My smile quickly evaporated. No, I wasn’t imagining it. Heads were literally turning in my direction. I looked down at the ground and hurried up the stairs. Before I even reached my locker, Kennedy threw her arms around me.
“Are you okay? I can’t believe Uncle Jim didn’t tell you that you were related to Isabella. Does everyone already know? It seems like everyone already knows.” She gave someone an evil glare before pulling me into her arms again. Instead of demanding answers to her onslaught of questions, she just let me rest my head against her shoulder. “It’ll be alright,” she said and squeezed me harder.
She didn’t need an answer. She’d always been able to read me.
“My mom will figure it out,” Kennedy said. “She has a meeting with the lawyer that filed the paperwork for her to be your guardian this afternoon. It’s going to be fine.”
“I’m related to Isabella,” I mumbled into her shoulder. “Nothing is fine.”
Kennedy laughed. “And you are truly the better sister in every sense of the word. Sweeter. Smarter. Prettier.”
God. “I’m a Pruitt.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe I’m a Pruitt.”
“No.” She held me at arm’s length. “Your mom raised you. You’re a freaking Sanders. Always have been. Always will be.”
I felt my bottom lip start to tremble. “How was the rest of the funeral?” I couldn’t believe I’d been forced to miss it. That wasn’t something Mr. Pruitt could ever heal. He’d taken saying goodbye away from me. All the fake smiles in the world wouldn’t make me forget.
“I was a little distracted trying to figure out what happened to you. But it was beautiful. Uncle Jim was really loved.” Now it looked like she was going to cry too. “I miss him so much.”
“Stop it. You’re supposed to be holding me together.”
“I know.” She wiped away any tears before they could even fall. “It’s just been a really hard week.”
“I know. I miss him so much.”
“Ahem,” someone said from behind us.
I closed my eyes and prayed that it wasn’t Isabella. Even though I already knew it was. It took every ounce of energy I had left to unwind my arms from around Kennedy.
Isabella was standing there, surrounded by her minions, with a smile as fake as her father’s. “Hey, Sissy.”
Sissy? So…fake friendly was how she was going to approach this? Great. “Hey. I should get to class.”
“Not so fast.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I wanted to invite you to sit with me at lunch. You can both come, I guess,” she said and smiled at Kennedy too.
I knew the friendliness behind the lunch invite was fake. She knew it was fake. But she was still doing it. And I was beyond shocked. Apparently the only person Isabella listened to and respected was her father.
“Um…” I didn’t really know what to say.
“Come on,” Charlotte said. “It’s going to be so much fun getting to know you better.”
This was the same minion who always got me in trouble in class. The same one that said she’d make me disappear. She was almost as bad as Isabella. Almost.
“Maybe another day,” I said.
Isabella flashed that smile at me again. “Daddy wants us to get to know each other better.” She reached out and grabbed my hand. “Pretty please? I’ve always wanted a sister. And that new blazer looks so cute on you. I’m so glad it fits. Oh my goodness, I just realized we’re going to get to share all our clothes!”
Ew. Just…ew. “Yeah, sure.” All I wanted was for her icy fingers to release me.
“Great. Later, babes.” She blew us each a kiss and then clicked away in her high heels.
“Daddy?” Kennedy said and pretended to gag. “Gross.”
“Yeah.” I opened up my locker and pulled out a few things. Most of my books were at Kennedy’s place.
“We’re not really going to sit with her at lunch, right?” Kennedy asked. “Because all that was over the top fake. And if I hear her say Daddy again I will actually hurl. Especially if I’m eating.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Okay, good. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t buying it.”
“Definitely not.”
She pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of her blazer pocket and handed it to me. “Before I forget…Matt summoned you.”
I laughed. “How do you know that?”
“I accidentally read it.”
“Accidentally?”
She shrugged. “He wants you to meet him outside.”
“But class is about to start.”
She winked at me. “Looks like you’re not going to your first class today. Later, babes.” She blew me a kiss just like Isabella, pretended to gag again, and disappeared into the crowded hallway.
The bell was going to ring any minute. I opened up the note.
I think we have something more important to do than first period. Don’t leave me hanging. I can only steal James’ car one more time before he completely loses it.
I folded the note and slid it into my blazer pocket. He didn’t have to ask me twice. I thought being back at Empire High would be comforting. But it just made me miss my uncle even more. I kept thinking I’d see him like it was a regular day. Just thinking it made it hard to breathe.
Matt was the only person who could make me feel better. Missing a class or two was worth it if I could spend the morning in his arms. Or whatever he had planned. It would certainly be better than this.
Chapter 4
Friday
Matt was leaning against the side of James’ Benz, staring down at his phone. Him showing up each night after my uncle died was the only thing that had held me together. And if I was being truly honest with myself, just seeing him in the hallways when I first moved to the city had held me together too. Without him I’d still be in pieces.
I ran down the front steps. He looked up from his phone just in time to catch me as I launched myself into his arms.