He narrows his eyes on me. “Look, I don’t give a shit that your Nate’s girl or whatever your fucked up relationship is-”
“Hey,” Brooke demands. “First off, don’t come over here demanding shit from me and trying to push my best friend out. She was here first and if you have something to say to me, you can say it in front of her. Secondly, I don’t want a damn thing to do with you. You’re with Holly and honestly, you make me sick. Besides, I’d be stupid to go back to a dipshit like you who played up on me our whole relationship.”
“I’m not with Holly,” he says.
Both Brooke and I scoff. They were only making out against her locker five minutes ago. I mean, is that the only part of all that he caught on to? He groans and looks over Brooke’s shoulder. “Yo, Holly,” he calls out. We both turn to watch her searching out Max. “We’re done.”
Holly scoffs and waves him off, truly not giving a shit what they are.
Maxen looks back to Brooke expectantly. “You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” Brooke laughs. “I don’t want you, Max. You’re a low-life. A loser. I couldn’t be less interested.”
“Come on, babe,” he says, pulling against her waist and dragging her hips forward into his. “I know you’re into me.”
Brooke brings her hands up and pushes back against his chest. “You’re pathetic.”
“Babe,” he groans, flicking his eyes to me before looking back at Brooke. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Ever since I heard about the…” he looks around, hushing his voice. “The pregnancy scare. I need you, Brooke.”
“That was only three days ago. If you needed me as bad as you claim, then you would have been groveling out some ridiculous apology back then. Not fucking Holly all weekend and coming to me now,” she tells him, finally managing to get his hands off her. “Now, get lost. You and I are nothing.”
“Is that what you want?” he grunts. “You want me to admit I fucked up and start groveling?”
“Dude,” Nate says, curling an arm around my waist and pulling me a step back from the drama. “Leave her alone. She’s not interested.”
“Stay out of this,” Maxen warns him.
“Max,” he says a little more firmly. “Leave her alone.”
Maxen watches Brooke for a moment before flicking his eyes up to Nate. He lets out a low breath before giving in, making it clear as day who’s boss around here. “Whatever,” Maxen scoffs, walking away.
Brooke watches after him with a strange mix of confusion and longing in her eyes. “Are you ok?” I murmur, stepping out of Nate’s arms to check on my best friend.
Brooke blinks a few times as she watches Maxen leave before focusing on me. “I, uh, yeah, I guess.”
Nate nudges me. “I’m going to see what the fuck that was all about,” he tells me before taking off after Max. I mean, I know Max has sort of been on the outs lately, but he’s still Nate’s cousin. They grew up together and I’m sure Nate hated putting him in his place like that.
The bell rings and I loop my arm through Brooke’s before dragging her up the hall. “You sure?” I murmur. “You look strange.”
“Wouldn’t you?” she scoffs. “I don’t get it. Maybe he’s playing with me. Maybe I’m some sort of ego boost to see if he can still get me in bed after everything he put me through.”
“I don’t know,” I tell her. “I’m sure Nate will get to the bottom of it.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I should sign him up for a Jehovah’s Witness visit. Every Saturday morning at seven. That should teach him to fuck with me.”
“Might also teach him some morals,” I add.
“That would be the day.”
“Whoa,” a deep voice says from behind us before an arm is thrown over my shoulder and a large body wedged between us. “Where are you two going so fast?”
“Where do you think?” I laugh as Jackson gets distracted watching Elle at the top of the hallway.
“Shit,” he groans. “She’s so fucking hot.”
“Is there something we can help you with?” I ask the guy who is quickly worming his way into my life. But in a good way of course. He’s like an annoying little brother you can’t get rid of. Kind of like Jesse. It’s a shame those two hate each other so much, I’m sure they have the potential to be the most frustrating kind of best friends.
“Yeah,” he says, turning to me. “Was that your swamp rat’s new ride out in the lot? The Mustang?”
“You want to try that again?” I say impatiently, hating how they hate each other. I mean, sometimes it’s a little entertaining, but I’m not in the mood, especially after Maxen’s bullshit stunt.
Jackson rolls his eyes. “Sorry, I don’t know what to call him. One minute he’s your boyfriend, the next he’s yesterday’s trash.”