Almost Never Read online

  “I don’t know what it is but I’m telling you, girls. He might be it.”

  “Wait. What?” It’s my turn to join the conversation. “You went out for ice cream. Isn’t it a bit early to be making such predictions?”

  “Oh relax, Hope. It’s not like I’m going to marry the man. But I think he just might be lucky enough to earn the title of my first real boyfriend.”

  “Seriously?” Gretchen squeals. “Are you telling me Lucy freaking Brown might actually be off the market?”

  “It’s not official or anything.” Lulu holds her hands up in front of herself. “But it’s definitely looking like it might go in that direction.” Her gaze locks on something behind Gretchen and I look to see what’s distracted her.

  My heart physically aches when I see him. His eyes are locked on Lulu as if she’s the only one sitting at the table.

  Alec crosses the cafeteria toward us. He’s wearing a navy-blue shirt and dark jeans, his hair pushed haphazardly to the side. He looks so good that I have to hold in the whimper that threatens to spill from my lips.

  When he approaches the table, I avert my gaze, fearful that he might see the jealous anger in my stare.

  “Ladies.” His deep voice assaults my ears.

  “Hey.” Lucy is the first to greet him.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asks.

  “Of course not.” She smacks my outer thigh moments later, pulling my gaze to her. “Scoot,” she mouths.

  Even though it’s the last thing I want to do, I slide into the empty seat next to me so Alec can squeeze in between us.

  “Hey, Hope.” He sits down and offers me a smile.

  “Hey.” I poke at my salad with my fork.

  “I was wondering when you’d be coming in.” Lulu leans into him and I have to hold back at stabbing my fork in her face.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  “Sorry. I got a little turned around again.” He chuckles.

  “Well you’re here now and that’s what matters.” She leans her head onto his shoulder...and I’ve had enough. I stand so quickly the chair legs skid violently across the floor, bringing every set of eyes at the table to me.

  “Sorry.” I force a smile, picking up my tray.

  “Where are you going?” Lulu asks, confusion marring her pretty face.

  “I totally forgot I signed up to help in the office today.” It’s a lie I know she won’t question as I typically volunteer in the office a couple of days a week.

  “But you haven’t eaten your lunch,” she points out.

  “It’s fine. I’ll take something with me.” I back away from the table. “I’ll see you guys later,” I call.

  A murmur of goodbyes and see you laters come as I spin around and quickly walk away.

  Dumping my tray of food into the trash can on my way out, I make a beeline for the bathrooms. I know my reaction to seeing Lulu and Alec together is unwarranted. So why does it feel like someone has stabbed me with a steak knife and is slowly turning the blade inside my chest?

  Because you like him.

  It’s true. Even though I’ve only known him for a little over twenty-four hours, there’s something about him. Something that makes me feel like never before.

  Sure, I’ve had crushes over the years. I’ve even gone on a couple of dates. But none of those guys made me feel even a fraction of what Alec does with a simple look.

  It’s unnerving. It’s unsettling. And it’s something I need to get under control immediately.

  Chapter Five

  “How was office duty?”

  I look up to see Alec take the seat next to me. Obviously I knew I was going to have to face him after my abrupt cafeteria departure, but looking at him now, I don’t think I was quite prepared.

  “Huh?” I blink.

  “You said you were helping out in the office,” he reminds me.

  “Oh, yeah.” I shake my head. “It was fine.”

  “I didn’t know people actually volunteered to work in the school office.”

  “Yep.” I pop my lips.

  “How does one get involved in something like that?” He grins, dropping his notebook onto the table.

  “Um, well, I originally started during my free period freshman year. I’d rather make copies and run errands around the school than sit in a quiet classroom for forty minutes.”

  “And now?”

  “I guess I just like it,” I admit. “I love the secretary Ms. Mullins. She’s probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met. Half the time I’m there, all I’m doing is sitting behind the desk, listening to her tell me funny stories about her cats.”

  “You really are a rare breed, Hope.” One side of his mouth tips up.

  “Um, thank you?”

  “Oh, I absolutely meant it as a compliment.” He chuckles.

  Even though it’s the last thing I want to ask, I can’t stop the words from spewing out of my mouth.

  “So, you and Lulu, huh?”

  I watch his expression change as he mulls over how to respond.

  “It’s okay if you like her.”

  “It’s strange,” he admits. “I didn’t expect to meet someone my first day here. But Lucy is...”

  “Funny, charismatic, beautiful,” I cut in. I’ve heard it all before.

  “Among other things, yes.”

  “So are you two like a thing then?” I try to keep the disdain out of my voice but I’m honestly not sure if it works.

  “Um, I’m not sure if I would say we’re a thing. But I definitely like her and I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.” He pauses. “Is that okay with you?”

  I’m not sure why he cares what I think, but being the person that I am, I do what I always do. I slap on a fake smile and tell him exactly what he wants to hear. It’s not like the truth would change one single thing.

  “Of course. Lulu is great.”

  He looks at me like he wants to say something else but decides against it. Right then, Mr. Hadley stands from behind his desk and orders the class to quiet down.

