Free That Witch! by Zoe Lynne Page B

with the uncertainty of the moment. God, it was like pulling teeth with this chick. Why couldn’t Brynn just say what was on her mind instead of making her play the guessing game? What if she got it wrong? Read the signals wrong? That would end in even more embarrassment, and she couldn’t have that, so she leaned in even more and whispered, “I think I get it, but can you kindly elaborate?”
    “Cassidy….”
    Brynn chewed the inside of her cheek and averted her eyes again. Her chest rose and fell a little too quickly. Her cheeks flushed brighter red. She opened her mouth to speak, and Cassidy hung onto the moment, but the moment was foiled by Mrs. Miller calling the class to attention.
    “Later… please,” Brynn breathed without looking over.
    And just like that, Cassidy was right back to wondering what the hell had happened.
    To make matters worse, she was seated at the front of the class for the remainder of the period, which subjected her to Mrs. Miller’s annoying, nasal voice as she read through not one, not two, but three chapters in a book. To add insult to that injury, she threw in a little quiz at the end for good measure. It would have been torturous save for the little moments when Cassidy would catch Brynn stealing glances at her through that ever-present part in her bangs.
    Those moments made sitting at the front of the class completely worth it. Like a dork, Cassidy would smile in return each time she caught Brynn’s eyes. Instead of smiling, Brynn looked like a mouse who’d been caught stealing cheese and would sink down into her seat again, only to casually glance her way a few minutes later. They played that game of smiling and ducking until the bell mercifully rang.

Chapter 13

     
    F OR some stupid reason, Brynn had it in her mind that Cassidy would follow her out to the parking lot, where they would talk about things and maybe come to some sort of… well, something about Brynn’s feelings. Maybe that was too much to hope for, because the moment the bell rang, one of Cassidy’s vapid, narcissistic, bottle-blonde friends grabbed Cassidy and dragged her out of the classroom, going on about cheerleading practice.
    An intense wave of disappointment rolled over Brynn. She honestly wanted to have that conversation with Cassidy, though why, she didn’t know. Surely Cassidy would belittle her and make fun of her, probably call her names and laugh in her face, because that’s what Cassidy and all her A-list friends did.
    Maybe this is a mistake.
    Cassidy and her friends headed in one direction; Brynn headed in the other. She was almost to her locker when she felt someone run up beside her. Reluctantly, Brynn turned her head and she found her bestie glaring at her.
    “I didn’t ask her to sit there,” Brynn said, before Laura had a chance to tear into her about Cassidy stealing the spot Laura sat in all year.
    “You didn’t tell her to move either,” Laura quickly retorted, which stopped Brynn dead in her tracks.
    “You’re the one who said we didn’t need to make waves! What? Did you expect me to argue with her over your seat? Why didn’t you argue with her?”
    “Excuse me for expecting my best friend to take up for me!”
    Just as Brynn opened her mouth to respond, Laura spun on her heels and stalked away. Twice that had happened to her today, and frankly, it was getting old.
    “Ugh!” Brynn growled, stomping her Converse against the linoleum. She shook her head and continued toward her locker, mind going right back to Cassidy and the mounting disappointment of not being able to talk about things or, at the very least, see the cheerleader again.
    She spun the lock around and around, not really paying attention to the numbers. And when the locker didn’t immediately open, her anger grew ten times more intense. She almost wanted to put her fist straight through the metal door, but Brynn didn’t have that type of temper. She was a pacifist.
    Shoulders rounded, she sighed and took a