Page 9 of I Would Stay Forever (Parkhurst Prep #2)

seven

I felt like an idiot as I walked out the back door of the school later that day.

I knew nobody would be waiting for me under the bleachers, yet my feet carried me across the tarmac toward the large football field and the grey bleachers surrounding it.

The only times I ever came back here were for Sebastian’s soccer games, which were on the other field.

Unlike most of the student population, I had very little interest in sports—other than volleyball, of course.

The sun was beating down as I stepped outside, only worsened by the fact that I was wearing a dark blazer.

I slipped my sunglasses on my face and pulled my hair up in a messy bun to get it off my neck, but otherwise kept my face down like I was worried about somebody seeing me.

It wasn’t like it was against any school rules to come back here, and I was sure nobody would even bat an eye at it, but I had an odd feeling that I was doing something wrong.

There was a surprising number of people out back, even though no clubs or sports teams had started yet for the year.

Some girls were dotted around the football field, doing cartwheels and flips while their friends gossiped and took videos—probably the cheerleaders prepping for try-outs this week— while some guys ran the tracks.

Shirtless, of course, because who wouldn’t want to see that?

I glanced around as I came up to the side of the bleachers, looking to find an opening to fit under them.

I had a weird feeling that I was being watched, even though I didn’t recognize anybody around.

At least, not until I glanced at the far side of the field where there was a railing dividing the track from the bleachers, and I saw Sebastian, lips locked with Tiffany.

I froze. Sure, there was no reason I wasn’t allowed over here.

No reason for this to be questionable… except that everybody knows you go under the bleachers for privacy.

As in, the perfect place to make-out with no witnesses.

Sebastian and Tiffany could probably take that tip, except they were extremely into PDA to a nauseating degree.

But Sebastian knew how gross I found that, which meant if he saw me coming under here, he would probably think I was meeting a guy.

And if he thought that, then he would come over to threaten him and…

Well, I wasn’t sure what would happen. Because I didn’t know if there even was somebody under here. But my brother witnessing me getting supposedly stood up would be bad enough too.

Hovering here and debating it was probably the worst thing I could do at this moment, because it just meant a higher chance of him noticing me, but I was frozen in place from indecision.

As if the universe heard that thought and decided to make the decision for me, two hands came out from under the bleachers and grabbed me.

I screamed as I was pulled into the dark space, but a hand clamped over my mouth to muffle the sound.

I stumbled backwards, trying to elbow the person who had a hold on me, but clearly my defensive skills were not up to snuff because I kept missing and only getting air.

“Shhhh, Lavender, it’s just me,” a voice whispered in my ear. I wasn’t normally one for recognizing voices, but I’d know this one anywhere.

Because the person who asked me to meet him under the bleachers was my brother’s best friend.