It was Monday, my first day at school in two weeks. The compression dressings under my clothes felt like I was wearing a girdle. I couldn't breathe deeply or sit comfortably. On the plus side, my hands were okay now and no longer bandaged though the burns there and on my jaw and my neck still itched.
I pulled into a spot and parked, every eye present trained on me like I was strutting down a catwalk instead of a school parking lot. I practiced the Three P's and climbed out of my car, grabbing my bag. I couldn't manage the weight of it on my back yet, so just clutched it in my hand. There were stares and whispers and a few people even nodded.
But not one person welcomed me back.
At my locker, I found Ashley waiting for me with a girl I knew from a few classes but was not friendly with.
"Ashley!" I squealed and moved in for a hug. She tensed and stepped back.
"Eden, this is Taylor Moore."
I let my arms fall down to my sides while Ashley scanned the hall. With a sudden spurt of anger, I realized she was looking for Belinda.
"What, Belinda won't let you be my friend anymore?"
"Eden, it's complicated-"
"Explain it to me."
"I have to go. Good luck."
And she was gone, leaving me battling down the tears ready to drown us all.
"Eden?" Taylor smiled. "This is for you." She held out a notebook.
"What's this?"
"Notes on everything you missed. I copied my notes over and went to the teachers to get the notes from your other classes."
I gaped at her, forcing my arms to remain at my sides and not crush her in an overpowering hug. "This is awesome. Thank you." I meant it. "You don't even know me and did all this?"
"Um, well, I have a confession to make."
Oh, God. Please tell me she's not a fan and wants me to recommend her to my agency.
"My cousin asked me to help you out."
I blinked. "Your cousin?"
"He's actually pretty mad at you."
I shook my head with a frown. "Who-"
"Adam Olinek is my cousin."
Adam!
I rolled my eyes with a laugh. "Isn't he mad at pretty much everyone?"
Taylor laughed. "True." She took the backpack from my hands, slipped it on one shoulder. "But he's upset that you didn't say good-bye."
My forehead puckered. "That's not entirely true. He walked away from me."
"Eden, one thing you have to remember about Adam is that he puts on a good show."
"Meaning?"
"He likes you. A lot."
My face burned and my stomach did that slow roll it always does around Adam, when I talk about Adam, or even if I just hear his name. I shook my head, as certain about this as I was about my own name. "No, he doesn't. He thinks I'm a moron. Worse, a moron with a death wish."
Taylor angled her head and pressed her lips together. "You don't get it. He likes you but he doesn't want to. So, he looks for things to upset you, make you hate him, so that way he can blame you for not liking him."
I clutched the notebook she'd given me against my chest and gaped. "That...that's stupid."
She laughed once, a loud delighted sound. "No. It's stubborn. And that's Adam's middle name."
