“To brainwash them.”

On the kitchen counter, he’d been left a sternly-worded letter to return home as soon as possible. He should expect severe consequences for his outlandish behavior.

He rolled his eyes at the note, but I ripped it in shreds and let the pieces fall from my hands.

When we got into his car, he asked, “Did you really want to get breakfast?”

“I can go for breakfast—or lunch.” Bryce had borrowed me a shirt, but I kept my same jeans since I’d fallen asleep in them after my rampage. I even looked presentable by his heinous mother’s standards.

It was our usual lunch period and when we got to Café Diner, we saw our normal crowd lingering at the table. They greeted Bryce with high fives and slaps on the back.

Each of the guys gave me a friendly greeting while the girls just glared hatred. Like always. Becky Lew seemed even nastier than normal because she didn’t hide the loathing when she looked at me.

That was different.

Corrigan was already at the table and he looked up, met my gaze, and traveled to Bryce. Whatever he saw there didn’t agree with him because he shoved away from the table and stalked out of our section to sit at another table.

Of course, he chose appropriately. The table was full of blushing sophomores who revealed a little more of their scooped necklines in front of Corrigan’s gaze.

Bryce didn’t say anything, but sat in an empty booth in the back corner.

“Are you serious?” I asked.

Bryce shrugged and ordered some drinks for us.

Annoyed, I turned and walked over to Corrigan’s table.

He quieted when he saw me coming.

“Hey,” he said, guarded.

“Hey.”

He nodded behind me, “He’s still mad at me for absolutely nothing.”

I shrugged. “It’s not my problem.”

“Whatever,” Corrigan cried out, louder than he had intended. He quieted his voice, “It’s because of what happened with you. I was sleeping—I’m sorry.”

“Look, just apologize to him.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Apologize and we’ll all be fine.”

“Not me,” he retorted.

The sophomores were a captive audience.

“Do it for me.”

“Wha—” His initial protest died in his throat. He looked at me with renewed eyes as he remembered and asked, “How are you? Are you okay?” His smile flashed, “You want a piggy-back ride?”

“Good,” was all I said. I pushed it to the back of my mind—once more.

“Okay.” He didn’t believe me, but I knew he wouldn’t push it.

“Apologize for me?”

“Fine.” It was wrenched out of him, painfully and slowly. Corrigan sounded like he was being tortured.

“Good!” I sent a beaming smile his way and turned back to slide into Bryce’s booth. Chet, Harris, and a guy named Seth Haugen had taken residence around the booth.

They were chatting with him and continued when our food orders were taken.

When our food and drinks came, they departed only to be replaced by Becky Lew and Mandy Justice. Mandy was alright by my standards. She was one of the smarter girls in our class and she’d refrained from joining the cheerleading squad. She’d been the Senior Editor of the yearbook last year and everyone knew she’d be the same this year.

Plus, she was loyal and funny. The only downfall: she was friends with Becky Lew for some insane reason.

Becky said warmly, “Hi, Bryce. We missed you in class this morning.”

Gag.

“Hi, Becky,” I said loudly and sent her a sweet smile.

She managed to restrain a look of disgust, but smiled back and replied in a bland voice, “Hello, Sheldon. How are you? You haven’t been around that much this week.”

“Parent’s divorce. My house was broken into. I kinda had a lot going on.”

She froze in surprise, but with an eye blink, it was gone. Only to be replaced by the robot cheerleader façade once more.

No sympathy for me.

Instead she turned to Bryce and cooed, “No wonder you’ve been exhausted this week. You’re such a good friend, even loaning Sheldon your clothes.”

Bryce gave a full smile and remarked, “I like Sheldon in my clothes.”

I coughed back a laugh.

Becky scowled, blinked, and smiled. She ran a hand down his arm and gushed, “I’d love to wear your shirt.”

“There’s a requirement,” I stated matter-of-factly. “You gotta satisfy him first.”

Bryce choked back the laugh this time. He failed and had every table in the back section glance towards us in curiosity. It was known that Bryce Scout did not laugh.

“I think I could manage that,” she said, meltingly.

I choked back the vomit.

The urge to kick her was really tempting. Her shin was in perfect position. I could kick and smile like it never happened.

“Ow,” Becky complained and glared at Mandy. “What?”

Mandy had beaten me to it, but with an elbow to Becky’s side.

Mandy nudged her again and indicated towards the front entrance. She moved aside and we all saw Chad Yerling stroll into the diner. If he had looked awful after Bryce’s beating, he looked like he survived a bomb this time.

And the crazy look in his eyes didn’t help.

He had bruises everywhere, two busted lips, only one good eye, and the way he walked—at least three broken ribs.

As he neared Corrigan’s table, the two eyed each other in shared hatred.

Yerling passed by to enter the back section and he stopped when Chet, Seth Haugen, Harris, and a half dozen other guys stood up. A moment passed and then they all walked out.

It was another surreal moment.

A rift had occurred among the best of the best. Chad Yerling, second only to Corrigan and Bryce, had now been ostracized by all the guys in his grade. If he looked for friends underneath our grade, good luck to him. I highly doubted it.

He only stood with five or so friends behind him and they’d never be mistaken as one of the ‘best.’

When I looked at Bryce, he was staring at Corrigan who was staring back at him.

They shared an unspoken message and I saw approval flicker in Bryce’s eyes.

Becky abruptly left with Mandy trailing behind anxiously.

“Did you know?” I asked underneath my breath.