The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts Read Free Book Online

just like the arrogant Nate I’d observed at school. I was speechless. Not in a million years would I have imagined that he could be this cruel.
    I wasn’t ready to give up yet, though. I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me. “The first day of school when you looked at me, you saw it too, didn’t you?”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “The coffins. You felt that suffocating fear. That’s why you looked away.” This was the first time I’d allowed myself to think about it again, and the moment the words left my mouth, I realized how crazy they made me sound.
    “You’re insane,” Nate said with disdain.
    “I saw the worry in your face. You saw it. Just admit it.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nate seemed truly frustrated. He didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. Then it was when I regretted having said anything. Not only did he think I was a loser, but also insane.
    “Just leave me alone, okay? I don’t even know you. I don’t even know what I’m doing here. If you ever see me around, pretend I’m invisible.”
    He didn’t wait for me to say anything. Before I reacted, he grabbed the car keys, and as simple as that, he walked out of my life. Soon after, I heard the front door slam and the engine of Nate’s car fade away.
    I was sitting on the sofa, unable to come to terms with what just happened. I still didn’t have a clue about what happened last Saturday, but I couldn’t care less. I was trying to help him, and this was his way of thanking me. He considered himself a superior race.
    How could this be any more embarrassing? Nate Werner had driven to my place only to remind me that I was an insane loser and I should stay away from him. The thought of his friends laughing at me when he told them what he’d done flooded my mind. I had officially committed social suicide.
    The truth (even if I didn’t want to recognize it) was that I thought there was a possibility Nate had feelings for me, too. That’s why he’d agreed to meet me at home. But I’d been a fool. Popular guy falls for unknown girl only happened in movies. And I hated myself for having built castles in the sky. Now I was left to deal with the cruel reality; loving him in silence was as far as our relationship would ever go.
    A few minutes after Nate left, Dad came into the room, bringing me back from my reverie. “How did it go, Sophie?”
    I couldn’t let Dad know Nate came here with only the intention of bringing me down. “I’m not sure,” I said, trying to put my almost nonexistent acting skills to use to control the emotions that rushed through my mind. “He is a bit strange, but I think he’ll be fine.”
    Dad knew me too well, and I wasn’t fooling him. At least he realized I wanted to keep Nate’s confession to myself.
    He spoke, sitting in his desk chair. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way to help him.” Dad turned on the desk lamp and mumbled as though he was talking to himself. “Do you mind moving to the living room? I need to correct some exams.”
    “No problem,” I said, walking out of the room.
    I went upstairs and hid under the bed covers. I was never going to get over this. I never wanted to go back to that stupid school if it involved having to face Nate and his friends. How could I have been such an idiot? How could I have trusted him? I should’ve known better. It was no secret he was arrogant and thought no one deserved his time. What was I thinking?
    At least there was something to console me. I wasn’t going to have to face Nate at school the next day. Megan had a guest role in Criminal Defense , a detective show, and had asked me to spend the day with her at the set. I wouldn’t be back at school until the day after.
    If the high school years weren’t already complicated enough, after this evening, life was going to be even more difficult. This wasn’t something that anyone could get over. Beautiful Nate had made it loud and clear how he