My Life In Pieces (Book #1)

Chapter 25

The rest of the night went by in a blur. Elyse and Patrick had followed me out of The Garage. Ari rode back with me to my house while Elle followed in Jake's Jeep so that we didn't leave it there. We hung out for a few hours but I was silently wishing they would leave so that I could talk to my sister alone about what was going on in my head.

She suggested that I follow Patrick's advice and start talking to other people there at the school. I felt like this was easier said than done because I seemed to constantly be next to someone from The Families.

I knew they wouldn't be home when I got back from school but it felt so nice having them there to take me to school the next day. Patrick even got Elyse to come back for him so that he could hang out with me before class. Jordan was amazing enough to let him skip school today so that they could take a flight home this afternoon instead of last night.

I conveniently avoided all the spots I knew both Ari and Tyler liked to be in the mornings. We stayed fairly out of site of anyone I might know actually. I just wanted a little more alone time with Patrick before I had to say goodbye for another month.

I thought I was in the clear until I noticed Declan. He was talking to a tall, muscular, blonde girl. She had an effortless athletic style that fit her slender physique. I had seen her working out with Declan in Gym but had know idea what her name was. As my luck would have it, Declan chose the moment I was looking at him to look up too. Our eyes locked and then he looked at Patrick. He waved us over.

Crap. There was no way I was getting out of this.

Patrick whispered in my ear as we slowly made our way over, "Are they both in the clique?"

"The girl isn't."

"Perfect. See, you might make a new friend."

I rolled my eyes. Patrick was always the optimist.

We reached Declan and the pretty blonde girl. I wasn't sure what to say but lucky for me, Declan was always the charmer.

He spoke to the blonde to make introductions, "Jensen Echols, this is my friend Alex Harrison and her friend who is visiting all the way from Alex's hometown of Dallas, Patrick."

I was impressed that he remembered Patrick's name. She smiled at the both of us. "You're in Gym with us. Nice to actually meet you."

She had noticed me too? I thought I was fairly invisible in my little corner. "Nice to meet you too."

"We also have study hall together. I'm usually buried in a book. Trying to get my homework done so I don't have any after practice." I still felt embarrassed that I hadn't noticed her in there before. It was one of the few classes I had without people I knew and I was a total hermit in there. I smiled shyly in acknowledgement. Jensen returned the gesture. I noticed that she had a sort of hazel eye color that was popping in the sunlight. They looked almost golden in certain parts. 

Patrick brought be back to the conversation when he smiled and said, "What sport?"

"Cross country. It's off season but we train. In the Spring I will get put into athletics. We don't have enough girls to make a class right now. Hoping to recruit some so that we can have a Fall athletics class next year."

I tried adding to the conversation though I felt like an awkward turtle. "It looks fun. We don't have cross country at our school."

Our school?

I had meant my old school with Patrick. Declan and Jensen looked confused. I wanted to hide in my hermit hole.

Patrick just shrugged and clarified for me, "She meant her old school and my current school. Alex and I have been going down memory lane all weekend."