Attracting Trouble

Chapter 6: Planning a Funeral

I spot Hannah's brown head of hair bobbing up and down as she walks down the hallway. She's short, so I'm surprised I'm able to find her as easily as I do.

"Hannah!" I call, earning myself annoyed glances from other students as I halfway run to catch to her.

We didn't ride together this morning for reasons I'm not sure of, which is why I'm bustling my butt to find her.

Ever since the day we met in seventh grade, she's been my go-to girl for ranting. She knows all my deepest thoughts and respects them. I couldn't ask for a better best friend.

"Hey," she greets, smiling at my disheveled appearance. When am I not a mess?

"Guess what," I say so I can tell her what happened before Connor or someone shows up. "Will sat beside me in chemistry yesterday."

Her eyes widen because she knows nothing good happened.

"Yeah," I confirm. "We got detention." She chuckles at that and shakes her head, typical Will and Jessa. "Anyway, I missed my cheerleading practice."

Her facial expression went from surprise to fear, just as mine would have.

"What? You're not on the team?" She asks. We stop at her locker and she grabs a few things from it, shoved them in her bag.

My face scrunches up. Despite the fact that my mom will lose her crap when she finds out, I'm relieved of the stress cheerleading always gave me.

"No," I say, sighing. "Mom doesn't know."

Hannah closes her locker and looks at me skeptically like she knows I'm up to something. With her books clutched to her chest, she leans against the lockers.

I decide to explain. "It just so happened that Mom invited Will over to our house for dinner last night. He surprisingly... helped me. Look, long story short, she doesn't know."

Hannah squints her eyes. "How are you going to hide something like that? Practice after school? Games?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know yet, but I'll figure something out."

With that, Hannah and I go our separate ways. She has AP classes in the morning, something I don't have and don't want to have.

It's not that I don't try at school; it's that my hardest is not good enough.

At the other end of the hall I see Connor. He's talking to his jock buddies, looking as if he's having the time of his life with that straight line of a smile. That's Connor; happy, just not showing it.

"Hey," he says when he sees me. "Are you ready for tonight?"

I nod my head and allow him to hold my hand. "Sure am."

I kiss his cheek and smile, wrapping my arm around his waist as he drops his over my shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Connor asks, a small smile slipping onto his face. "I'm bringing my A-game."

I chuckle and shake my head. "Sure, sure. Whatever floats your boat."

He grins and gives me a quick kiss, which is surprising since he has never been big on public affection.

Then he leaves to go to class and I start towards Chemistry. I see Will looking at me and I think he has been for a while, watching Connor and I.

I purse my lips and walk down the hallway, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact with him as I enter the classroom.

He follows close behind.

*****
I look at myself in the mirror hanging on my closet door and admire the shirt I was given on Christmas last year.