  We start off much like the day before. He tells us about the experiment we’re going to do and after writing each step on the white board, he lets us test it out.

  Today we’re making square bubbles. Which seems pretty amateur to me, but I guess there’s only so many things that are considered safe in a classroom full of teenagers.

  I measure out the glycerin and corn syrup, mixing it together in the beaker while Alec watches me.

  “So, Lulu tells me you have a brother,” he says, making casual conversation while we work.

  “I do. Henry. He’s thirteen and an absolute pain in my butt.” I relax a little. “What about you? Any siblings?”

  “Only child.” He picks up a couple of straws off the table and begins attaching them together using tape.

  “Lucky.” I snort. “I wouldn’t know how to act if I didn’t have to fight over the bathroom every single morning.”

  “It has its perks. As much as I’d wanted siblings, I’m glad my parents stopped with me. That way no one else has to deal with their crap.”

  I stop what I’m doing and look up at him. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugs. “It is what it is. I’m used to it at this point.”

  “Still sucks.”

  “Yeah, I guess it does.” He smiles and the sight sends a warm feeling through my chest. “But I had a lot of friends growing up. Some I even considered my brothers. See this.” He trails the tip of his finger over the bridge of his nose. “My best friend Ash broke it when I was ten by swinging a whiffle ball bat at my face. If that doesn’t sound like siblings, I don’t know what does.”

  “I’ve definitely considered taking a bat to my brother’s face a time or two,” I mumble just loud enough so he can hear.

  “See.” He bumps my arm with his as if I’m making his point for him.

  I finish mixing the bubble solution and dump it into a flat tray.

  “So you said you have an aunt
who lives here. Any other family close by?”

  “Not really. Just Aunt Jackie and Uncle John. Jackie is ten years younger than my mom and doesn’t have any children and my dad’s an only child. I think it’s safe to say I have a pretty small family.”

  “What about your grandparents?”

  “My dad’s parents live in California. I was never close to either of them. And my mom’s parents both passed when I was really little. I don’t remember either of them.”

  “Same for me. Both of my dad’s parents are still living but my mom’s died before I was born.”

  “Are you close to your dad’s parents??”

  “Yeah, I guess so. I don’t see them as much as I probably should but we’ve always had a good relationship.”

  Alec secures the last corner of his straw cube with a piece of tape and holds it up for me to inspect.

  “Looks good.” I smile.

  “Should we try it out and see if it works?”

  “Let’s do it.” I slide the tray full of bubble solution to the center of the table.

  Alec dips the cube and then pulls it back up, but the solution doesn’t hold and he’s forced to dip it again. It works the second time and he angles it between us, then turns to face me.

  “Together,” he instructs, clearly enjoying himself.

  “Together.” I nod.

  “One, two, three.” We both blow into the cube at the same time.

  “We did it!” I squeal a little too loudly, watching our square bubble float a couple of inches before popping mid-air.

  Several sets of eyes come our way but I don’t care. I’m too distracted by the dark gaze locked on mine and the way his dimpled cheeks make me feel giddy inside.

  We manage to make several more bubbles before the bell rings and by the time we exit class, I feel a million times better than I did when I entered it.

  And while the thought of Lulu and Alec’s relationship still lingers in the back of my mind, it doesn’t feel quite as overwhelming as it did earlier.

  If they are going to be together, there isn’t a thing I can do about it. And I’m only hurting myself by being angry at everyone for it. Lulu is my best friend. And now, Alec is a friend as well. All I want is for them to be happy. Even if that means I have to suck it up and watch it happen.

  ——

  “Hey.” Bella slides up next to me in the hallway on my way out of school, her shiny strands of black hair pulled back into a low pony.

  “Hey.” I throw her a sideways glance as I readjust the strap of my new book bag on my shoulder. It’s not as nice as my last one, but it’s not broken, which is really the most important thing. “I forgot you have gym last period,” I say, gesturing to her loose-fitting t-shirt and soccer style shorts.

  “Beats having it toward the beginning of the day. At least this way I can go home and shower afterward.”

  “This is true. Although, had you done your gym credits freshman and sophomore year like the rest of us, you wouldn’t have to worry about it at all.”

  “What can I say? I procrastinate the things I don’t want to do. You’ve seen me. I’m about the least athletic person on the planet.”

  “You’re not that bad.” I laugh.

  “Yes, I am. But you’re sweet to say so.” Bella smiles, the action crinkling her little nose.

  Bella is a very pretty girl. Not in a Lulu, drop dead gorgeous, kind of way, but more of a classic beauty. Dark hair. Pale skin. Petite, with delicate features.

  Although, she definitely shares Lulu’s love of all things trendy and hip. Must be a pretty girl thing. Hell, just last week she spent two months’ worth of paychecks on a purse that looks almost exactly like the one I bought at Walmart for five dollars. I’ll never understand spending that kind of money for nothing more than the name. The quality of the purse is no better than my cheap one.

  “You okay? You left lunch pretty quickly earlier.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just forgot I signed up to help out in the office today.”

  “Forgot to the point that you never even signed up.” She gently elbows me. “I knew something was off when you left the table so I went to the office to check on you. Guess who wasn’t there...” She gives me a knowing look.

