Sydney
The next morning I woke up with heavy eyes, giving myself a quiet pep talk.
I had to stop listening to conversations that made my chest ache.
But how could I do that when there was an entire school—and a basketball team captain that seemed to hate the sight of me?
Luckily, when I got to school, the whispers had died down a little.
Though eyes still stuck to my skin as I walked down the hallway toward my locker.
Then my eyes landed on him.
Tyler.
He was standing with Micheal and some guys, one hand shoved into his pocket, the simple shirt he wore clinging to his broad chest on purpose.
His black hair brushed away from his forehead like he’d taken time to style it.
He laughed at something Aaron said, and my stupid heart stuttered.
I looked away quickly, muttering silent prayers that none of them had seen me staring.
Otherwise I’d probably confirm the laughter was about me.
So punching my code as quickly as I could, I opened it and took out my chemistry textbook.
But as I shut my locker—i shrieked.
“Oh, my God!”
My book nearly slipped from my hands.
Tyler stood there.
Right beside my locker.
One hand was still in his pocket, his bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes locked on mine like he was daring me to look away.
“Do you…do you need something?” I stammered.
“Yeah,” he said quietly, his eyes flicking around the hallway like he was checking if anyone was watching.
That’s when I noticed his friends weren’t there anymore.
“I, um…have you seen Brooklyn today?” he asked.
My breathing came out shakily, noting this was one of the few times he’d said words to me that weren’t mocking or half assed.
I shook my head.
“No.
We didn’t come together.”
He opened his mouth to speak.
“Yo, Sinclair!
Flirting with the fat girl?”
Tyler stepped back immediately and scoffed toward the voice.
“Nope.
Just making sure her fat ass isn’t trimmed too.”
Well.
That was nice while it lasted. New chapters come out on g.com first.
The guys burst into laughter as Tyler joined them.
My heart emptied out.
I slammed my locker harder than I meant to and started walking toward class, pain spreading through my chest.
Footsteps echoed behind me.
“God, those idiots!” Maeve said, putting her hand on my shoulder.
“Why are they so insensitive?”
”It’s no use, Maeve.” I croaked, my eyes down, tugging at my hooding like it would make Tyler’s words go away.
“Just making sure her fat ass isn’t trimmed too.”
I bit down on my lip.
Because deep down, I wish I could trim my body.
Cut away my extra skin, my thick thighs, my soft stomach.
And maybe I could look more like Brooklyn.
Like mom.
“Sydney, ignore them.
Don’t let their words define you, okay?”
”It’s easier said than done, Maeve.” I said.
“Tyler always seems to know when to hurt me.
I mean, one day he’s staring at me like I’m some wonder, and the next, he’s making me the punchline of his twisted humor.”
The bell rang, and kids hurried by, whispering and snickering as they passed.
Maeve glared at them, but it barely made a difference.
Tyler’s words had already pierced through my skin.
“Come on, Sydney, they’re just bored, spoiled ass kids with zero human sympathy.
You can’t let them get to you.”
But none of her words really sank in as we reached the chemistry classroom.
“Brooklyn doesn’t even want me at her party.” I muttered entering the class.
I feel Maeve freeze at the door.
“What?”
The teacher walked in a few seconds after I dropped into my seat, and I just wanted to disappear with every snicker or whisper beside me.
Too bad Maeve always had Spanish when I had chemistry, or she’d have helped ward away a few stares.
My neck burned with an intense kind of weight, and I just knew who it was without even looking.
He’s probably waiting for the next thing to say about me.
But I wasn’t going to turn.
Wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.
I just bent over my textbook, trying to listen to what the teacher was saying.
The laughter, the fading sound down the hallway.
My eyes blurred with tears, but I blinked them back.
Curse Tyler Sinclair!
And the fact that he’d probably never stop, no matter how many times I yelled at him.
The teacher was saying something about chemical bonding and reactions, but I could barely hear a word.
Brooklyn’s words from yesterday seemed to flutter in at the right time.
“She’d probably stay in her room”
Maybe she meant no harm in what she said.
Maybe she was just trying to look out for me because she knew people like Tyler would be there.
Maybe she didn’t want him humiliating me again.
Right?
“Annie Russell will pair with Chirag Beaumont.”
My eyes flew to the smiling teacher in front, my brain taking a second to understand what was going on.
There was a jar of folded white papers on the table in front of her, and she was picking two papers at once and reading them out loud.
The gears in my head spun.
Then I straightened.
This was for our chemistry project.
More or less like a term paper.
“Samuel Carter and Ashley Leighton.”
My eyes traced the glass jar, mentally trying to count the papers left.
There weren’t many more.
That’s when I realized I hadn’t heard my name…or Tyler’s.
My eyes turned before I could stop myself.
And I caught Tyler’s gaze immediately, like we’d both turned at the same time.
My heart skipped, and I turned away quickly, watching the teacher pick up another set.
‘Please don’t let me be paired with Tyler.
Please don’t let me be paired with Tyler,’ my mind chanted against my will.
“Oscar Wilde and Tyler Sinclair.”
For some reason, my heart dropped.
And I wasn’t sure if it was from relief or disappointment.
I forced myself not to turn, not to look in Tyler’s direction.
The teacher reached for the last two.
Wait two, that means…
”Last but not least,” the teacher said, unfolding the final papers, “Sydney Walker and Dean Monroe.”
What?
“Score!” Dean whispered a few seats back.