Page 4 of Offside Attraction

I hate this place because of one person.

The boy who ruined my life in middle school.

The boy who scarred me that summer.

Hayes Griffin.

As wealthy as his parents are, they still didn’t move away from this town—even though they’ve traveled the world. And to make matters worse, I’ll be attending the same high school as him.

Hayes Griffin.

The bane of my existence.

The one person I have loathed for years.

All because my mom thinks this school is perfect for me. A prestigious private school. One that’s supposed to shape me into something better. Something acceptable. Something I’m not.

Four years ago, Hayes tricked me into believing he could change.

I was stupid enough to trust him.

Stupid enough to believe he liked me.

And now, every time I think back to that day, I ask myself the same question:

How could I have been that fucking naive?

How could I have trusted the one person I should have known better than to trust?

The only answer I ever come up with is this:

I was fourteen.

And Hayes Griffin was a big deal.

And I wanted—desperately—for him to like me.

Because a part of me liked him more than I ever wanted to admit.

I was so fucking stupid.

So fucking naïve.

The day after Hayes and his friends beat me up, he told everyone at camp that I tried to force myself on him. That I made him drink alcohol. That I was some kind of pervert.

I tried to defend myself.

No one believed me.

He knew they wouldn’t.

Hayes Griffin had everyone exactly where he wanted them.

I got kicked out of camp with people whispering, laughing, calling me names I still hear in my sleep.

I’ve hated him ever since.

The bullying in middle school? I brushed it off back then. My pubescent, confused heart wanted the last person it should’ve wanted, so I ignored the cruelty. I ignored the warning signs.