Page 9 of I Don't Need Your Love

“Did he have the option to attend another school or this one and decided to go to this one?” I ask.

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Like maybe he decided on Harrington Bay because of the people who attend?”

His brows dip. “The people who attend…? Carly, are you asking me if he chose Harrington becauseyougo there?”

My eyes pop open so wide I swear they almost roll off my face. “What? No way. What the heck. Why would you imply that?”

“You’re the one who’s implying that. Seriously, I’ve known you for sixteen years. You can be really obvious sometimes.”

I open my mouth to retort, but then snap it shut. Pssh, as if I think Ryder chose my school because of me. Unless he has some sick satisfaction with seeing me suffer…but nah, he’s notthatevil.

“I’m hanging up,” I say.

“Finally,” he grumbles. “Hey, Carly?”

“What?”

“Give the guy a break, will you? You never know what a person is going through in life. Just let Ryder enjoy himself at Harrington Bay and take advantage of every opportunity, okay?”

My eyebrows shoot up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Goodbye, Carly.” He ends the call.

I puff out my cheeks, causing my own hair to fly off my forehead. That was a really weird message from my brother, but I have no time or patience to try to figure it out. I still have so much homework to do, and I can’t forget that I’m supposed to find a club to join.

Ugh, why is Principal Harrington forcing me to choose a club? Maybe it would be easier to just try to raise my grades, but that feels like an impossible mountain to climb. And I don’t want to bother Sophie because she has other people to tutor. If there was a club I might like with people I might like…but that seems impossible, too. Everyone at school likes to pretend the scholarship kids don’t exist. I’m sure they’d jump for joy if I were to invade their turf.

“Why does life have to be more complicated than it needs to be?” I whine as the door opens and Addie walks in. She waves goodbye to someone and blows him a kiss—definitely Caleb—then closes the door and skips into the room like she spent the last few hours in paradise.

But her expression disappears when she takes in my scowl. “You okay, Carly?” She puts down her backpack and bounces on her bed. “You were complaining about your life being complicated?”

With a groan, I get up from my desk and face-plant on my bed. “Principal Harrington wants me to contribute to the school. Apparently, I’m a parasite that’s leeching off the benevolence of this fine establishment.”

I hear her gasp. “She said that?”

I turn my head and say, “Nah. But she made me feel that way. I mean, I know I’m lucky to go to this school, but…” I sigh. “Everything is so complicated.”

It’s like I was sort of forced to go because my dad was given the opportunity. It would have been selfish of me to say no, especially after everything he went through. He was out of a job for a few months and didn’t know how his family was going to make ends meet. He was so happy when they offered his job back, and even happier when they offered me the scholarship. As much as he supports my dream to be a professional dancer, he wants me to have a backup plan to fall back on. Hence the insistence that I take advanced English.

“I get it,” Addie says. “But you shouldn’t force yourself to change just to please Harrington, or anyone else. You’re perfect just as you are.”

I smile at her. “Thanks. See, this is why we became instant best friends. So since I can’t become a straight-A student overnight, Harrington said I should join a club. But I have no idea which club to join. If any of you guys were in a club, I would immediately join. But the last thing I want is to hang out with people who don’t want me around.”

Addie thinks for a few seconds. “That’s tough. I was part of a few clubs at my old school, but all my friends were there, too. It would have sucked to be there by myself.”

“My parents would tell me it’s the perfect chance for me to get to know more students and make new friends. But they obviously don’t know the snobs that go here.”

“Some kids are okay. But they’re probably not in clubs, either.”

“Too bad there’s no dance club,” I say as I smash my face into my pillow again. “That would be a no-brainer.”

“Maybe you can start one,” Addie says. “You guys can compete and also perform during halftime at games.”

My head springs up from my bed. “Addie, you’re a genius!”

“I am?”