Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ✔︎

12 | The Royals

Conner doesn't look like his mom but they have the same easygoing manner. Her hug is warm and genuine—the way my dad hugs but with significantly less squeeze. My mother's hugs are superficial by comparison, like she's afraid to wrinkle or to be wrinkled. But she has her way of showing that she loves me. I think she genuinely believes it will be good for me to spend a little time away from Haddock—and I'm starting to think she's right.

Not that I'd ever tell her.

Mrs. Barlow kicks us out fifteen minutes before the morning bell so she can get ready for her class. Conner leads me back to the upper school through his "secret" shortcut, which turns out to be the main courtyard.

"I really like your mom," I say when he opens the cafeteria door for me.

"Everyone likes my mom."

"Paige said the same thing about you."

"And you believe a girl who observes life through security cameras?" 

"I believe what I've seen."

"In the last 24 hours?" he asks, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. It's a valid point but it feels like I've known him a lot longer than one day.

He stops in front of the vending machine and digs into his pocket. "You have a lot to learn about this place," he says.

"You're going to teach me, right?"

"After your behavior in the library yesterday..." He drops a knee to the green Linoleum floor, takes my hand and bows his head. "I am your humble servant."

"Get up, you goof." I retract my hand. Conner gives me a dopey smile before he stands and turns to the vending machine. "Are you one of those boys who's incapable of sincerity?"

A pack of peanut butter crackers thunks into the retrieval slot. Breakfast of champions.

He takes his time fishing them out, stashing them his pocket, still smiling. But then he puts a hand on each of my shoulders and I've never seen him look more serious. "My mom says I have good instincts about people, but I didn't see you coming. Yesterday in the library I was blown away. You didn't even flinch when I told you about Paige. And then you volunteered to help her. I think you might be the coolest girl I've ever met."

He drops his arms but his eyes hold mine and a warm rush climbs my neck.

I should say something.

But what? I guess a thank you might be less awkward than me standing here not breathing.

"We have eleven minutes before class starts," Conner says, eyes shifting to something behind me. "Ready for a crash course in Zachary's social hierarchy?"

"Um..." I huff out a laugh. Talk about conversational whiplash.

Not that I'm complaining.

"I owe you a warning," he reminds me.

"Yes, you do. And an apology. Who says something like that to the new girl right before they leave her all alone with a scary math professor?"

The smile returns. "I was supposed to warn you about Mari," he clarifies.

"Oh. So the warning is about Zachary's social hierarchy?"

He bobs his head and then swipes at the hair that's flopped onto his forehead. It doesn't comply.

"Okay. But just for the record, I'm not all that interested. I mean yeah, I'm curious—in a gossipy way—but it's not going to make a difference for me personally."