Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

looked at me broke my heart. For the last 3 weeks I haven’t been able to get that look out of my head. I was going to just leave her to get on with her life but our lockers are next to each other and when I saw her I knew I had to get her back. I know you don’t trust me and I know she doesn’t. She said she wants to take things slow but I am not sure if that means it will never happen. All I know is that for the rest of my life I am going to do everything in my power to gain back her trust. And yours’

‘That’s a big speech Jack’

‘I mean every single word’

‘Ok well you may come and keep her company. You sleep on the couch though’

‘Of course’ I smiled

‘Oh and Jack’

‘Yeah’

‘If you ever hurt her again I will make sure she never speaks to you again’

‘I swear I won’t’

‘Ok then. Happy Thanksgiving Jack’

‘Same to you Max’

He hung up. Wow that was tough. I’m late to lunch so take off at a fast walk so Beth doesn’t think I have forgotten.

I walk into the cafeteria and look at her normal table. She is there with Brooke and Charlie and Freddie. He is sat next to her. I look at the way he is turned towards her with his arm around the back of her chair. He was trying to worm his way back in.

I walk over and sit next to Brook opposite Beth.

‘I spoke to Max’ I say

‘Oh yeah’ she smiles ‘how was it?’

‘Emotional hell’ I say and her, Brooke and Charlie laugh ‘anyway he said I can come over tonight’

Beth smiled.

‘What’s that?’ Freddie asked

‘Jackson is coming to mine for dinner tonight and we are going to watch a movie’ Beth said smiling at me. I smiled back at her.

‘Then she is coming to mine for Thanksgiving’

‘Oh ok’ Freddie said. Then he packed up his stuff and said he had to go.

‘What’s his deal?’ Charlie asked.

‘He probably thought he had a chance with Beth now her and Jack split’ Brooke said.

‘I don’t think it would be fair to put him through all that again do you?’ Beth said.

‘What do you mean?’ Charlie asked.

‘I’m just not interested’ she said. Her comment made me smile.

 

I was at my locker waiting for Beth to come to hers so we could walk to Biology together. I saw her walking towards me and I smiled. Just then out of nowhere Freddie opened the door to a classroom and pulled her in. I ran towards the classroom door and heard them arguing.

‘I don’t understand what it has to do with you?’ Beth was saying.

‘I just don’t understand’ Freddie said.

‘You don’t need to’ she started to walk toward the door. ‘I’m sorry I hurt you I really am and I’m sorry if you thought because Jackson and I broke up that you had another chance with me but since the day I got here Jackson is the only person I have wanted. I need him in my life. I know he hurt me and so does he but you don’t know what we went through together. I would like it if we could be friends but I understand if you can’t’ she opened the door. ‘Oh and one more thing. Don’t ever drag me into a classroom again’ she walked out and saw me stood there. ‘Ready for class?’ ignoring that I was clearly listening.

We got into class and took our seats. We were chatting about tonight and laughing when Freddie walked past us. I actually felt sorry for him. I knew what it felt like to love Beth but not have her and it sucks. He looked sad.

‘So you don’t care what I cook tonight?’ she asked pulling me back to her.

‘No anything will be fine’ I say half smiling.

‘You ok?’

‘Yeah I’m fine’ I said ‘I just feel bad for him’

‘It’s not your fault Jackson its mine. I led him on and it wasn’t fair’

‘I just know what it’s like to love you and lose you’ she blushed and looked like she was going to say something but the teacher spoke.

 

After class I asked her if she wanted a ride home but she said no and that Brooke was taking her. She told me to come round around seven and then she walked away. I went home and went straight to my room. After half an hour my dad put his head round the door.

’You got a sec?’ He asked.

’Yeah sure’ I said putting down my book. He walked in and sat at the end of my bed. 

‘Your mum tells me your friend Beth is coming for Thanksgiving’ I don’t say anything. This is weird. He has never come and talked to me about anything other than football. ‘I’m worried about your grandfather. He dosent know that she is the reason you got hurt and if he finds out then I’m afraid he might say something to her’.

’it isn’t her fault I got hurt’ i say sitting forward. ‘What else should I have done? Should I have left her there incase I ruined my chaces of making MVP this year’ I got up and walked to the door. I was angry but I didn’t want fight the first time we had a real conversation. ‘If pops is upset that I broke my arm saving the girl I love then who cares. As long as Beth loves me then he can do one’

’Do one?’ He asks.

’Its something Beth says’

’He’s your grandfather’

’Hes also incredibly jugdemental’ I walk out then and go to shower and get ready for Beth’s. 

Its so typical that he wants me to hide what happened from pops. If football was all my dad cared about then pops was worse. Tomorrow was going to be horrible.

I showered and dressed and headed to Beth’s. 

When she answered the door I realised I was nervous. She smiled and let me past her. I could hear football on in the living room so I went in. She was watching Soccer. I’d seen her watch Football with Max but she didn’t ever look interested. She came in with some drinks and set them down on the table.

’What you watching?’ I ask.

’Football’ she says walking back in the kitchen.

Ive never watched a Soccer game before. It looks like England are playing. She comes back and puts 2 pizzas on the table. 

‘Max recorded it for me because of the time difference’ she said sitting down.

’You like Soccer?’ I asked 

‘Football’ she said taking a slice of pizza. I did the same ‘yeah I like it’

’Huh’

’What?’

’I’m just Surprised is all. I thought you didn’t like sports?’

’I never said that’ she said eating the pizza. 

‘You don’t like Football’

’Just because I don’t like American Football doesn’t mean I don’t like sports’

’So what sports do you like?’ I asked.

’Cricket, tennis, basket ball, rugby’

’Well aren’t you just full of surprises’

’I would love to go to a Wimbledon final’ she hasn’t taken her eyes off the game.

’Come on, go, go, oh god that was shit’ she shouts.

’Ive never seen you like this’ I say. ‘Who’s your team?’ I ask.

’Leeds United’ she says ‘I used to go to the games with my dad when they played at home. Whenever England played we always watched together with a pizza’ she looked down ‘He loved football’

I put my hand on hers and squeezed.

We watched for awhile in silent. I was thinking about tomorrow. I wanted Beth to come for thanksgiving but I wish I could just be the two of us.

’Whats up?’ She asked.

’I dont know it’s just something my dad said earlier bothered me’ I had never lied to her before so I wasn’t going to start now. She looked at the tv while there was some cheering but looked right back at me. ‘You know I told you my dad only had any interaction with me unless it’s to do with football 

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Publication Date: 04-08-2016

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