Spiral (Spiral Series) by Maddy Edwards Page A

care about this guy Pierce. How could you be fascinated with someone you didn’t know? How could your insides turn to Jell-O at the mere thought of him when you had never spoken to him? It felt like crazy talk, but given the real crazy in my life I almost welcomed the warm fizz in my bones that the thought of Pierce brought.
    “Wow,” said Maxie. “Brad Pitt here I come. This is better than Christmas,” she muttered. I tried to grin, but I still felt sick.
    “Well, well, well, isn’t this an interesting development,” said Haley, eyeing my protector with something close to hatred.
    “Call it whatever you want,” Pierce snapped, not taking his eyes off of my tormentor, “but leave her alone.”
    Haley gave Pierce a dirty look and crossed her arms. “Whatever you say. As you know, it’s only a matter of time.” With a toss of her hair she turned on her heel and stormed away down the hall. With every step she took away from me I felt better, so much so that before she was even out of view I was standing on my own again.
    “Well, hello,” said Maxie, stepping forward. “I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to meet you. And thanks for dealing with her.” She turned her head to indicate Haley.
    I hadn’t noticed while it was happening, but we had developed an audience. They were now quietly dispersing, giving Pierce strange speculative glances as they passed.
    “I’m Pierce,” he said, smiling at my friend. “I’m new around here.”
    “So, maybe someone should have explained to you, but we don’t need help,” said Jill, her voice hostile.
    Pierce raised his eyebrows at her. I crossed my fingers that he would be careful. If he said the wrong thing to Jill now she might beat him up.
    “Never said you needed help, just thought I’d offer. I’m new around here, so still trying to learn the way of things. Sorry if I upset you.” He didn’t look remotely sorry. In fact, he looked pretty pleased about something.
    My mind had gone from one sort of shock to another: first, Haley and the physical pain I had felt just from being near her, and now, seeing Pierce. All I could do was wonder what he was doing here and was I more happy or shocked.
    “Well, thanks,” said Jill gruffly. “I guess we appreciate it. And I don’t get emotional.”
    I stared at Pierce in wonder as he stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
    “He could be a Calvin Klein model,” Maxie whispered to me. “Awesome.”
    “I should get going,” said Pierce. “I need to find my classes, but this isn’t goodbye. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
    I couldn’t quit wrap my head around the fact that he was looking at me when he said it. The last month of school was going to be very interesting indeed.
    I came to with a jolt when Maxie grabbed my arm and pulled me towards class.
    “Come on,” she said feverishly. “There’s still learning to be done.”
    I looked over my shoulder, watching a pair of broad shoulders make their way quickly through the crowd. I couldn’t help it. My eyes followed him until he disappeared around a corner.
     

Chapter Nine - Natalie
     
    By the end of that week in school my mind was blown. Not only was the new guy almost as popular as Andrew, but he talked to me. Every day.
    “I don’t like it,” said Jackson, sitting hunched over at lunch.
    “That’s like the eight millionth time you’ve said that this week,” Maxie scolded. It was Thursday, and I couldn’t wait for the week to be over. I was tired and I was sick of school and every time I saw Haley I flinched. Jill had taken to calling it Natalie’s Personal Twitch, but I knew she was only joking to try and make me feel better. It was pathetic and I knew it, but I couldn’t help it. I was afraid of Haley.
    This was the first time all week that Jackson had eaten lunch with us. We had different schedules, and the only lunches we even had a chance to eat together were on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Lunch days were very