Darkest Dawn. Katlyn Duncan

      “I’ll text you when we get there!” she called as Bri hopped out of the car.

      “Love you!”

      Bri was already soaked before she could get the bag on her head. She and Max raced to the front of the school just as the final bell rang. They climbed the front steps and shoved through the front doors, pulling the dripping bags from their heads.

      Max’s shirt clung to her body. “Awesome,” she deadpanned.

      Bri took Max’s bag and threw them both into the nearby recycling bin. Her socks squished with each step.

      They quickly scaled the two flights of stairs, their shoes squeaking over the linoleum floors. Max’s breathing was heavy and Bri was on the verge of breaking a sweat. They picked up their pace at the top of the steps and rounded the corner to the classroom.

      First period was English. Bri peeked into the room. Mrs. Brewster had her back to them. Max grunted something under her breath and opened the door. Mrs. Brewster turned. Her long fingers were wrapped around the phone attached to the wall. “Okay,” she said into it though her tone suggested she was not okay. At all.

      Abbey had called her in the knick of time. Mrs. Brewster’s eyes were on them as they made their way toward their seats in the middle of the first two rows. Their peers were quiet yet Bri could feel their stares. Her skin pricked with embarrassment. She’d have to remember to set the clocks back an hour and hide Mom’s phone so they could attempt to get to school on time.

      Mrs. Brewster hung up the phone. “As I was saying…”

      Her voice faded in the background as Bri lurched forward. Something had blocked her feet. She instinctively grabbed the closest thing, which happened to be football defense Tommy Sanders. His reflexes were incredible. His hands clamped onto her arms hard enough that she knew she was going to bruise. Better than face-planting in front of the class. She ignored the snickers and muffled laughter from her classmates as she looked down to see a bright pink backpack on the floor at her feet. She tasted blood. She nodded to Tommy in thanks and realized that none of what had just happened was her fault. A pair of emerald green eyes innocently peered up at her.

      Chloe Hudson reached down and picked up the bag that Bri knew she had intentionally put in the way. “Watch where you’re going, Freak,” she said under her breath.

      Bri blinked, feeling the contact lens in her left eye. Chloe had dubbed Bri with that cruel nickname. Her two different-colored eyes had always been fodder for her peers making fun of her. Even though she had purchased a green contact lens to match the right eye, the nickname had already stuck.

      A tightly packed ball of paper sailed across Bri’s periphery and nailed Chloe in the head.

      Chloe narrowed her eyes and snapped her head toward the assailant.

      Bri glanced over her shoulder to see Max sliding into her seat, her eyes fixed on Chloe.

      Bri continued down the aisle, her skin prickling. She sat at her desk, which was right next to Max’s. “Thanks.”

      “No problem.” Max balled up another sheet of paper from her notebook. “I always have your back.”

      Mrs. Brewster continued with her lesson, completely unaware of the exchange. Bri tried hard to concentrate on her teacher’s voice and resisted the temptation to rip out all of Chloe’s stupid blonde hair. Forget about her. She took a breath and relaxed into her chair. Chloe had been on her for a long time. Bri would get her revenge during swim practice.

      ***

      The rest of morning classes dragged like molasses going uphill. As each bell struck, Bri’s heart rate kicked up an extra few beats. She checked her phone several times each class, but there was no text from Jake. She shouldn’t have expected anything else. He had to keep up a good appearance for his team. The staff had no issues bringing down any jock who disobeyed the rules of conduct. Bri really wished he’d make an exception. He had to realize he was making her insane.

      The lunch bell shrilled just as her history teacher, Mr. Dale, started writing that night’s assignment on the board. Everyone stood up but he blocked the door. “Read through the next five chapters tonight; there will be a pop quiz tomorrow.”

      “Isn’t the idea for us to be surprised?” future valedictorian Holden Jeffers asked.

      He dodged a spitball just as Mr. Dale spoke. “I’ll be sure to surprise you next time.”

      Bri filtered out of the room with the rest of the class. Mr. Dale had a tough exterior as the football coach but he was a softy. He was one of Bri’s favorite teachers and since he taught history, a subject outside of her comfort zone, she needed him on her side as much as she could.

      Bri met Max at her locker and shoved her bag inside, making sure she grabbed lunch money before closing it. She tucked the phone and money into her back pockets and leaned against the locker next to hers. Kids rushed down the hall toward the cafeteria.

      Max groaned and struggled with her bag.

      “Want some help?” Bri knelt next to her. Max had taken four advanced classes this semester. With advanced classes came massive textbooks.

      “Okay.” Max placed her hand on the bag, balancing it in place. “One, two—”

      They slammed the locker shut seconds after Max’s fingers moved out of the way of the metal door.

      Max rubbed her hands together. “I’ll deal with that mess later.” She looped her arm through Bri’s. “Ready?”

      ***

      Bri’s palms started to sweat and her heart raced. Before lunch, they always met Jake and Tucker outside the boys’ bathroom closest to the cafeteria. Tucker Langley had been Bri’s neighbor in her condo complex since his parents split when he was eight. As the only two kids in the fifty-plus complex, they bonded quickly. Even though Tucker was a so-called ladies’ man, he never forgot his roots.

      The excited buzz around them turned inward in Bri’s ears as they rounded the corner. Her eyes went right to Jake. Her heart fluttered as she watched Jake act out a conversation for Tucker.

      Bri’s mouth went dry and she stopped in the middle of the hallway. Someone pushed her from behind and she made a noise, enough to catch Jake’s attention.

      She couldn’t look at his piercing eyes. Instead she focused on his shoes.

      “Will you cut your hair already?” Max said to Tucker.

      Bri was relieved at the reprieve. She needed a minute to compose herself, even though she’d spent the entire night and morning thinking about Jake.

      Tucker grinned. His ink-black locks were the longest she’d ever seen them, pulled at the nape of his neck in a ponytail. “Jealous?”

      Bri ran her fingers through her own hair, which had finally dried out from the rain. She twisted a chunk around her hand and pushed it away from her face.

      Jake leaned against the wall confidently, one foot up against it and his hands in his pockets.

      Bri’s heart raced. To the untrained eye, he appeared calm. The hands in the pockets were a definite sign that he was nervous too. This could go either way.

      “Relax,” Max said under her breath, knowing full well that Bri was a ball of jitters.

      Bri shrugged. “I’m fine.”

      Max snorted a laugh. “Your panic-stricken face suggests otherwise.”

      Jake’s eyes widened. “You put your contact in today.”

      “She never leaves the house without it,” Max commented.

      Bri glanced at Max.

      “But last night …” He trailed off. The corners of his eyes tightened.

      “Let’s leave the lovebirds alone.” Tucker winked at Bri and grabbed