Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

‘Hi I’m Brooke’ I say holding out my hand. She shakes it.

‘Beth’ she says back.

‘Let’s go’ I say opening her door

‘What are we going to do today?’ she asks me as we get in the car.

‘I have the keys to the school’ I say pulling away from her house ‘I figure I can show you where it is and show you around’

‘Is it not a bit early to show me round the school’ she says looking at me. ‘We don’t start for ages yet’

‘Yeah I know but I figure if I show you stuff now like where your locker is and some of the classrooms, cafeteria and toilets are then we can just concentrate on having an amazing summer getting to know each other’

‘Do you not have any friends?’

‘Why would you say that?’

‘Well’ she says looking at her hands ‘why would you wanna hang with me?’

‘Well for one your stunning and I reckon we could have our pick of boys on the beach and it’s been a long time since I had a pulling buddy. Two I want to get to know you. I’ve never met anyone from England before and three my best friend has gone to Florida for the summer so if you don’t hang with me then I’m all alone’

‘You must have other friends?

‘I do but I’m hanging with you’

‘Ok’ she said

‘You met anyone else while you’ve been here?’

She blushed and looked at her fingers again

‘You met a guy?’

‘It’s really not a big deal’ she says clearly embarrassed.

‘Oh I think it is’

She had secrets. She had a guy she liked. I was going to find out everything.

We had been in the school an hour. I had done most of the talking but she did seem more relaxed with me then when I first met her. I was going to a party tonight at Charlie’s house and I was hoping she would come. She could stay at mine. It would be fun. I would ask her later.

I showed her where her locker is and then said it was time to go.

‘Is that you?’ she said walking over to the wall of fame. It was so embarrassing having my picture on that wall.

‘Yeah. The school thinks they should put the biggest achievers on that wall’

‘You don’t agree?’

‘Not really. Everyone knows what I did’

‘Brooke Steele takes high school cheerleading team to state for the first time in 60 years’ She said reading it off the wall. ‘Cheerleader?’ she asks raising her eyebrows.

‘Yeah that’s me. Captain actually’ I had been thinking of quitting this year but I wasn’t going to vocalize that yet.

‘Who are the other people?’

‘Well that guy is Ross Thompson he ran the fastest 100 metres in our states history. That guy there is Freddie Milner. He took the school scholastic team to the final last year. He is hoping to win this year. He is unbelievably hot but a big nerd. People are confused by him but he’s a nice guy. Charlie got an award for writing an article in a local newspaper that got seen by a young writers thing and they entered him for this comp and he won. I don’t really know much about it’ I was lying I knew everything about it. I was deeply in love with Charlie but he friend zoned me a long time ago. Now on to the Jackass ‘that’s Jackson Connelly. He is the captain of the football team. They have won everything under him. He is MVP and a shoo in for a scholarship to any of the best colleges around. But he is an arse. He is a man whore who broke my best friend’s heart’

‘A man whore?’ she asked

‘Yeah I mean look at him’ she did ‘he is gorgeous. Every girl in this school swoons every time he is around. He has slept with half of them while he was dating Maddy. She is so in love with him and you know what he said when she told him?’

She shook her head. It was rhetorical.

‘He said ‘aw that’s nice’ and left to go to a party where he left with a girl from another school’ I was getting angry ‘I don’t know what she ever saw in him’

‘They broke up?’

‘Yeah last week, right before she went to Florida for the summer. I guess he can’t cheat on her anymore. He is leaving soon to go to some camp’

‘Hmmm’ she said.

We spent the rest of the day together. She was really funny once she got talking. She told me about her friends and family back home and a little about a boy she left but I could tell she didn’t want to talk about him. I was trying to convince her to come to Charlie’s party with me.

‘Is this the same Charlie who was on that fame board in the school?’ she asked.

‘Yep the same guy’ I replied

‘You like him’

‘What? No I don’t’

‘Come on your eyes lit up when you talked about him in the school’ nobody had ever noticed that before. I might as well tell her the truth I mean we were going to be friends.

‘Ok so I kinda love him but he is not interested.

