Broken Hill Halo (Broken Hill High 2)

“Sounds fucking good to me,” he says.

We walk back up to the party and I find Jesse at the drinks table, making himself very familiar with some girl from Haven Falls and all I can do is laugh. It’s good to see that even when things are falling apart and the world seems like it could never right its self, some things don’t change. And that thing is Jesse’s need to get as many girls underneath him as possible.

Nate rolls his eyes as he takes in his little brother, and I’m sure he’s probably thinking the same thing as me. I find Brooke sitting down as Maxen talks to some guy from Haven Falls, quizzing him on whether or not he knows anything, though, we have to be sneaky with these guys, they know why we’re here and if they get caught talking to us, they’ll be seen as traitors to the guys at their school, which I’m sure will probably make the remainder of their high school years a living hell.

“Hey,” I say, reaching down for Brooke. “I have to pee.”

She nods her head and reaches up to let me haul her out of her chair. The second she vacates her seat, Nate takes it straight away, leaning over and taking control of Maxen’s interrogation.

Brooke and I walk down to the bathroom together and by the time we get there, I’m practically squishing my legs together, hoping I don’t piss my pants. It’s some kind of miracle that the bathroom is empty when we finally find it and I rush on in, slamming the door behind me.

I take care of business and come out a moment later, feeling like a whole new woman. “Here,” Brooke says as she hands me her drink. “Hold this. I may as well go while it’s empty.”

I nod as I take her drink and lean up against the wall while I wait. I get lost people watching and sipping on my drink that I don’t notice someone coming up from behind me until it’s too late. “Hey,” the voice says, making me spin around with a speed that I didn’t know I was capable.

I gasp at Jackson’s sudden appearance before the scowl sets in. “I should have known you’d be here.”

“Surprise,” he says with a grin as though he’s god’s gift to womankind. He briefly looks around and I have a feeling I know exactly who he’s looking for. “What are you doing over here by yourself?” he asks. “This isn’t the kind of party you want to be at alone.”

“Oh?” I question. “And you suddenly care about my safety?”

He scoffs. “Believe it or not, but I’m not the jerk you think I am.”

“Uh huh,” I say before turning away and wishing Brooke would hurry up.

“Hey,” he says, taking my elbow and turning me back to face him. He leans his arm up against the wall, caging me in from the rest of the party. He looks down at Brooke’s drink which I’ve pretty much finished. “Let me get you a new drink.”

“No thanks,” I say.

“Come on,” he says, leaning in a little closer. “I’ll get you a drink. We can talk, get to know each other. I’ll prove to you that I’m actually a good guy.”

“You forget that I watched you ram my boyfriend’s car and nearly killed him,” I remind him. “And, besides, I heard you’re dating Phoenix now.”

“Phoenix who?” he scoffs before grinning wide and laughing to himself. Taking in my unimpressed glare, he continues on. “Us racers do that shit all the time. You can’t tell me you haven’t seen one of the other guys do exactly the same thing. This time was just unfortunate. How was I to know he’d spin out?”

“I’m not buying it, Jackson,” I tell him.

“Come on, babe,” he says, leaning in closer again so I can smell the rum on his breath.

“Hey,” I hear called out from across the room.

I look up over Jackson’s shoulder and see Phoenix storming towards us as I hear the bathroom door opening behind me. “Great,” I tell him. “Your girlfriend’s coming.”

He lets out a heavy sigh. “Damn. She’s so fucking annoying,” he mutters under his breath.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demands, though it takes me a second to realize she’s talking to me, not Jackson.

“Excuse me?” I grunt.

“You heard me,” she says in a tone that manages to grab the attention of everyone in the whole house, even with the noise coming from the speakers.

“What the hell is your problem?” I ask as Brooke makes her appearance at my side.

“You’re flirting with my boyfriend. You already have Nate, now you have to go after Jackson as well? I mean, are you not getting off with Nate? Do you need someone who knows what he’s doing?”

I shake my head and walk away, it’s not worth it. “Hey,” Phoenix demands, grabbing my elbow and yanking me back, though I guess I’m lucky she didn’t grab a fistful of hair. “I’m talking to you. Don’t walk away from me.”