Chapter 11
"Hey!" I chirp and sit down in the grass next to Peter at lunch. "How are you on this lovely Monday?"
"I feel like shit." He flips the page in his book, keeping his head down.
"Always a delight," I laugh and bump his shoulder. "How are you managing to read and listen to music at the same time?"
"I've read this book three times already." He takes out one of his earphones and hands it to me. "You can listen if you want to."
I smile and take the earphone, placing it in my own. We both move closer to one another so that the strain on the earphones aren't too much. Every Breath You Take by the Police fills my ear as Peter turns up the volume slightly.
"Ah, so you're into songs about stalkers," I tease, nudging him softly.
"It's a good song." He pouts his lip cutely and bobs his head along to the song. "Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you."
I laugh at his cute little singing voice. My eyes scan a page in his book to see if I can figure out what he's reading. "What book is that?"
"It's not a famous one," he mumbles.
"Yet you've read it three times. It must be pretty damn good."
"Let me ask you..how many times have you watched Twilight?"
I bite my lip. I've watched it well over three times. But that's just because of Scarlett's Taylor Lautner phase. "That's different."
"You watch it because there's something in it that interests you, whether that be hot guys or actiony-type moments doesn't matter. This book has something that interests me."
"Hot guys?"
He shakes his head with a small smile. "And I also like finding things I hadn't picked up on the first time. You never really know what you missed until you get a moment or second or feel of it yourself."
I nod my head in understanding. "I get it. That's kind of how I feel with you."
He glances at me for the first time, holding his finger in the spot he left off in. His eyebrows are pulled together as he looks at me curiously.
"Oh, I love this song!" I comment as the song changes.
Peter shakes his head before going back to reading. I pick at the grass and hum along to the song. We sit contently for the rest of lunch, neither of us saying anything.
"Grace, c'mon!" Lucy squeals, running over to Peter and me by the tree. She completely ignores Peter as she tugs me up from the ground.
This causes Peter's headphones to rip out of his ear, probably painfully. He winces just momentarily. I don't have time to ask if he's okay because Lucy is nearly dragging me back to the building.
I glance back at Peter one more time to see a group of football players approaching him.
"Lucy, I can't let them-"
Her grip around my arm tightens. "Grace, people have been telling Mason about your relationship with Peter and he doesn't like it."
I scoff in disgust. "I don't give a shit what Mason thinks about my friendship with Peter."
"I know you don't, but Mason does. You know how he is.."
I roll my eyes. "Just let me go. I can't let them hurt Peter because of me."
"I'm trying to help him, Grace. If you keep being his friend then he's just going to get hurt."
"I'm not letting Mason control my life. He's in jail for a murder. He killed my best friend. And I have this weird feeling that you're on his side."
