The Boy I Was Warned About

next morning, three

had used the last

om schedule with a boy who barely spoke to her was

photograph of Liam and me st

r Bennett has a new project. Hope

t on my phone while

g on the porch with his duffel bag, his dark hair damp from the rain

captured the exact mome

ready twenty-

? Seri

s trying t

good

gnised immediately, came the com

eople really enjoy

d it

oom floor when her parents nearly divorced. She knew how much I cared about my reputation, how hard I had worked to ea

at I had never l

feel less like a warnin

burn a hole thr

oked

eatshirt and black jeans. His hair was still damp, b

r people's phones over t

ring at them like the

ed the

e cupboard, opened i

are the

she

then paused when he

ha

thi

convincing

my pocket. "Someone p

pped inside

U

ont door.

and closed the c

and you're the poor girl whose

ing lik

you're the one who got ca

nded harder tha

eady talking, and I hav

t the counter. "We

n choices. He had hit Caleb Brooks. He had earned the suspen

e that people were perfectly willing to i

his affecting s

e them anything

is mug and lef

d managed to make me feel as thoug

ne vib

from Tessa

chool. Don't make this w

exactly do you

dots a

ppea

er rep

t the lockers.

me all morning that I

of L

t Tess

plied by the time I r

iam at the front door. In another, I was sitting beside him in the cafeteria during fresh

graph was at lea

this has been going on

d in the

anyone, and when I asked him to contribute to our

ed him a

me a walking

ith the highest mark in the

decided that was eviden

rpe

behind her. She wore the worried expression she usually

ulled me towards the qui

't know he was mo

know until

ually letting him l

eeks, ap

though I'd announced I

that's practically a

ou. I ca

isn't

awa

und before lowe

ore the suspension. If the teachers start thinking you're involved

stopp

has nothing to

. The girl who gets good grades and stays out of trouble. Now

a crimin

ression

arely there, bu

say h

as if he's guilty of every

has a hist

most

like

it too

xactly do you know about

went

se of the corridor se

d, a short, unc

am's litt

es

ing.

ied he

Liam standing beside Ruby outside school. It showed her boo

hat the girl who ruined Ruby's li

trying to convince myself

nding in front of me, refu

m," I said carefully. "

tened around the

ho

n't k

you r

N

ent it is probably tryi

hey know I r

blin

was anonymous. I hadn't even

d, neither

he bel

steppe

said. "Just stay away from L

efore I could ask

wd, the uneasiness in my stomach gro

almost convinced myself

nnounced the jo

holding a stack of papers, her red-frame

of Maplewood," she said. "The best submissions will be published in the s

tened in

lication. I had already planned to write about how Maplewood had changed over

ed con

trengths. You'll conduct interviews, research loca

out my

er Be

oked

an C

ws ahead, turned aro

iled

ed read the

m Me

e disap

rper Be

erupted in

he windows act

d, waiting for her

di

ing my hand. "Could I sp

tain

vate

. "Is there a problem wi

l everyone

nd I wasn't ready to explain it in front of thirt

l speak af

into

nst the wall. He looked as if being paired with me was no

met, he lifted

ed, Ser

hrug

throw my not

e other students had left befo

ce I could switch

hy

walk over. None sounded reasonable n

ion at home might make it d

h you temporarily. I don't see how that preven

n't. Not

ded her hand

uce something worthwhile. You approach stories differently. You like st

red a

ver worked

his previous

een sus

ll a student a

m, but there was n

will receive individual marks for your contributions, but the final feat

y per

rship app

ly maintai

my house with one bag and an attitu

tood,"

lic Library after school and review its local archiv

ed her

ing outside t

said. "You tried

ed pas

obvi

ce gave

tend to get the highest mark in the

nto step

waking hour discussing the fascinating history of a

e impo

t, here

ed, which made

t least pret

ression

sappeared, leaving something

don't care ab

ed my

ng ca

ed away

chool," he said.

standing in the corridor with a

ted him to

make me question whethe

other message from t

there was n

a sen

best friend what s

d it

n a

rs had g

thing looked unusual. Pictures from the weekend, a video from the

furth

th

d for Rub

l no

one had hacked an old profile or was tr

that to

way she'd asked who sent me the photograph. The way she'd insisted I stay

private cha

st anything abo

ered over th

ldn't

t

e rest of lunch pretending to listen while

ards the library, determined to focus

the school gates with h

your time,

en three

ou

s project or argue abo

h one gets me

ted wa

ollo

the main road when m

ccount had sent

ained a link

tly that Liam near

ow?" he

ed the

y Mercer standing in the school corridor, her face turned away from the cam

he account tha

nised t

cognised

year

scrolled to the bott

ing reactions, was a comment from an acc

y thought he liked her

ldn't

n't eve

sent one f

your best friend wa

e you lo

s close enough

he had already seen the

es nar

rpe

ked a

'd arrived at my house, I h

you that?"

n't k

me for a

ropped to the p

t abou

dn't a

d expression I'd seen the night b

he said

ed away

m, w

did

e beside the road with the worst possibl

had helped humi

e believed that was