The Thrashers(29)

On the second Friday of the semester, with her mind on her first anatomy quiz later that day, she sat under the oak tree, snacking on her crackers and jotting down her answers on the path of blood through the body. A shadow crossed her sunlight.

“Hey.”

Zack looked like an angel, with a halo of light around his head, sent to save her from loneliness. She beamed up at him as he kicked her shoe.

“How’s it going?”

He shrugged and slid his hands in his pockets. “It’s pretty awful.”

“Same.” She closed her book and moved her backpack so he could sit. “How’s Chemistry: Round 4?”

He cursed under his breath, folding himself to sit next to her. “The first three weeks are always good. It’s once the word covalent comes up that I completely lose it, so Peter has me working a few weeks ahead of the syllabus this time around.”

She knocked his shoulder. “You know, if your dad just donated the money he’s spending on your tutors to the school, he could buy your passing grades.”

“I literally told him that. I said, ‘I can find someone to take the SATs for me if you’re paying this much.’” He rubbed a hand down his face. “But you know Greg. That wasn’t funny to him.”

Jodi hummed and offered him a Ritz. He spun it between his fingers instead of eating it.

“I haven’t seen you,” Zack said, his fingernails chipping away the salt flakes.

“I think that’s the point. We’re not supposed to.”

“He meant not all five of us at once.” Zack broke the cracker in half. “Not that we have to spread ourselves across campus.”

“Yeah, well, no one has been rushing to pick me for dodgeball this week.”

“Me neither.”

Jodi cast an Oh, really? look at him.

“Seriously,” Zack said. “Paige ate lunch with me the first two days. Julian drove with me to school twice this week. But I’ve had to meet new people for lunch every day, and it feels off, you know?” He glanced at her, and she nodded. “Like they want to talk to me, but for a different reason than before. I haven’t heard from Lucy since last Sunday. Paige says she’s been tiptoeing around Reagan, but I don’t know.”

She felt her heart sink. “I’m sorry. I thought … I thought everyone paired up without me.”

“Me too.” He pressed his lips together and looked out over the field. “I thought you were distancing yourself.”

“I’ve been miserable. I’ve been eating lunch with Oliver Burns and Nikita.”

He puffed out a laugh. “Who’s Nikita?”

“Oh, you’ll see. She’s going to be famous one day—just ask her.”

They smiled together and sat quietly for a bit. Then Jodi took out her phone and opened their group chat. “Do you have tutoring tonight?”

“Yeah, but I’m done at six. Dad’s in Modesto for a case.”

“Perfect.”

She typed to the five of them: Drive in tonight? we wont be seen by anyone if we stay in the car

Zack hummed next to her and typed back the movie reel emoji. Lucy was quick to send back the eyes emojis. Then she saw him flip open the Fandango app. He chuckled.

“What’s playing?” she asked.

“Oh, man. You’re gonna hate it. I can’t wait.”

She tried to lean in to see his phone screen, but he jerked his arm back. He grinned down at her, and Jodi was close enough to count his eyelashes. She felt her pulse flutter as she fought the instinct to glance at his lips. Zack’s eyes seemed to soften, the glee still there, but directed at her, not the movie choice.

The bell rang from across the field, and Jodi pulled away, calming her heart.

Zack jumped up and held out his hand for her, and Jodi relished the contact. It had been two weeks since he’d hugged her in his kitchen as he cried. She wasn’t sure anyone else would have gotten that vulnerability from him, but she had. She wanted him to need her like that again.

“I gotta get my book from my locker, but I’ll see you tonight!” Zack said over his shoulder as he left.

Jodi waved and watched him jog across the field, wondering if she could get those five minutes with him every day.

By the time anatomy was over, Julian was the only one who hadn’t responded about the drive-in plan. She approached his workstation as he zipped up his backpack.

“You coming tonight?” she asked.

He curled his lips like she was something sour. “It’s a stupid idea, Dillon. You honestly think no one else is going to be at the movies on a Friday night?”

“The drive-in. We’ll be in the car—”

“Am I not allowed to get food? Or piss?”

She glowered at him. “I’ll bring an empty water bottle for you.”

“You wanna see my dick that bad?” He lifted a brow.

She’d forgotten how nice her life had been without Julian Hollister swatting at her like a fly. Jogging after him, she caught his elbow just outside the door.

“Come on, Julian. You’ve been just as lonely these two weeks as the rest of us. No one else tolerates you.”

He leaned into her. “Do you see me eating lunch by myself, Dillon?”

She felt her cheeks heat. Julian swiveled on his heel and strode away.