‘How can he not be interested? Have you seen you?’

‘Yeah well’ I said looking at my hands. We were sat in my favourite place to eat. I didn’t come here often because it was burgers and fries and even though I love them a cheerleader has to keep fit ‘he friend zoned me a long time ago’

‘Why would he do that?’

‘He had some stuff going on at home and he said he didn’t want a girlfriend at the time so I accepted that. He has also had about 8 girlfriends since then so I guess he is not interested’ it was hard to talk about. I thought he needed time but it turns out he just didn’t want me

‘Sorry’ she said. ‘I can see it upsets you’

‘Don’t worry’ I changed the subject. ‘So are you coming tonight?’

‘Fine’ she sighed ‘You better drop me at the mall so I can buy summat decent to wear.’

‘Yay’ I was so happy. I think I might have found a real friend.

I loved loved loved hanging with Brooke. It was good to have a girlfriend. Although I think I should have told her about Jackson and the things I was feeling. Isn’t that what you do with a girlfriend? I was gonna have to ring Miranda. After the things she told me about Jackson though I was scared to say that I knew him. I can’t believe I fell for his games. At least nothing happened. Only the two kisses that he left on the side of my mouth. I could still feel them sometimes. And he was leaving? For how long?

I can’t get him out of my head. He is going to be at this party tonight so I had to look amazing. Brooke told me what she was wearing and told me not to get too dressed up. I had bought a pair of shorts (not too short) a nice top that had no back to it and a pair of ankle boots.

When I left the mall it was getting dark. Brooke was picking me back up later when I text her and told her I was ready.

I was walking for about half an hour when I realised I was lost. I started to panic. I knew I had already passed this house because I liked the pink flowers in the garden.

I couldn’t be too far from the house now. Why did I not pay better attention the other day when I walked home with Paige? I must have took a wrong turn somewhere.

I’m gonna have to ring someone. There are only two numbers in my phone. Jackson wasn’t an option right now. I was too embarrassed to call Brooke.

‘Hey honey you lost?’ I stopped walking and turned around. There was a man on the other side of the road. I don’t know what it was about him but my heart sank. He had ripped jeans on and a coat that was far too big for him.

‘N.n.n.n.no im ok thanks’ I stuttered and I started walking fast.

I pulled out my phone and called Brook. No answer. I glanced behind me and he was following me. I called her again. Still no answer. Why did I not put Max’s number in my phone? I glanced again. He was getting closer. I was ok punching a bully but this was different. I was gonna have to call Jackson. I had no other choice. With shaking hands I looked at my phone.

‘Dude seriously snap out of it’ Charlie shouted at me.

‘What?’ I asked

‘What is going on? You have been out of it all day’

‘Sorry I just got some things going on’

‘Like what?’ he asked looking concerned ‘is it Maddy?’

I actually laughed. ‘No it’s not Maddy’ Beth had sent Jessica round with the money for the phone. She hadn’t given me her number and now I didn’t know if I would ever see her again.

‘Tell me’ Charlie said’

‘I met a girl. We had the most amazing day together and then nothing not even a text’

‘Wow somebody rejected you?’

‘The irony is not lost on me Charlie’

‘Maybe she will come tonight’

‘She doesn’t know anybody’ I was changing the subject ‘is Brooke coming’

‘Shut up’

‘I don’t know why you don’t just tell her you like her?’

‘She moved on dude, so did I. Now sort your face out before the party tonight’

He walked away. I couldn’t get Beth out of my mind. The way her lips felt on mine and I had only kissed a small part of them. Imagine if I could kiss all of them, all of her. My phone ringing pulled me out of my fantasy. It was a number I did not know.

‘Hello’ I answered

‘Jackson I need your help?’ It was her. She sounded scared. I started to pace the floor.

‘What’s up?’ I asked

‘I got lost leaving the mall and some creepy guy is following me and I don’t know where I am’

I was shaking with anger. Some guy thought he could do that to my Beth. I don’t think so. I was in my car and pulling out of Charlie’s drive so fast I don’t remember doing it. She had given me street names that she could see but I told her not stop. She was still on the phone to me.