Free Collateral Damage (From the Damage) by Jasmine Denton Page A

her something, but was wary of her reaction.
    “What is it?” she asked, giving him a reassuring smile so he’d know she’d listen.
    “I…I told her. My mom… she knows everything.”
    She was surprised at first, and felt a little exposed. It definitely explained the way Mrs. Walker had greeted her, but overall she was relieved Alex had told his mom. “How’d she take it?”
    “She cried a lot,” he said. “But, she doesn’t hate me like I thought she would, so that’s good.”
    “That is good,” she said. “I’m happy for you.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Really? I thought you might be…”
    “I’m not mad. It’s your secret to tell, too.”
    They fell silent, and in the stillness, she found herself wondering about Kay. Her mind filled with confusing and jealous thoughts, like had they kissed yet? Just how much, exactly, did he care about her?
    “Now you’ve got that look,” Alex said , giving her shoulder a playful nudge to keep the mood light. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
    She didn’t want to bring it up, but she was dying to know. “I was just…” taking a quick breath, she snuck a glance at him. His blue eyes on hers, he waited patiently for her to spit it out. “I was wondering about Kay. Well, you and Kay, really.”
    His eyes widened a little in surprise, then he glanced away, looking a little awkward. “Yeah, we should probably talk about that.”
    So there’s something to talk about , she realized. And suddenly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “We don’t have to.”
    But clearly, he wanted to get everything out on the table. “I like her. A lot.”
    She’d expected it to hurt, but surprisingly, all she felt was relief. 
     
     
     

Chapter 4
    Meagan
     
     
    Monday morning, Meagan hobbled into the kitchen on her crutches. Already dressed and ready for school, she grabbed a banana and sat down at the table to eat it. Trevor turned from where he’d been looking through the fridge, surprised to see her.
    “What are you doing?” he asked.
    “Um…having a healthy breakfast?”
    “I mean the clothes. The backpack. You’re not going to school, are you?”
    “It’s Monday,” she said. “That’s the plan.”
    “But you just got out of the hospital yesterday.” He sat down across the table from her and added a fair amount of milk to his cereal bowl. “I’m sure it’d be fine if you wanted to take your time. What’s the rush?”
    “I was bored out of my mind in that hospital. Here it’ll be even worse, so I figured I’d get back in the game. What’s the big deal?”
    He was quiet for a minute, then he leaned forward and said, “Seth.”
    Meagan sighed and set the banana down on the table. “Look, I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea that I might run into him, but I’m not going to let it stop me from living my life. I’m not going to hide in the house all day.”
    “And I get that, but you’re not exactly getting around easily. It’s not like you could outrun him.”
    “No, but I could beat him with these handy little crutches.” She raised one in the air to demonstrate, smiling. But the attempt at humor fell short.
    “I wish you’d let me talk to your teachers, so they’d know to keep an eye out.”
    She shook her head. “I don’t want anybody to know.”
    “Meagan, there’s nothing to be ashamed of—”
    “I know,” she cut in. “But still…I’d rather keep it between us, okay?”
    “If you insist,” he said reluctantly. “But I’m driving you to school and picking you up this afternoon. And promise me that if he bothers you, you’ll text me. Okay?”
    “You don’t have to be so overprotective,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
    “Better to overprotective than… under-protective?” He stumbled a little on the word, then laughed. “Alright. Let’s get going.”
    ***
    Kendall
    ***
    Kendall slouched in her chair in the principal’s office, while her dad talked to the headmaster. The hearing this morning had