cupcakes and personalized cookies for special occasions. They’re overpriced for cake, in my opinion, which makes this peace offering she’s holding in her palms that much more thoughtful.

As my cousin pushes open his door, I sit with my back firmly pressed into my seat. I can’t bear to watch, and maybe, if I’m lucky, he’ll close the door before I have to listen.

“Awe, shucks, Double D. It’s not my birthday,” he says, leaving the door wide open behind him. I breathe out through my nose and close my eyes. He has to stop calling her that. It’s harassment, and it doesn’t help his cause. More importantly, she doesn’t deserve it.

“I know, I just— I don’t know why things between us are so . . . you know,” she stammers. Fuck, I should get out and help her through this. I should be her wingman, make my cousin accept this gracefully. But I am still sitting here. All I’ve been able to muster is the strength to reopen my eyes so I can watch this disaster go down in flames.

“Well, how do you want things to be between us?” He leans into the side of the door, blocking my view. I lean forward to catch Hollis’s gaze. Her eyes flit nervously to me then back to him.

“I don’t know. Cordial, I guess?”

My lip ticks up with a stunted laugh. Ten bucks says Zack has no idea what the word cordial means.

“So you bought me cupcakes?” He steps forward, taking the box from her hands.

“Everyone says this place is good, and I wasn’t sure whether you liked vanilla or chocolate, so I got both.”

Goddamn, she’s being so thoughtful. I’m not sure why she’s trying so hard with him, but I can’t help but feel this has something to do with that board meeting and the whispers at the district level about her dad and his coaching position. Not to say that Hollis isn’t capable of doing something nice for Zack for no reason, but from what I know of her and from what I’ve seen of my cousin’s behavior, I would say he sure as shit doesn’t deserve it.

“Let’s see,” Zack says, tucking the open box in the crook of his arm, pinching it between his side and elbow while he pulls the paper from the bottom of a gooey, chocolate cake. I can tell by the movement of his head and jaw that he’s taking a bite.

“Nope, don’t like chocolate,” he says, letting the cake fall from his hand to the ground. The thick frosting spatters. Hollis’s lips part in disbelief as she blinks slowly at the wasted cake.

“Zack, knock it off,” I finally say. I hate that I let it play out as far as it did. The liar inside me wants to say it’s because I was giving Zack the benefit of the doubt, but really, I’m just a coward.

I get out of the car and pull my bag up on my arm as I step around to meet my cousin and the girl I’m maybe starting to like too much. Her jaw is flexed in a way that has the offended, open-mouthed smile locked in place.

“She’s just trying to be nice, dude. Say thank you and take the damn cupcakes.” I sigh, shaking my head and wondering how this is the conversation I’m having this morning. Hollis is still staring at the discarded cake on the ground.

“Was she, though? Being nice, I mean.” My cousin tilts his head to the side and glances at me then back to Hollis again, practically daring her to stare back at him.

Lifting her chin, she closes her mouth and lets it fall into a stubborn, hardened frown.

Not wanting to see this escalate further, especially given the many places my mind is taking it, I intervene completely, taking the box into my own hands, closing the lid, and shoving it into my cousin’s chest. I step into the space between him and Hollis, cutting them off from one another.

“Yes, she was. Now, say thank you and go to first hour.” I hold his stare for longer than I want. His eyes swirl with something truly hateful mixed with unwarranted betrayal. He didn’t give me a choice with this. I will stand by him when he’s right, but I’ve never been about signing up to be part of the school dick squad. I’ve got enough of a label floating around out there from being an introvert who doesn’t like parties and small talk. Just ask that girl, Abby.

Zack finally gives in and breaks our stare, but only so he can look down at the mess he made on the asphalt.

“Thanks for the shitty present, Double D,” he says, and I shove his chest, crinkling the box when I do it.

“Her name is Hollis,” I seethe.

His smirk is faint and cynical, and it’s the only thing I’m going to get in return. My body teems with aggression, and if he were to let loose and take a swing at me, I might knock him out. Maybe he senses that, or maybe he likes the attention he’s drawn from people standing nearby. Roland and a few other guys from the team have gathered on the walkway that leads to the school, and they’re entertained, trying to choke off their own laughter. All I keep thinking is how disgusted Coach Taylor would be if he saw them, even if it wasn’t his daughter they’re targeting. The fact it is Hollis only makes it worse.

Zack steps into me, his hot breath in my face. A few more inches closer and he’ll be crushing the box into my chest.

“Whatever,” he grunts out, crashing his shoulder into mine again, harder than he did earlier. My shoulders swivel but my feet remain firm where I stand. I reach forward and slam his car door shut, then trail his steps with my eyes as he joins the laughing group of trolls who have picked the wrong side in this war. Without looking

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