NovelOnline• Chapter 5 • • Our team had won gold at the competition, which meant automatic acceptance to • Stanford-basically a golden ticket.
• Initially, I had declined the offer.
• Because I wanted to attend UC Davis with Zephyr.
• My mom and Zephyr's mom had been best friends since college.
• Zephyr and I grew up together-sandbox to high school, the whole cliché.
• But after his parents' nasty divorce, Zephyr's grades tanked.
• He completely checked out of school, becoming the textbook rebellious rich kid.
• He fell in with guys who were already dealing, started smoking, drinking, getting into fights-living ⚫ like there was no tomorrow.
• He becthe school's resident bad boy with a capital B.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt• Yet girls still flocked to him, buying into that whole "damaged but desirable" fantasy.
· • I couldn't stand watching him destroy himself.
• I tried to reach him, understand him, drag him back from the edge.
• I used my status as his desk mate and class rep to force tutoring sessions on him.
• I played the childhood friend card to chase away his sketchy friends, practically frog-marching him hwithinstead.
⚫ I monitored him, pursued him, convinced I could be his salvation.
• Behind my back, everyone talked: • Phoebe Johnson isn't even Zephyr's girlfriend, she's just obsessed with him.
• • Chapter 5 • Phoebe's nothing but a desperate slut, following Zephyr round the pigry.
• Phoebe's just a pair of fits with legs, throwing herved at guys, Bourne Zegy set food for scad ⚫ I pretended none of it got to me.
• • Until I heard Zephyr saying worse things himself.
• All my devotion and persistence suddenly felt like the world's sickest ja • As thrilled as I'd been when Zephyr kissedin the dark, • • I was equally destroyed hearing those words.
• I still can't stop myself from remembering that deep, wet kiss in the darkness.
• That rush of desire stealing my breath, branded into my memory.
• That was my first kiss.
• • My first tbeing touched like that by anyone.
• But looking at those scraps of fabric on the floor that barely qualified as clothing • Replaying everything that happened today, • The humiliation and shccrashing back • Tears fell.
• I slapped myself hard across the face.
• Get it fucking together, Phoebe! • No more fantasies.
• No more obsessing over him! ⚫ I threw those things violently into the trash.
• Chapter S Just like I was throwing away that pathetic, humillated sertion of myself.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmI soaked in the shower until the hot water ran out, scrubbing mowry lack of my dis Trying to erase every ghost of his touch from my body.
I didn't sleep at all, and by morning I was burning up with fever.
I had to take another half day off.
I dragged myself to school in the afternoon, dizzy and, and disoriented, to submit my application for Stanford's early admission program. Just as I left the teacher's office, someone grabbed my wrist and yankedinto a confined space.
Zephyr's stupidly handsface loomed inches from mine, his m messed-up hair framing those eyes, the smell of cigarettes clinging to his clothes. He wasn't smiling. His grip on my hand was painfully tight as he backedagainst the wall "What the actual fuck, Phoebe? You suddenly too good fornow?" "Ghosting my calls, leavingon read, you trying to makelook like sdesperate loser?"
"Where'd you disappear to that night? Why weren't you wearing my little present hub? Not shurry enough for you?" His eyes narrowed, his tone mockingly casual but dripping with menace.
When I finally registered where we were, I snapped fully awake.
He had draggedinto a stall in the boys' bathroom! I trembled with rage, bile rising in my throat.
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