HIGH ON SCHOOL

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

The air outside was cooler than I expected.

I stood against the wall beside the club entrance, letting the breeze hit my face.

For the first time all night, I could actually hear myself think.

The club was still going crazy behind me.

Bass shook through the walls.

People kept walking in and out.

Some were laughing.

Some were fixing their clothes.

Some were already looking like they regretted every decision they'd made that night.

I watched them for a while.

It was funny.

Everyone seemed to fit into this world so naturally.

The loud ones.

The dancers.

The people who could talk to absolutely anyone.

The people who came here just to be seen.

And then there were people like me.

People who could enjoy themselves without necessarily wanting this every weekend.

Maybe this kind of life wasn't for everyone.

And honestly?

If it wasn't for you, it wasn't.

Simple.

I shrugged.

"Whatever."

Then I heard it.

A familiar beat.

One of the songs I'd been screaming along to earlier.

My head immediately lifted.

"No way."

I pushed myself away from the wall.

I was going back in.

I had barely taken a few steps toward the entrance when I noticed something at the far end of the building.

A shadow.

Someone was standing near the back entrance.

I slowed down.

There were voices.

Muffled.

One sounded feminine.

Annoyed.

Actually—

I knew that voice.

I moved a little closer.

Then stopped behind a large wall opposite the entrance.

I wasn't trying to eavesdrop.

Okay.

Maybe I was a little.

But I was curious.

I leaned out just enough to see.

And there she was.

Chloe Halle.

The queen bee herself.

Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.

She looked furious.

Standing a few feet away from her was someone I recognized immediately.

Jax.

The bartender.

I blinked.

Wait.

What were they doing together?

Chloe's voice cut through the silence.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

I raised my eyebrows.

Interesting.

There was a pause.

Then Jax cleared his throat.

His voice came out flat.

"To break up, we had to be an item."

Oh.

My.

God.

I covered my mouth.

Chloe stared at him like he'd just slapped her with the sentence.

"You can't be serious."

He shrugged.

"I'm serious."

"We've been doing this for months!"

"Exactly."

"So what are we?"

"I don't know."

Chloe shook her head.

"You always do this."

"And you always come back."

Her expression tightened.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

I didn't need to hear the rest.

Actually, I probably shouldn't have heard any of it.

I quietly stepped away from the wall.

Whatever this was, it definitely wasn't my business.

I headed back toward the club, trying to look as normal as possible.

Like I hadn't just accidentally witnessed one of the biggest pieces of school gossip of the year.

I pushed through the entrance.

The music immediately swallowed me again.

I spotted Dan and Cassie at the bar.

They were talking to Jax's coworker.

Cassie turned around.

The second she saw me, she practically exhaled.

"REINA!"

I walked over.

"Why are you yelling?"

"Where have you BEEN?"

Dan looked at me.

"We've been looking for you."

I frowned.

"I went outside."

"Why?"

"I needed some fresh air."

Cassie looked me over.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"I'm fine."

Dan pointed at my dress.

"Except for that."

I looked down.

The stain was still there.

"Don't remind me."

Cassie laughed.

"Come on. Let's go home."

I didn't argue.

I'd officially had enough excitement for one night.

---

The car ride home was considerably quieter than the journey there.

Dan drove with one hand on the steering wheel while the music played softly.

Cassie sat beside him.

I was in the back seat, staring out the window.

Streetlights passed across the glass.

For about three minutes, nobody said anything.

Then Cassie suddenly spoke.

"So..."

Dan groaned.

"Here we go."

Cassie ignored him.

"I met someone tonight."

I looked up.

"Of course you did."

She turned around in her seat.

"He was actually really nice."

Dan laughed.

"You said that about the last guy."

"That was different."

"How?"

"He wasn't nice."

"Then why did you like him?"

"Because he was cute."

I shook my head.

"At least you're honest."

Cassie smiled.

"Anyway, this guy had been trying to get my attention practically the whole night."

Dan glanced at her through the mirror.

"And you gave it to him."

"Maybe."

I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you did."

She laughed.

"I'm just saying, tonight wasn't boring."

"Tonight was exhausting."

Dan nodded.

"Agreed."

Cassie continued talking, filling us in on the guy she'd met and everything that had happened while she was away from us.

I listened for approximately thirty seconds.

Then my attention drifted back toward the window.

My mind kept returning to that conversation outside.

Chloe.

Jax.

Her angry voice.

His complete lack of emotion.

To break up, we had to be an item.

I frowned.

What kind of answer was that?

And why did Chloe look like she'd genuinely expected something different?

I leaned my head against the window.

The streetlights blurred past.

I didn't know what was going on between them.

And honestly, I didn't want to know.

But there was something about the way Jax had said it.

So detached.

Like none of it mattered.

Cassie was still talking.

Dan was occasionally responding.

I barely heard either of them.

I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow I'd forget about it.

Probably.

Hopefully.

Because I had enough problems without accidentally becoming an expert on Chloe Halle's complicated love life.

And besides—

I had a group project waiting for me in the morning.

Lucky me.