Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

‘I’m going to have to see them together every day at school. I don’t know if I can handle that’

‘I know how you feel I went through the same thing. I had to watch Charlie change girlfriends every few weeks but never choose me. It was heart breaking. But it turned out ok in the end. Just grit your teeth and try to be her friend and if you need to talk to anyone’ I pointed to myself.

‘Thanks’ he said.

‘Are you coming back to the beach?’

‘Nah I better clean up, I’ll see you at school tomorrow’

‘Ok see ya later’ I was going to kick Beth’s ass for this! I can’t believe summer is over and it’s back to school tomorrow. Only two more years and school was over. If Beth and Jack didn’t sort there shit out it was going to be one long ass year

First day of school. I have already been sick twice. I don’t think I have ever been so nervous. Brooke was picking me up in five minutes. I was waiting on the porch getting some fresh air.

‘You feel ok? I heard you been sick this morning’ Jessica asks me.

‘Just nerves I think’ I reply. Mine and Jessica’s relationship was still strained. She didn’t like the fact that I spoke to Max before her. Max was amazing I have to say. He has accepted me straight into his family. Unlike Jessica who still seems to resent that I’m here.

‘Well good luck I’m sure you will be fine’ she says.

‘See ya later Rose good luck’ Max yells running past both of us. He is late. Rose is his nickname for me, like English Rose. He thought it was funny till I started to call him Eagle.

‘See ya Eagle’ he shook his head and got in the car. Jessica shook her head and followed him.

Brooke pulled up and I got in the car.

‘That was a cheap shot last night. I know I said it before but I saw him later and he was just a mess’ Brooke said.

‘I don’t need a guilt trip ok I feel bad enough as it is and today is my first day. I will apologize to him I just have to get through today’

‘You’ll be fine today don’t worry’

We got to school and went to the reception so I could register. Once that was all sorted it was time to begin been and American high school student.

‘Do you remember where your locker is?’ Brooke asked.

‘Yeah’ I replied.

‘Cool go to your locker and I’ll meet you back here. We have first period together’

I went to my locker and stood looking at it. I had never had a locker before. We didn’t have them at my school.

‘Don’t you know how to open it?’ said a voice I knew straight away. Jackson was opening the locker right next to mine.

‘That’s your locker?’ I asked

‘Yeah. Alphabetical order. Connelly, Cooper’ he said pointing to himself then me. ‘Why are you staring at it?’

‘I’ve never had one before’

‘Take out your books for the first two periods and anything else you will need. Come back at morning break to switch and do the same at lunch. Take or leave your bag that’s optional and in winter if you’re moving buildings take your coat. It’s easy’

‘Ok. Thanks’

‘Anytime’ he put his things in his locker, closed the door and started to walk away.

‘Jackson’ I said. He turned to face me but didn’t say anything. People were staring. ‘I’m really sorry about last night. I was mad at you but you didn’t deserve that. I should have just talked to you properly. This thing with Freddie….’

He put his hand on my face stopping me dead. He looked right into my eyes deep into my soul.

‘I’ll wait’ he said. He kissed the side of my mouth and walked off.

People were really staring now. I closed my locker and went to meet Brooke.

The rest of the day went well. I had to make a few embarrassing speeches saying who I was and where I came from but other than that most people ignored me. The last lesson of the day was biology. I walked in and sat at an empty table. Jackson came in just after and sat beside me. Straight after him Freddie came in. Jackson had done this on purpose. I glared at him.

‘What?’ he asked all innocent.

I shook my head and turned to face Freddie. ‘Sorry’ I mouthed but he just winked at me. He told me last night he didn’t feel threatened by Jackson.

The teacher came and addressed the class.

‘Ok class settle down, I’m Mr Hardaker. These seats you are in are now you permanent seats for the whole year so get to know the person beside you because they are now you lab partner till July’

He carried on talking about what we could expect from the class throughout the year but I wasn’t really listening. I had to spend every class sat with Jackson. I should have asked Freddie’s friend to switch with me before the teacher came in.

‘Did you do that on purpose?’ I whispered.

He smirked ‘I figured when you finally chose me over Freddie you wouldn’t want to sit with him for the rest of the year’

‘You’re so thoughtful’

‘You’ll thank me later’ he was so sure of himself. I hate that about him. I kinda love it about him too though.

After class I waited for Freddie. He was walking me home. Jackson hung around too. I don’t know what he was waiting for.

Freddie came up to me and put his arm around my shoulder and kissed my forehead.

‘Are you ready?’ He asked.

