Cross My Heart Read Free

eye on Tony as of November, which i s probably some kind of record. Usually by this time she’s either already dated and dumped, or grown bored and moved on.
    “Speaking of college,” B lake says , nudging me with his knee beneath the table , “h ave you heard anything ?”
    He’ s asking about Harvard, a nd I kind of wish he wouldn’t. I’m the only one at our table who’s applied to an Ivy League school . I think I might be the only senior who’s applied to Ivy League, period, and I’m still waiting on a decision . Everyone else picked state schools or local private colleges. (Except for Savannah, who possesses absolutely no desire to continue her edu cation beyond high school and i s highly vocal about her decis ion . . . or lack of a decision. W hatever .) 
    “Um, no, I haven’t,” I confess .
    “It’s still early,” he replie s , hopeful .
    “And no news isn’t nec essarily bad news,” Ashley adds .
    I study the turkey jammed between my sandwich bread , shrugging casually, then change the subject . “Y ou guys are getting partners in English today. You know, for that big project?” I split my sandwich in half, tearing it straight down the middle, pinch off a bite of turkey and cheese , and pop it into my mouth.
    “Oh my God. I totally f orgot about that,” Savannah says , rolling her eyes . “I hope I get paired with a nerd.”
    “So . . . . ” Blake knocks me with his elbow as he roots around his potato chip bag, digging for fragments. “W ho’s your partner?”
    I c ontinue chewing for a m oment, then, hesitating, cover my mouth w ith my hand. “Parker,” I mumble .
    “Whalen?” Savannah asks , eyes widening .
    “That’s the only Parker I know,” I say .
    Tony burst s out laughing, falling back in his chair, like it’s the funniest thing he’s heard all day. A few juniors a table over stop to stare at us, scrutinizing. “ Parker Whalen? Are you serious ?”
    Blake slants away from me. The shift i s slight, but I notice it nonetheless . “I thought we picked partners.”
    “We did. Sort of. I had to stop by the office so I got to class late,” I mutter . “ Partners had already been picked.” I shrug. It ’ s not like I had a choice or anything.
    “So the Tugboat put you and Parker Whalen together.” His jaw tightens, words sharp and spitefu l .
    “Yeah. She did,” I reply , glowering at him. “ And don’t call her Tugboat. It’s juvenile. And rude.”
    “Jaden had to do it. I mean, there’s not a person at this school who’d actually want him for a partner,” Ashley says , matter of fact, spooning a bite of yogurt . “He’s freaky . Jaden’s just nice enough to not let something like that bother her.”
    I’m not sure how I would d efine Parker Whalen, but freaky i s a little extreme. Strange? P ossibly . Eccentric? Maybe. A definite loner . . . but he does n’t seem freaky to me . . . just . . . quiet . “It’s weird, actually. I don’t know anything about him. And he’s been coming to this school for wha t? Five ? Six months?”
    “W e know enough ,” Tony says . “ I heard his dad mak e s money off some illegal dog fi ghting ring—totally underground. ”
    “I heard his old schoo l kicked him out for marijuana ,” says Savannah .
    “Which he was also arrested for ,” adds Ashley.
    I roll my eyes. “W e don’t know if any of those things are true,” I say , still chewing . “ And just because he wears black and d r ives a bike? I mean, w e don’t even know him. ”
    “ I saw him at Vince ’ s a few weeks ago. He was wandering around like he was scouting the place. The dude is a freak. ”
    My ears perk up at this. Not what he said about Parker, but Vince. Because I think he means Vince De Luca, and if that ’ s the case. . . . “ Wait . You went to Vince De Luca ’ s? ”
    Blake ’ s cheeks flush. Busted. Vince De Luca graduated from Bedford High a few years ago. He lives a county over now, in an old rental, and his parties are fairly