Page 26 of Save Me (Maxton Hall #1)

James

Watching lacrosse without being allowed to play truly sucks.

My team is pumped with adrenaline as they emerge from the changing rooms, and player after player high-fives me as I stand like a spectator on the edge of the field between the stands.

I let the misery wash over me, but at this moment, I regret everything, especially my decision to liven up the Back-to-School party a bit.

The worst part is that Roger Cree, the new guy who’s taken my position, is so good that he’s developing into a genuine rival.

If he’d been crap, my place on the team would be safe, but now?

How can I be sure the coach will want to keep me once my suspension is over?

Especially seeing how well Cree’s getting on with Cyril and the rest of the guys lately.

Speaking of the devil, he comes and holds out his fist to me, and I bump it reluctantly with my own, then join the subs on the bench.

I cross my ankles and watch the other team run out onto the field and take their positions against my boys.

They’re a good team. I recognize a lot of the players from last season.

One of their attackers is particularly hard to pin down, and lightning fast. I hope Cyril’s got an eye on him.

“Hey, Beaufort. Sorry you don’t get to play,” one of the guys on the bench says out of nowhere. His name’s Matthew, but I doubt that we’ve ever spoken a word to each other before now.

“Yeah, bro, gotta be shit,” someone else agrees.

“I don’t get why they banned you anyway. It was a great prank.”

“And it’s your last year. Can’t be great to spend the season on the bench.”

OK, that’s enough. I jump up without a word and walk to the edge of the field. I’m glad I’m wearing shades. Not just because the sun is bloody bright for October, but also so that nobody can see how I’m feeling.

I stand a little distance from Freeman and cross my arms, looking over the field. I hate watching my team when there’s nothing I can do. It takes less than five minutes from the whistle for the opposition to score.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see Ruby and her friend Lin running toward us. They’re both bright red in the face with windblown hair. As they come to a halt, Ruby swears loudly. She hasn’t spotted me yet, so I get the chance to study her unobtrusively.

She’s wearing her uniform even though most people come to watch our games in their own clothes or sports kit.

She’s got a tripod in one hand and a notebook in the other, and on her back, she has that same tatty backpack that always looks like it’s about to fall apart.

It’s almost exactly the color of puke but makes her look kind of cute all the same.

Like a Ninja Turtle. A Ninja Turtle with messed-up hair and a bright red face.

I take my time strolling over to them, watching her set up the tripod and an expensive-looking camera.

“Can I help?” I ask.

Ruby whirls round and stares at me, wide-eyed. Clearly, she still hasn’t got used to my efforts to be friendly. I spent the week saying hello when I bumped into her, and she jumped every time, like she just doesn’t expect anyone to speak to her outside lessons.

“Have we missed anything?” she asks frantically. Her eyes dart over the field and then back to Mr. Freeman. But he’s so deep in the game that he hasn’t even noticed that Ruby and Lin are late.

“Ridgeview scored. Right at the whistle,” I say.

Ruby nods and scribbles something in her pad. “Great, thanks.”

Meanwhile, Lin is getting the camera set up and checking the settings before she starts taking photos.

After that, they’re both engrossed in documenting the match.

I realize that I would much rather watch Ruby than my team.

The sight of her is way less painful. We regained the lead ages ago, and we’re now thumping Ridgeview, but I can’t feel as happy as I should.

Cree sets up two goals, and in the second half, he scores himself, which makes it crystal clear that the lads don’t even need me.

I’d rather be anywhere but here, so I don’t know why I’m hanging around.

Even so, I stand stony-faced at the edge of the field, letting the game pass me by, clapping when anyone scores, swearing when the other side gets one over on us, while answering all of Ruby and Lin’s questions.

After the ninety minutes, I don’t feel like we’ve conquered the world, as I usually do after a win.

I’m knackered and can’t stand it here a second longer.

The idea of spending tonight at Cyril’s party amid all the sympathy of everyone who saw me standing here on the edge of the pitch today makes me ill.

I turn away without a word before the teams leave the field and run back toward the school.

I pull out my phone and get Percy on speed dial to come and pick me up.

“James!”

I glance back over my shoulder.

