"Nothing," I say just to get my ex off my back. "I see nothing in Maggie Armstrong. If anything she's been a distraction because I can't have you." The bullshit is flying because I need to protect Maggie and Leah at all costs.
The sound of someone behind me makes me turn around. It's Maggie. She's heard every lying word out of my mouth.
Kendra slinks toward her. "Caleb, did you tell Maggie the truth about the accident?"
"Kendra. Don't," I say in a warning tone. "Or I'll clue Brian in about what's been going on between you and me. Isn't your dad's election next week?"
If Kendra had claws, they'd be out and she'd be murderous.
Maggie hobbles toward me. "What's been going on between you and Kendra, Caleb?"
Kendra puts her hands on her hips, ready for this battle to begin. "Yeah, Caleb. Tell her how many times we've been together since you came back."
What can I say? I want to tell Maggie the truth, I'm going to tell her the truth. About everything. But not here, not in front of Kendra. She's got nothing to do with me and Maggie.
"Say something," Maggie orders, her eyes on fire. When I don't, she slaps me and limps away.
I hate pep rallies. So I find it insane that I'm stuck in the middle of one today, of all days. But here I am, in the center of the crowd of athletes while the cheerleaders lead the rest of the school in pepping the entire student body.
As if a bunch of wrestlers want to be "peppy." But the guys'll take any excuse to ditch class for an hour.
Meyer stands at the podium as if he's the president of the United States instead of principal of a small-town school. "Settle down, everyone. Settle down." The place is still noisy, but it's the best he's going to get and he knows it. "This is a time to celebrate the students who represent the Paradise Panthers in athletics."
The crowd starts getting restless, the gymnasium floor vibrating from the noise.
"Settle down. Settle down. We're going to honor our athletes this afternoon. Each coach is going to come up and announce the members of their teams. Let's start with our largest team ... football!"
This sets the cheerleaders into a frenzy, kicking and cartwheeling all over the gym.
"Put your hand up when I call your name," the football coach says. "Adam Albers, Nate Atkins, Max Ballinski, Ty Edmonds ..." The list goes on and on for what seems like forever.
I'm standing next to Brian. "This is torture, man."
"Tell me about it," he says.
But when Coach Wenner gets up to the podium, the guys on the Paradise wrestling team are never ones to take a back seat. A roar goes up behind me. "Wee-ner! Wee-ner! Wee-ner!"
The guys are pronouncing the coach's name wrong on purpose. I bet Wenner is already planning how many extra push-ups he'll make the team do in practice to make up for it.
The rest of the school gets into it, even as the teachers are trying to put a kabash on the latest chant.
"Wee-ner! Wee-ner."
"Okay, ha ha, very funny. You had your laugh, now let's get to it," Coach says. "Andy Abrams, Caleb Becker, Adrian Cho, David Grant..."
Even though our school is small, it takes a while to get through all the names.
Finally, after more than an hour stuck in this hot gym, Meyer gets back on the mic and dismisses us to our sixth period classes. Trying to get out is like a mob scene. Everyone is as restless as I am to escape. But I'm hanging back.
I scan the bleachers. My sister is looking down, oblivious to anything except the stairs. Maggie is standing with the rest of the mob pushing through to get out. She looks so fragile standing there, like a bird surrounded by an elephant stampede.
There's some pushing and shoving. Two junior guys are fighting. And it's right where Maggie is. "Maggie, watch out!" I yell, but she can't hear me. She doesn't notice the commotion behind her, but I'm too late and it's too noisy. The guy is pushed into Maggie, who trips over two steps and lands flat on her knee.
"Maggie!" I yell, pushing people out of the way to get to her. I finally reach her and kneel next to her. "Maggie, you okay?"
She blinks, looks like she's going to be sick, and sits up.
"Mag-ie, Mag-ie, Mag-ie," the crowd starts chanting.
I look up at the crowd and yell, "Shut the f**k up!" but nobody is listening. I grab Maggie's elbow. She tries to pull away but I hang on tight. "Are you okay?" I ask once she's standing. Most of the kids have stopped chanting her name, but a few ass**les still have nothing better to do.
Drew grabs my shoulder and pulls me back. "Caleb, what are you helping her for? The bitch was responsible for putting you in jail."
I take my fist and slam it right into Drew's face. He charges me and we're at each other's throats, fists flying, until Wenner and another coach break us up.
"Where's Maggie?" I ask.
Wenner looks at me like I've lost it. "At the nurse."
"I've got to see her."
"The only thing you're seeing is the principal's office, Becker. What's wrong with you?"
I'm escorted to Meyer's office. I have no choice since Wenner has my wrists pinned behind my back. "Wait here for Mr. Meyer," the coach orders.
But as soon as he leaves the office, I hop over the front desk and open the nurse's door. Maggie's pants are rolled up just above her knees.