here?” Jace is exasperated and he walks away, shaking his head like he’s disappointed with us.
I turn to Nikki who has her lips twisted together, but when she notices my expression she immediately shakes her head
and parts her lips. “Alina, don’t cry. This isn’t your fault.”
She wraps her arms around me and holds me close. I relax into her. “Why does it feel like my fault?”
“It’s not, I promise. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s Sadie’s. And Will’s.”
“But Zaid got expelled, because of-”
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“Hey,” Nikki pulls back, keeping her hands on my shoulders as she reads my expression. “Is it wrong for me to think he would have eventually gotten expelled on his own? I mean he hardly even showed up to class.”
I shake my head, holding back my laugh. “He never did.”
The bell rings and I sigh, pulling away from her hold. We pick up our stuff from the floor and make our ways to our
respective classes.
I sit next to her in our last class, where she finally put on Parker’s jersey.
“Hey, wanna head to my house after school? We can chill out there until the game starts.”
I agree immediately, the thought of going home making my stomach revolt. “Yes, please.”
“We can stop at the store on the way there and get some snacks.”
I smile wide. “That sounds fun!”
We get through the rest of class and half an hour later, we’re at her house, in her room with chips and ice cream on her
bed.
“Parker told me there will be scouts at today’s game.”
I take a spoonful of mint chocolate chip. “Aiden told me, too.”
“Is he interested in playing in college?” She’s eating rocky road, and tilts her head in question.
“I think he is now, though that wasn’t always the case.”
“Yeah, I don’t remember him ever talking about it.”
I roll over to my stomach. “This could be a life changing night for the both of them, it’s exciting!”
We get ready together, adding school colors in our hair in the form of ribbons, and make our way to school