Chapter 5 Our team had won gold at the competition, which meant automatic acceptance to Stanfordâbasically a golden ticket.
Initially, I had declined the offer.
Because I wanted to attend UC Davis with Zephyr.
My mom and Zephyrâs mom had been best friends since college.
Zephyr and I grew up togetherâsandbox to high school, the whole cliché.
But after his parentsâ nasty divorce, Zephyrâs 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 fightsâliving like there was no tomorrow.
He became the schoolâs resident bad boy with a capital B.
Yet girls still flocked to him, buying into that whole âdamaged but desirableâ fantasy.
I couldnât 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 frogâmarching him home with me instead.
I monitored him, pursued him, convinced I could be his salvation.
Behind my back, everyone talked:
Phoebe Johnson isnât even Zephyrâs girlfriend, sheâs just obsessed with him.
Chapter 5 Phoebeâs nothing but a desperate slut, following Zephyr round the pigry.
Phoebeâs 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 worldâs sickest ja As thrilled as Iâd been when Zephyr kissed me in the dark, I was equally destroyed hearing those words.
I still canât 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 time being 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 shame came crashing 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.
I 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 didnât 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 disoriented, to submit my application for Stanfordâs early admission program.
Just as I left the teacherâs office, someone grabbed my wrist and yanked me into a confined space.
Zephyrâs stupidly handsome face loomed inches from mine, his messedâup hair framing those eyes, the smell of cigarettes clinging to his clothes.
He wasnât smiling. His grip on my hand was painfully tight as he backed me against the wall âWhat the actual fuck, Phoebe? You suddenly too good for me now?â
âGhosting my calls, leaving me on read, you trying to make me look like some desperate loser?â
âWhereâd you disappear to that night? Why werenât you wearing my little present, huh? Not shurry enough for you?â
His eyes narrowed, his tone mockingly casual but dripping with menace.
When I finally registered where we were, I snapped fully awake.
He had dragged me into a stall in the boysâ bathroom!
I trembled with rage, bile rising in my throat.