Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 16

"I'm sorry?" I ask.

"Like, why'd you move here?" she asks again, then smiles.

I shrug. "Parents' work."

"Sorry to hear it," the girl next to her says. "I'm Krys. I understand how hard it can be to not have anywhere you belong for a while."

I cock my head back. "I belong just fine thanks."

"I didn't mean to be rude," she says in an overly preppy voice.

"Yeah, well that kind of was." I sit down but face away from them to show that I don't want to talk anymore.

They look at each other and laugh. Krys can barely contain her giggles. "Okay." She pushes some strand of her thick, curly hair out of her face.

Brittany slaps her playfully. "Hush before she tells them and we get our heads bit off."

"Clearly it's a mistake," another girl says. A redhead, the same girl who pulled me away from the ledge. "There's no way it could be a... well you know."

Brittany shrugs. "Who's to say? The fact that there's more than one is enough proof that things are changing."

I can't even tell if they're talking about me anymore or not, but they're really upsetting me because I feel like they're talking about me. I feel like I need to protect something, or defend myself. Call it instinct or a sixth sense. Whatever it is, I'm on edge.

I check my phone. Three minutes before class starts. I still have no idea where to go. The gym and all of its classes are shared to my knowledge. I don't suppose these stupid girls'll help me.

"Don't worry about them," someone says beside me.

I look up. It's a girl with wavy, brown hair and a gentle smile. "They just need something to talk about. Ignore them. I'll help you get to class. P.E. with Kenet, right?"

I nod. I smile as we leave the locker room. "Thanks. I'm Mia."

"Suzie." She leads me down the steps to the lower level. "This is where our class meets. Everyone will gather soon."

"Is this class hard?" I ask.

"For you it might be," she says.

I raise an eyebrow.

"You're breathing hard, just from the steps down here."

I wouldn't say I'm breathing that hard. I put my hand on my chest.

"Do you have a health condition?" she asks.

"Yeah, a couple actually. But they're not that serious." I don't feel like getting into it.

She nods. "Just tell coach. I'm sure she'll go easy on you considering."

I shake my head. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

TEN MINUTES LATER