Spiral (Spiral Series) by Maddy Edwards

bitterness . Guys had never look ed twice at me.
    There was a pause, then Andrew tried to cheer me up by asking if I was excited for my birthday in a week. He didn’t know me well enough yet to know how miserable my birthday made me every year.
    Jill and Maxie exchanged looks.
    “Sure,” I said from the back seat, shrugging.
    I was excited alright. I was excited for it to be over.
     

Chapter Eight - Natalie
     
    The rest of the weekend was quiet, and before I knew it I was back at school. By Monday morning I had almost forgotten about the guy named Pierce at the romance slam. It wasn’t like I was ever going to see him again, right?
    “Whoever invented the term ‘Funday Monday’ never went to high school,” Maxie muttered as we arrived at Blueberry High.
    “They were probably home-schooled,” said Jill. “Freeloaders.”
    “Just one more month,” said Maxie, “then we’re free of this place.” Despite the chilly day Maxie was wearing a bright red summer dress. Her brown curls were tied into two cute braids, and she had a purple cardigan over her shoulders. Jill, in contrast, looked pretty much the same as she did every day. Ripped jeans and a black shirt completed her uniform.
    “On the bright side, did you hear there’s a hot new guy? No idea what he’s doing here a week before graduation, but somehow it all made sense to the principal, and poof, new hottie,” Maxie said.
    “I hadn’t heard,” I said, shrugging. “I’ve been tired lately.”
    Maxie looked at me sympathetically. My friends knew that I had bad dreams, but they didn’t know how bad. I didn’t want to worry them or give them a reason to think I was crazy. I was fine suffering in silence.
    “Everyone is talking about him,” Maxie continued, brushing a couple of loose strands of hair back into her braid. “I don’t know what he looks like, but I believe ‘Brad Pitt with black hair’ was thrown around.”
    “Well, good morning, if you can call it good when I have to run into you three,” said a nastily familiar voice behind us. I spun around to face Haley. As usual she looked perfect, all glossy blond hair and cold eyes. She wore a miniskirt and a white button down shirt, the perfect private school girl outfit.
    “You know we go to public school, don’t you?” Jill drawled. I had to hand it to Jill, nothing scared her, not even nasty fellow seniors.
    “We dress for where we should be, not where we are,” said Haley waspishly.
    “Right,” said Jill. “Then why aren’t you wearing trash bags?”
    “Okay,” I said stepping in front of them. “Stop it.” The instant I got near Haley my insides turned to mush, my temples started to pound, and the sick feeling made me double over, as if a million tiny volts were coursing through my body and upsetting it. Through the haze of pain I saw Haley, her eyes bright with pleasure. I never felt good around Haley, but this was the first time had I felt so ill that I didn’t want to stand up straight. The feeling was familiar, but I couldn’t place why.
    “Natalie, are you okay?” Maxie asked, rushing to my side.
    I took her arm, feeling unsteady on my feet.
    “Yeah, Natalie, whatever is the matter?” came Haley’s silky, venom-filled voice from somewhere in the haze in front of my eyes.
    “Leave her alone,” Jill ordered, moving now so that she was the one closest to Haley. The instant there was a buffer I felt better, less like I was going to explode.
    “Make me,” Haley hissed, meeting my friend’s green eyes with her black ones.
    “She won’t, but I might,” came a clear voice from behind me. I was too sick to turn around quickly, but I wanted to. The voice sounded familiar, and it made my mind go in a million directions. Before I could even see who it was he had stepped in amongst us.
    Pierce, his black hair glinting from the glare of the hallway lights and his silver eyes flashing in anger, was staring at Haley.
    I had told myself over the weekend that I didn’t