Worth Fighting For | Book #1

Chapter 12

When I finally left biology class, I felt the overwhelming sense that I had just failed the test we had taken. "Remind me to apply for summer school." I confessed to April, running my hands stressfully through my hair and stepping out to the parking lot to leave after our last class.

I wasn't sure why I'd even added Biological Sciences to my class list at the beginning of the semester. I had assumed that my somewhat good memory would help me through, but I had been sadly mistaken "I'm sure you'll have done fine." She reassured as we stepped out into the harsh heat, beaming down against my shoulders.

"See you tonight at Henry's?" April questioned before we separated to drive home. I nodded in agreement and climbed into my car, immediately turning on the air conditioning to relieve the heat radiating through me.

I'd managed to get through the week without much more conversation with or about Josh. Tyler had checked up on me often, making small talk by my locker whenever he would catch me, whereas I'd often attempt to avoid him with the objective of distancing myself from him and his friends.

"You're back early." I muttered when I spotted Tom sitting at the kitchen counter with a pen in his hand and concentration on his features. "Did they finally kick you out for being a pain in the ass?"

"We had a half-day because of the heat." I scoffed as his eyes rose up to mine. "And I was just made head boy, so not really a pain in anyone's ass."

I laughed, unable to form a sentence from the clutching of my stomach and the inability to take a breath. "Of course you were, Tommy." He pushed my hand away from ruffling up his hair before I sat down opposite him. "What are you doing?" He rolled his eyes with the obvious irritation in my presence. I had simply become an extra annoying sibling in Tom's eyes.

"School work." He nodded and continued to write. "Which is probably something you should be doing."

"Touché."

After a short while, I left Tom to concentrate and retreated to my room to get ready for Henry's. I was still cautious about the fact that it wouldn't just be the four of us like usual, limiting how comfortable I would feel about going.

With a short consideration in knowing I'd have April, Valentina and Tom for extra reassurance, I climbed into the shower across the hall from my room and thoroughly washed my hair. "Try not to use all the hot water." Tom's voice echoed from the other side of the door, causing a small laugh to fall from my lips.

Despite the anger that I still held for my parents leaving me for a month, I wasn't too displeased with having Tom to torment like the older brother he had always been to me.

Once I was finally out of the shower, I dried my hair in the bathroom, using up even more time to hopefully provoke Tom a little more. He'd make the occasional grunt of annoyance as he waited for me to finish, having finally finished his school work.

"Took your time." He slipped into the bathroom as I walked out with a grin and stepped back into my room, finally getting myself ready in the short time that I had given myself.

I straightened my hair and parted it down the middle, applying a little more make up than I would usually. I wasn't quite sure what this thing was that Henry was hosting, but I guessed that it was probably better to dress up slightly instead of turning up in sweatpants and an old shirt.

I'd opted with wearing a pair of blue ripped jeans and an olive coloured tank top, paired with a plain black leather jacket I had found at the back of my closet. "Shotgun not driving." Tom announced outside my room as he threw on a plain black shirt, looking as if he'd only just finished in the shower with his wet hair thrown back with his fingers.