REALLY ✓

12: The Fight Club

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      TAYA's POV:

Oh, the things I do for a high school resume.

Today, I was spending my precious Friday after school hours working to build a Titanic replica with the theater club. If this wasn't desperation, I didn't know what would be. Dear colleges, please notice me!

I had my oversized hoodie and baggy pants on, my hair pulled up in a messy bun, and my hands had dried paint all over them. I was in charge of painting the wooden boards, while Hallee was in charge of, well, everything else.

"Where'd Gabe go? I need him to arrange the props table," Hallee said in a demanding tone.

"I sent him to get the rest of the wooden planks from the car," I replied, my hands still busy with the paintbrushes.

"Alone? He can't possibly carry all that stuff by himself!"

"No, Judah's with him,"

"Judah? What—he actually came?" she looked shocked.

"Yeah, I told him we needed a hand with building the set," I studied her worried expression. "You don't look too happy about that. What's going on?"

Hallee turned her head from side to side, as if to make sure that no one was listening to our conversation. Then she stepped closer to me and gestured for me lean in to her.

"So listen, I've heard some very disturbing news going around the rumor mill. It's about Judah," she whispered.

"What about him?"

"I heard that he got expelled from his last school because he punched a teacher on the face!"

"What?!" I gaped and Hallee put her hand over my mouth to shush me.

"Yeah. That's not all too. Some kids swore that they saw Judah and some shady guys at town a few days ago, dealing!"

"...As in drugs?"

"I've heard a lot of things about him, Tay. None of them are good. So be careful around him, alright? I kinda feel guilty now that I'm responsible for making you guys practice together all the time... Or maybe you should just stop hanging out with him after school hours,"

I took a moment to let her words sink in. Those were some very disturbing rumors. But still, I couldn't imagine the Judah that I know would do such things.

"But Hal, those are just rumors. You don't know if they're actually true," I said to her.

"And you don't know if they're false either,"

"Look, I don't think you need to worry about me. So far Judah's been nothing but nice to me,"

"Nice?"

"Yeah. I... I don't know Hal. There's something about him, I can't really put my finger on it... but he's an okay guy,"

"Okay? Dude, from what I've heard, he could be a psycho!"

"He has this dangerous vibe, yes but—"

"He's got crazy anger management issues!"

"Okay, he could be mean at times, but—"

"He freaking hit a teacher, who does that?"

"Well hey, some days I'd really like to punch Mr. Andrews in the face too—"

"Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not defending him... I just think... maybe he's not as bad as he seems,"