Cody frowned, wondering how he’d managed to make Nate so somber. “They become serial killers. Whatta you think?”
Nate laughed, like Cody’d hoped he would, and it felt like they were back on solid ground again.
“Christine’s cool. She’s a year behind us. Her brother Larry is our year though, and he’s the world’s biggest asshole. Just so you know.”
“Can’t wait to meet him.”
Cody sighed, noting the way the Orange Grove residents were all watching them while trying to look like they weren’t. “They’re gonna give you hell for giving me a ride. You should tell ’em we just met, and you felt sorry for me.”
“I’m not telling them that.”
Cody rubbed his forehead, wondering how many times he’d get his ass kicked this year. Then he glanced at Nate and wondered the same thing about him. Of course, once Nate was in tight with the preps, he’d only have the cowboys to worry about. Cody, on the other hand, was pretty much fair game. He felt like the minute he and Nate walked through the front doors, he’d be alone again. No matter what Nate said now, he wouldn’t want to keep being seen with Cody. Not once he heard what those Orange Grove assholes had to say. But putting it off wasn’t going to make it any easier to lose the best friend he’d had in years.
“Well,” Cody made himself say, “I guess it’s now or never.”
“Guess so.”
The first bell rang as they climbed out of the car. On a normal school day, that would have meant five minutes before first period started. Today, they followed the crowd into the gym to pick up schedules and locker assignments. Lines were forming based on the first letter of last names. Not surprisingly, the Bs and the Ls weren’t in the same line.
Cody’s stomach squirmed. A lump started to form in his throat, and he swallowed hard, telling himself to stop being such a sentimental fool.
Nate took a deep breath. “I’ll see you at lunch, right?”
Cody shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stared at the toes of his shoes. After the trip to Rock Springs for clothes, he was down to his last five dollars, and he wasn’t about to spend it on a school lunch. He’d scarfed down a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast. That and a smoke at lunch would have to tide him over until after school. But no way in hell was he telling Nate any of that.
“Right,” he lied.
“Okay. Here goes nothing.”
And just like that, Cody was alone.
Not like it was the first time or anything, but it felt a bit lonelier than it ever had before.
Nate found the line for seniors with last names starting with letters A through C and took his spot at the end, right behind Brian.
“Hey!” Brian said, as if they were long-lost friends and not two guys who’d barely spoken as they’d passed a joint around a campfire. “Nathan, right?”
“I go by Nate.”
“Where’ve you been, man? Nobody’s seen you around at all.”
Nate glanced over at Cody, still waiting in line for his own schedule. He had his arms crossed protectively over his chest and his head down. “At home.”
“Well hey, don’t worry about being the new kid. I got your back, you know?”
Somehow, that didn’t make Nate feel any better. “Thanks.”
They collected their schedules and locker assignments, and Brian stepped close to compare them. They were almost a perfect match.
“Come on. I’ll show you where the lockers are before first period starts.”
Nate looked around for Cody. It took him a few seconds, but he finally spotted him against the far wall. Cody was chewing his lip, staring at his own slip of paper. Nate wondered how many classes they’d have together, or if their lockers were at least close.
Brian caught the direction of his gaze and laughed, throwing his arm over Nate’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about him. I don’t know how you got stuck giving that loser a ride, but he’ll leave you alone now that he knows you’re one of us.”
Nate had a feeling that was more true than even Brian knew. Cody looked up right then, his eyes meeting Nate’s for only a fraction of a second. One brief moment, with Nate trying to say, Don’t leave me.
He had a feeling what Cody was saying was Good-bye.
Nate hardly saw Cody the rest of the day. The passing periods were too crazy, with Nate trying to find his way around a brand-new school while Brian and Jennifer introduced him to the rest of their Orange Grove friends. He’d already met Brad, Michelle, and the other Jennifer, but there were nearly a dozen more, across all four grades, all of them in designer jeans and Members Only jackets. By lunchtime, Nate wished his mom had never bought his. He hid it in his locker and looked for Cody.