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I nodded, wishing I could say the same.

The end of the day couldn’t come fast enough as my thoughts churned. I couldn’t decide if the Pack was playing an elaborate prank on me or if there really was something different about them, and by default, me. They seemed to think I belonged, but to what?

“Jess, can you stay a few minutes after class?” The teacher interrupted my internal turmoil and I nodded automatically. She gave me a forced smile and I frowned, my thoughts now distracted as I wondered what she wanted to talk about. Anna gave me a curious glance from across the row, but all I could do was shrug.

Once the bell rang, the teacher waited until everyone had left before approaching me.

“How are you settling in, Jess?”

I blinked, her question not what I had been expecting. It seemed like a strange thing to keep me after school for.

“Good,” I answered as she stood next to my desk, her position keeping me trapped. She gazed at me expectantly, but I kept my mouth shut. Years of dealing with my mother had made me an expert in the art of the silent treatment.

“Are you making friends? It’s so important to have the right friends.” The stress she put on right gave me a clue as to why she’d suddenly decided to ‘check in’ on me.

“I’ve met several people. Everyone is so friendly,” I replied, avoiding a direct answer.

“Reputations are equally important,” she continued and I narrowed my eyes. “It’s wonderful when a teacher takes an interest in a student.” Hmmm, wonder what she could be referring too? “But it can have unintentional repercussions.”

“I don’t understand,” I replied blandly, keeping my eyes trained on her. “What repercussions could there be with you taking an interest in how I’m doing?” A light flush appeared on her cheeks as I intentionally misunderstood her question.

“I was referring to other teachers,” she amended, shifting slightly.

“Who?” I gave her a puzzled look, wanting to know how far she’d take this. It was clear my arrival in the cafeteria with Dominic hadn’t gone unnoticed, but this seemed extreme.

“Coach Navarre,” she clarified, as I acted surprised.

“Coach Navarre,” I repeated slowly and then smiled brightly. “Oh, is that the guy who escorted me to the lunchroom?”

“Yes, you sat with him at lunch.”

My forehead wrinkled with a confused frown.

“I had lunch with Anna,” I answered politely.

“Yes, but Coach Navarre was there,” she explained tightly.

“Is that an issue?” I asked carefully and then widened my eyes. “Are you saying Coach Navarre likes me?”

“No!” She answered sharply. “Of course not, but you can see how easily people could believe something like that.”

“He’s old,” I informed her and leaned forward as if I was confiding in her, “And kind of a jerk.” I stood up then, the motion catching her off balance as she scrambled to stay upright. “But I’m so grateful for teachers like you.” She smiled in pleasure until I added, “Otherwise, people might gossip about me and who I eat lunch with and imply things that aren’t true.”

The classroom door opened then and we both turned to see Caleb standing in the door.

“Hey, I thought we were walking together,” he said, a bright smile on his face. Gratefully, I took the out he gave me, having a feeling Anna had sent him.

“Yep, Ms. Nichols was just seeing how I was settling in and giving me some advice.” She stepped aside as I shuffled past her, my bag bumping into her. “Apparently eating lunch with teachers is bad for my reputation.” Caleb’s eyes widened as she sputtered next to me, but I was through caring.

I hitched my backpack higher and made a beeline for the door. No doubt, I’d just made an enemy but it seemed like she’d already had her mind made up. Sitting with the so-called Pack at lunch was apparently enough to convince people I was one of them, but Dominic’s attention toward me was an entirely different issue, one that came with insinuations.

When I exited the classroom, Caleb jerked me to the right, nodding toward the exit doors leading to the fields in the back.

“Are you walking home today?” He asked, his question friendly, and overall the total opposite of Dominic.

“Yes,” I answered, wondering how someone so easygoing could be friends with –

“Dominic,” I sighed aloud as he appeared next to me. “Not Anna then,” I murmured, answering my own question of who had sent Caleb in to rescue me.

“What does Anna have to do with anything?” Dominic questioned with a lift of his eyebrow.

“Nothing apparently,” I replied. “What are you doing here?”

“It appears you were right,” he stated, a grim expression on his face.

“How much does it pain you to admit that?”

“A little bit,” he admitted as Caleb watched in amusement. “Apparently, I showed you preferential treatment.”