Haunted by an embarrassing moment from the seventh grade, Blaire Sunderland is about to embark on her senior year at Honeybrook High. Though she has already confronted her issues with depression, anxiety, and body image, she's still known as "Blush"...
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~ Blaire ~
I found Lucas Brighton without any problems. He was the one sitting all by himself in the cafeteria. People weren't even trying to hide their curiosity about him. But of course, no one had the guts to talk to him. I guess I shouldn't sound too harsh. Because if it hadn't been for Kat's executive decree, I wouldn't be giving him a passing glance.
By the time I made it to the cafeteria, I told myself that nothing good would come of having a negative attitude about everything that went down in the library. I was a peer mentor after all. I had signed up for this. So what if Lucas had a record? Maybe he was going through a tough time when he got suspended. Maybe his teachers were assholes. Maybe he had some equivalent of a Kat Kalloway haunting him at his old school.
Whoa. You're glowing.
Yeah, and then there was that. Ugh. I kept mentally kicking myself all the way to where he was sitting.
You know what, Blaire, I told myself, he's going to see you and it's all going to be fine. He'll recognize you, it will be awkward for like thirty seconds max, and then he'll be relieved that he recognizes someone.
And he will be grateful that somebody came to save him from the torture of sitting alone in a crowded school cafeteria. We've all been there at one point in our lives. Pink hair, piercings, so what? Lucas Brighton is just as human as the rest of us.
As I approached, I found myself searching for his piercings, but he wasn't wearing any. I wondered why he had taken them out.
Probably to save himself from judgemental jerks like you, Blaire.
"Lucas? Lucas Brighton?"
He looked at me very suddenly, as if he hadn't noticed me making the trek from the other side of the cafeteria.
"Morning," he said.
I kind of smiled. No one our age ever said good morning these days. Seemed like he had at least some home training. But I couldn't even give him credit for that because he just gave me the once-over look. Like he had no idea who I was.
I couldn't tell if he didn't recognize me from yesterday or if he was just playing it really cool. I mean, I did run away with absolutely no explanation like a complete loser.
I took a steadying breath, introduced myself, and asked for his schedule. Right after he handed it over, someone walked up to me.
"Hey Blaire, glad I caught you. Do you have a minute?"
It was Ellie Tomes, the president of the Art Club. Honestly, I really liked Ellie. She was literally one of the nicest people I've ever met. If it hadn't been for what Kat did back in the seventh grade, Ellie and I might have been friends. Real friends. Not just friendly associates like we were at the moment.