  “I, um...” I struggle to come up with another lie to cover my original one, but I can’t seem to come up with one single thing to say.

  “You like him.” She doesn’t elaborate, and it’s not a question.

  “Who?” I question, trying to come across clueless.

  “Don’t who me.” She comes to a stop next to the blue Civic my mom passed down to me last year. She waits until I’ve dropped my book bag into the backseat and slammed the door shut before continuing. “Alec.”

  “Alec?” I snort out a laugh like it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all week.

  “You’re not nearly as good at masking your emotions as you think you are. Maybe Lulu can’t see it because she doesn’t want to. And Gretch? She’s too self-absorbed to really notice anyway, but me? I’m not so easily fooled.”

  “I don’t know what you think you know, Bella, but it’s not like that.”

  “You know,” she cuts me off before I can continue, “I’ve stood by for the last five years and watched you compromise what you want for Lucy. Forgive me for saying so, but if you like Alec, maybe you shouldn’t sit back and let her take another thing from you.”

  “What are you talking about? Lulu hasn’t taken anything from me.”

  “No?” She arches a brow. “So she didn’t decide until after you announced that you wanted to run for student body president to enter her name? And then when you backed out, so did she?” She holds up a finger, counting as she goes. “And she didn’t decide that she wanted to try out for the role of Dorothy the very day you put your name down to try out?” She holds up a second finger.

  “That was eighth grade.”

  “And when you had a crush on Maverick Ames Freshman year, Lulu thought it would be a good idea to ask him out anyway.” A third finger up.

  “I told her I didn’t care.”

  “And when she decided to try out for the same volleyball team as you, and she made it over you, even though she said she only wanted to play because you did.” Another finger.

  “She’s more athletic than me. She can’t help that.”

  “Listen to you. You don’t even realize you’re doing it, do you?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Defending her. Making excuses for her. Stepping aside to give her the things you want.”

  “I don’t do that.”

  “Really?” She darts her hip out as she crosses her arms in front of herself. “Listen, I get that you love Lulu. We all do. But at some point you have to stop sacrificing your own happiness for hers. If you like Alec, you should tell him.”

  “Pretty sure it wouldn’t do me any good at this point.” I sigh, deciding that denying my feelings is a moot point. Obviously I’m more transparent than I realized.

  “How do you know?”

  “You saw Lu. She already has her hooks in him.”

  “She’s working on it; I’ll give you that. But if there was ever a time to just say how you feel, now is it. Otherwise you’re going to end up kicking yourself in the ass when it’s too late.”

  “Maybe.” I scuff the tip of my shoe into the pavement.

  “I just think it’s about time you stop taking care of everyone else and start taking care of Hope.”

  “You act like I’m some selfless saint or something.”

  “You kind of are.” She laughs, dropping her arms. “Anyway, I gotta go. I have to be at work by four. Just think about what I said... Okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “Love ya, Hope.” She gives me a quick one-armed hug.

  “Love you too.” I force a smile when she pulls back and looks at me.

  I know Bella means well, and while yes, Lu does tend to get a lot of the things I want, it’s not like she intentional
ly walks all over me to get them. Or at least, I’ve never looked at it that way.

  Without another word, Bella turns and heads to her car three spots over, leaving me to contemplate everything she just said, and what, if anything, I’m going to do about it.

  Chapter Six

  “What are you doing in here?” I look up from the stack of old VHS tapes I’m sorting to find Alec leaning inside the door of the storage closet located in the back of the media room.

  “I’m helping clear out some of the outdated stuff in here to make room.” I shove a couple more tapes into the box on the floor in front of me.

  “Another volunteer project?” He grins.

  “Actually.” I knead my bottom lip between my teeth. “Detention,” I admit.

  “Detention?” He gapes at me. “How does someone like you end up with detention?”

  While he’s only known me a few days, given all the extra curriculars I do for this school, I’m not surprised that he’s surprised.

  “Tardiness,” I confess, only mildly embarrassed.

  “They give you detention for being tardy?” He quirks a brow.

  “Apparently so.” I gesture around the dusty closet that’s actually bigger than my bedroom at home. I’m honestly not sure why they call it a closet.

  “You’ve never been late to any of the classes we have together.”

  “Well, one, today is only your sixth day here. And two, it’s always first period I’m late for. I’m a horrible morning person.” I shrug. “What are you doing back here anyway?” I ask. It’s not like the media room is a hot spot where students typically hang out.

  “I’m actually here to talk to Ned Willis. Do you know him?”

  “Ned? Yeah. But why do you want to talk to Ned?”

  “He’s the head of the school newspaper and our English teacher suggested I speak to him about possibly joining the paper.”

  “Wait. You’re a writer?” I ask, having not pegged him as the type.

  “I am. Surprised?”

  “A little. I had you pegged as more of the jock type.”

  “Oh I am.” He chuckles. “I’ve played basketball for years. But, I also love to write. I’ve been doing it since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I started out writing stupid little stories. I’d illustrate them and make my mom staple them together so I could take them to school and share them with my classmates.”