Free The Apocalypse by Jack Parker Page A

throw a football."
    "I don't think he even knows when football season is." Brent, well-known for being a huge jock, looked disgusted. "He's not a normal male."
    Pensively, Hannah tipped her head. "Is it a requirement for guys to like football or something? Why is that so important?"
    Brent shrugged. "He doesn't like any sport."
    "And you're the only girl that's ever dated him," Jake smirked. Had Hannah been herself, Jake would have added something insulting about how Greg Hudson couldn't even pick a decent girlfriend, but he opted not to.
    "Well, if I dated him, I obviously liked him," Hannah reasoned slowly.
    "No, you didn't, babe." Ethan patted Hannah's forearm reassuringly, smiling at her sweetly. "You've always had a thing for me. Let me take you to Winter Formal. I promise you'll love me even more by the end of it."
    The bell signaling the end of lunch sounded as Ethan was talking, and the masses of the cafeteria immediately started fanning out to get to their next classes. "I'll think about it, okay?" Hannah promised as she returned Ethan's smile.
    Jake and Brent exchanged incredulous expressions, and even Ethan looked pleasantly surprised. Hannah had never given Ethan the time of day. "Seriously?" Ethan questioned, getting to his feet along with the others. "Man, Hannah, you've made my day."
    Collecting his stuff, Jake watched as Ethan impulsively planted a kiss on Hannah's cheek. Jake rolled his eyes and nudged Hannah gently. "Come on. We've got fifth period together, and I'm not being late just so you can flirt with Romeo."
    During fifth period, Jake had nearly come unglued with his Calculus teacher suggested that he tutor Hannah. Mr. Hayes had done it in private, so Jake had been able to outright refuse, citing his long-lasting war with Hannah. Although Mr. Hayes had understood that, he seemed disappointed by Jake's answer and had proceeded to give him a lecture, which had just angered Jake more. In fact, his anger remained for the duration of his last two classes.
    Just when it seemed like Jake's day couldn't get any worse, he saw two of Hannah's best friends approaching after his final class of the day, and boy, did they look pissed. Tisha Wilson and Libby Heatherly were both glaring at him as they stopped at his locker, their arms folded over their chests. From experience, Jake knew that the only way to deal with these two girls was to piss them off more; if he tried to reason with them, they'd stay longer, but if he could infuriate Tisha and Libby, they'd leave him alone. And alone was what he wanted.
    "What the hell are you trying to pull with Hannah?" Libby demanded, her blue eyes glowering. "You two hate each other. Why are you pretending to be Mr. Nice Guy all of a sudden?"
    Sighing, Jake leaned down and picked up a book from the bottom of his locker. "I'm not trying to be Mr. Nice Guy, and I'm not pulling anything, okay?" He straightened and met Libby's eyes. "Hannah's got issues, and since I've known her forever, it feels a little cold to shun her."
    "It never stopped you before," Tisha pointed out. She ran a hand through her light brown hair, looking confused. "Haven't you told her that she's supposed to hate you, Jake? You can't let her not hate you."
    Jake shrugged. "I'm not letting her do anything. Hannah does what she wants."
    Libby's eyes narrowed. "But if she knew how you treated her, she wouldn't want anything to do with you. You better tell her."
    "Yeah," Tisha agreed with a frown. "How do we know you aren't trying to get in her pants or something?"
    Tipping his head back, Jake laughed. "Me, in Ayers's pants? Are you kidding me?" He laughed more, shaking his head lightly. The thought had never and would never cross his mind, especially considering the friendship between his mother and Hannah's. "Girls, come on. Hannah may not know it, but I'm still the coldhearted bastard who can't stand her. So if you'll excuse me—"
    "No," Libby snapped. "Promise us that you'll tell her the truth."
    Tisha nodded