Free Let Me In by Leigh Jackson Page B

grab my tray and walk away with as much dignity as I can muster.  Inside, I am grabbing Blonde 1 by the neck and slamming her face first into the table.  I pray that my face is totally impassive and doesn’t reveal how much she has pissed me off.  Although the phrase “fuck you” probably clued her in to my level of pissed-offness.
              As soon as I step out into the bright sunlight, I feel a familiar arm wrap itself around my waist. 
              “Hey, Kor.  Did you eat without me?”
              I resolve to myself that I will not let him know how much I am hurt by the acid that has just been verbally spewed in the cafeteria.  None of it was his fault.  “Yep.  I had to fight the guys off with a stick since you weren’t there to run interference for me.  I picked up a few new customers.”  This isn’t true, but Tuck has often remarked that he felt like my pimp when guys approach me.  They would attempt to hit on me, and he would silently sit back and glare at them.  It never took very long before they abandoned their efforts and left us alone.  I have repeatedly pointed out that pimps don’t run guys off; they made sure they were paying customers.  Tuck always gets a kick out of the fact that I compared myself to a prostitute.    
              Tuck, being the observant guy that he is, immediately notices that something is off.  “What’s wrong, Kori?”
              “Nothing.”  He shoots me a look that lets me know that he doesn’t believe a word that I said.  “Fine,” I sigh, resolved to tell him.  “Apparently a few members of your fan club don’t like me very much.”
              Tuck stops walking and forces me to look at him.  “What fan club?  What happened?”
              “Nothing that I can’t handle.  She was just running her mouth.  I handled it, okay?  I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”
              Tuck pulls me into a hug, and I melt against his chest.  I can’t help but breathe in his unique scent.  It reminds me of clean soap and fresh sweat and sunshine.  It is perfect, just like Tuck. 
              “I know you can take care of yourself, Kor.  But we’re friends, so I’m allowed to worry about you.  You don’t have to be a badass all the time.”
              I punch him playfully on the arm and roll my eyes.  “Shut up, Tucky.”  He wraps his arm around my shoulder as we make our way to his truck.  “Oh, and since I had to deal with your psycho bitch fan club, you get to buy me some ice cream.”
              Tuck throws his head back and laughs.  “Fine, you win.  Let’s go get some ice cream.”  And with that, he smacks me on my ass and darts away before I can retaliate.  I jokingly shake my fist at him as my heart does a somersault inside my chest.  I have a sense that my feelings for Tuck are beginning to get a little complicated.
     
    “Kori, get your ass in here right now!”  I barely make it through the front door before I hear Avery yelling at me.  I groan as I wonder what the problem is today.  With Avery, there is no telling; she seems to conjure drama up like a magician.
              I make my way to Avery’s room and find her and Chelsea sitting on the bed with a bottle of wine on the bedside table.  I smile at the bottle and lift my eyebrows. 
              “Bad day?”
              She waves the bottle away as if it isn’t important.  “Don’t try to change the subject.”  I’m confused as to what subject I’ve changed in the ten seconds since I’ve been home.  “Why didn’t you tell us that you and Tuck Hayes are fucking?”
              Shock jolts through my body and my jaw drops.  “Wh-what?” I sputter.
              Avery and