Ruby is running after me. Her fringe and the wind are not best friends; some of it is sticking straight up in the air.

She sees my look and flattens it down against her forehead again.

It’s one of her quirks that I’ve really noticed in the last few weeks.

Now I know about the little comb she carries around in her pencil case, which she uses when she doesn’t think anyone’s looking.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Are you OK?”

Why is she asking? Nobody asks me stuff like that—because absolutely nobody cares how I am. And even if that isn’t true, most of them have too much respect for me, or are too scared of me, to ask that question.

“It can’t be nice to watch the others play, right?” she asks gently.

“Nope.”

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. “Would you rather be alone?”

Uncertainly, I rub the back of my neck and shrug. Thank God for Alistair, who saves me from having to answer. He jogs, red-faced, over the grass and stops in front of us.

“Beaufort! Whither goest thou, my friend?”

OK, that’s an even fucking stupider question than Ruby’s. “Home.”

“Uh, it’s Cy’s party. Forgotten?”

No, I hadn’t forgotten, but Cyril’s party is the last thing I’m in the mood for.

Not that I can say so to Alistair. The team won, and I’m still co-captain, even if I’m currently suspended.

It wouldn’t be fair to duck the celebrations with the lads.

Not to mention the fact that I can’t face the questions that would definitely be asked if I didn’t show.

“Sure, I’ll be there.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ruby’s expression change. I avoid looking directly at her.

“Don’t look like that, mate. It’s going to be amazing. We’ll have the house to ourselves.”

I just growl.

“Hey, why don’t you come too, Ruby?” I give Alistair a warning look, but he just grins and looks at us both in turn.

“You don’t have to,” I say hastily. Cyril’s party is definitely not the place for a person like Ruby. “I don’t think you’d enjoy it.”

I realize that was the wrong thing to say when Ruby frowns. She’s looking as though she took it as a challenge—the exact opposite of what I intended.

“What makes you think you know what I like and what I don’t?”

Alistair hides a cough, and I glare at him. He did that on purpose. He knows exactly what happens at these parties and what everyone there is like.

“I’d love to come, Alistair. Thanks for asking me,” Ruby says with a smile that’s way too charming to be real. “When and where?”

Alistair is opening his mouth to reply when I step in.

“I’ll give you a lift.”

Ruby’s shoulders tense.

“There’s no need for that, James.”

“It’s no problem to pick you up on the way.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Can you even drive?”

Alistair whistles appreciatively. Apparently, he’s enjoying me taking a verbal beating. I shake my head.

“Percy will drive us if that’s OK with you.”

Now she’s grinning from ear to ear. “That’s very much OK with me.”

“Percy, hmm? Yeah, I could be into him too. Looks a bit like Antonio Banderas,” Alistair remarks.

Bloody hell. Why can’t I keep my head straight when she’s around? I promised Lydia that I’d keep an eye on her—and that’s all there is between us. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

“Great. Percy will be at your place at eight.”

Ruby nods. “Fab.”

Ruby

Cyril Vega lives in the biggest, poshest house I’ve ever seen in my life.

I’m not even sure that “house” is the right word for what I’m facing here.

The grounds—which we were only allowed onto once Percy’s number plate had been checked by a security camera—seem endless.

Wherever I look, there’s nothing but manicured lawns and symmetrically planted shrubs and trees.

As James and I get out of the car, I stop for a moment, stare up, and take in the impressive facade. There are high pillars on either side of the entrance and a huge balcony above it, making the place look like a stately home from a different age.

At my side, James seems entirely unfazed as we climb the broad stone steps to the massive front door. But that’s hardly surprising. For one thing, Cyril’s one of his best friends, and for another, I bet his own house is at least this big. I feel my palms grow cold and clammy.

What am I doing here?

I swore never to go to one of their crazy parties.

But a single stupid comment from James was enough to get my hackles up.

I simply had to do the opposite of what he wanted, and in retrospect, that was just plain silly.

It’s been annoying me all week that the trip to London with James was enough to blow my anonymity at Maxton Hall, and now I’m going to this party with him, where a lot of my year group will be too.

I didn’t think for a second this afternoon about what that would mean.

People will definitely be talking about us again—probably more so this time.