Chapter 17

Chloe’s POV

I was humming to myself as I walked down the narrow hallway toward the library, lightly tapping my fingers against the customized journal Jaxon had given me. I felt like I was floating on a cloud that no one at Northview High could touch.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from the shadows of the old janitor's closet, gripping my forearm tightly and pulling me into the alcove beneath the stairwell.

I gasped, ready to scream, but the words died in my throat when I saw who it was.

It was Maya. Her face was an expression of pure rage.

Before I could even open my mouth to snap at her for touching me, she shoved a piece of paper directly into my chest.

"Chloe, what the hell are you doing to my results?" Maya hissed, her voice was sharp. I blinked, smoothing out the paper. It was a graded AP Calculus quiz. At the top, written in glaring, aggressive red ink, was a massive, circled D-.

"Oh," I muttered, tossing my head back carelessly. "That. Look, your teacher gives way too many trick questions. It’s not my fault."

"Not your fault?" Maya stepped closer, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "Chloe, I just checked the online portal. This isn't just one quiz. I got two Ds! What the hell are you doing? Have you been flopping my results on purpose?"

"On purpose?" I laughed. "Are you seriously accusing me of sabotaging you? Maya, I am trying my best! Do you have any idea how hard it is to sit in those advanced classes and pretend I know what a derivative is? My brain doesn't work like yours. I can barely even read your messy, cramped handwriting in these notebooks."

"You aren't even trying!" Maya fired back, her eyes flashing with tears. "Those grades determine my entire future, and you are completely destroying everything I’ve worked for because you're too lazy to actually open a textbook!"

"Well, maybe your life shouldn't just be about textbooks!" I snapped. "You're living in my massive house, sleeping in my designer bed, and driving my car. You don't see me breathing down your neck about how you're ruining my social life by slouching around like a zombie!"

"Because I'm actually trying to protect your life!" Maya yelled softly, her voice cracking. "While you’re out here using my body like a playground…"

The heavy thud of sneakers echoing down the hallway suddenly cut her off.

Both of us froze, our breath catching in our throats. A second later, Jaxon rounded the corner. He stopped, his eyes darting between me and Maya.

"Hey, Chlo," Jaxon said softly.

Maya blinked, quickly smoothing down her sweater and forcing a tight smile onto my face. "Hey, Jax," she answered, her tone automatically softening, trying to play the part of the doting girlfriend.

But Jaxon didn't even take a step toward her. His eyes locked entirely onto me. He stepped right into the alcove, completely ignoring Maya, and offered me that soft, undivided smile that always made my knees go weak.

"Hey, Maya," Jaxon murmured, leaning his shoulder against the brick wall. He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing against the strap of my backpack. "I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to see if you're free this Friday. Kane’s parents are going out of town for the weekend, so he’s throwing this really cool party at his place. I'd really love it if you came with me."

Beside me, Maya froze completely. The color drained from her face, leaving her utterly pale. Kane was one of Jaxon’s friends on the football team, and his house was notorious for hosting the biggest, most exclusive parties of the year. The kind of party the old Maya would never even be invited to, let alone attend.

Her jaw dropped, her eyes stuck between Jaxon and me in absolute horror.

"What?!" Maya gasped out loud, the word ripping from her throat before she could stop herself.

Jaxon didn't even look back at her to explain. He just kept his eyes on me, waiting for my answer with a confident, devastating grin. I looked at Maya’s shocked, defeated face, and then back at Jaxon.

"I'd love to go with you, Jaxon," I said clearly, making sure Maya heard every single syllable. "Count me in.”