‘Yep’ I said

‘Bye’ Jackson said.

I scowled at him but Freddie was as nice as ever ‘see you Jack’

‘He is so smug’ I say after we have left the classroom.

‘Don’t worry about him. He wants someone who he can’t have. I bet it’s really winding him up’

‘Now I have to sit with him all year too’

‘He practically barged me out the way to get to that seat first. What was he whispering to you?’

‘Pig! Nothing really’

He raised his eyebrows

‘He just said that in a few weeks I would be thanking him because we would break up and I wouldn’t want to sit with you all year’

‘You’re right he is smug’

The next few weeks went really fast, I had settled in nicely at school. Brooke and I were becoming great friends. I loved having her to talk to. Her and Charlie were great too. They had a great relationship. I liked Charlie a lot but he always wanted to talk about Jackson. Freddie and I were doing ok too. I think he was hoping maybe we would have gotten further along in our fooling around moments then we had but I just didn’t feel ready. When Jackson and I slept together it felt right straight away. Like I had known him forever but with Freddie I need time.

I know how much Jackson misses me. Every Biology lesson he tries to do something. He will brush against me or lean over to get something and he has to touch me. When I pass him something he always brushes my fingers.

The worst part about all of that is when he touches me I get shivers all over my body and I want him to take me right then and there on the lab table in front of everyone. Including my actual boyfriend.

I was considering ending things with Freddie just because I felt guilty every time I was with Jackson and I wasn’t doing anything wrong. We had a presentation in English to do last week and I got paired with Jackson so I went to his house to work on it. We had such a laugh. It reminded me why I had fallen for him in the first place. Then I spent the next three days trying to be the best girlfriend ever because I felt guilty. Brooke said I should decide what I want and go for it. Leading them both on was not fair.

All over the school were banners for Homecoming. Now from what Brooke had told me there would be a parade in the morning with the marching band, a football game in the afternoon which Jackson would play in and then a dance in the evening.

I was going to the game but not the rest.

I was discussing it with Freddie before biology started.

‘You’re my girlfriend we have to go together’ he said. He was getting angry.

‘But I don’t want to go’ I said ‘can’t you just accept that’

‘I bet you would go if Jack asked you’

‘Did you actually just say that to me?’

‘Are you ok?’ it was Jackson. Of course he was there.

‘Yeah fine’ I said sitting on my chair.

I didn’t speak for the rest of the lesson I just did my work. I was supposed to walk home with Freddie but I couldn’t face it.

‘Do you mind taking me home?’ I asked Jackson.

He looked surprised. ‘Of course not. Let’s go’ I didn’t look back at Freddie.

‘What were you fighting about?’ Jackson asked when we had set off from the school. I thought he would look happy or smug that we were fighting but he looked genuinely concerned.

‘It’s nothing, it’s stupid really’

‘Ok I can see you don’t want to talk about. Are you coming to the homecoming game?’

‘Yeah I wouldn’t miss it’

‘Good’ he sighed. He looked relieved.

‘I’m going with Max, he can’t wait’

‘I miss Max he is a good guy’

‘He is’ I smile. We pull up at my house. ‘Thanks for the lift’

‘Anytime’ he smiles at me. I go to get out the car. ‘Beth’ he says.

‘Yeah?’ I say looking back at him.

‘I’m here for you. No matter what you can always talk to me ok?’

‘Ok’ I said. I smiled and got out of the car.

I walked up the driveway and I saw Max sitting on the swing.

‘Hey’ he said. ‘Why did Jack bring you home?’

‘I had a fight with Freddie’

‘About what?’

‘He is pissed because I won’t go to the dance with him’

‘Ah’

‘It’s just not my thing’ I sigh and sit down. ‘He said I would go if Jackson asked me’

‘Would you?’

‘No’ I was telling the truth too. I couldn’t think of anything worse.

‘I know it’s your choice Rose and you have to make these decisions yourself but Freddie just doesn’t look at you like Jack does’

‘I have homework’ I say getting up and going in the house. I know how much Max likes Jackson but it wasn’t fair for him to do that.

It was the weekend and Brooke had planned a mini bonfire and BBQ on the beach. It wasn’t on the scale of the last bonfire we had. There were only about 20 people there. Freddie had picked me up in his mum’s car. He was still mad but trying not to show it in front of other people.

We were sat in a circle chatting when Charlie said. ‘So Beth once school is over in a few years what are you going to do? Stay here or go home?’

Brooke, Freddie and Jackson all looked at me.

‘I don’t know yet, it’s a while before I make that decision’

‘Is there anything that would