I narrowed my eyes at her and called her bluff.

“Expel me then.”

Mrs. Walker gasped.

“Sheldon, this is ridiculous.” Miss Connors stepped forward. “I just want to talk to you. That’s all. I just want to know how you’re doing.”

“No, you don’t,” I spat out. “You want to try to figure me out. I’m not one of your subjects to understand and test.”

“You have so much potential,” Miss Connors pressed earnestly. “I don’t understand why you’re wasting it all away. I want to help you.”

“I’m fine with how my life is.” I stepped back. The chair pressed against the backs of my knees.

Bryce was extremely still beside me. Just watching me.

“No, you’re not. Sheldon, you spend your time with these boys...”

Bryce whipped his head towards her.

Miss Connors faltered, but resumed again, “You are so intelligent, Sheldon. You could already be in college. Your IQ tests were—”

“You can’t say any of that!” I shouted. “That’s confidential.”

“Sheldon, please…”

More students had filed into the office, but they all stopped abruptly.

I shook my head and clenched out, “You can’t do this. You can’t make me talk to you. Expel me then. I don’t care. Screw you.” I shoved past them. At the door, I stopped and met Bryce’s gaze, “Call me later.”

He nodded, his jaw was clenched.

Mena was at my locker when I swiftly kicked it and grabbed my bag.

“Hey,” she called after me when I turned for the parking lot.

When she caught up to me, she asked, “Are you okay?”

I ignored her and shoved through the kids who hadn’t seen me coming. Most of them darted out of my way, but a few weren’t as lucky. We met Corrigan on his way back into the school, whistling with a contented smirk on his face.

He took one look at me and the smirk vanished.

“What happened?” He turned and walked on my other side.

“Nothing,” I said tightly.

“Did they threaten you guys? Did that kid say anything?” he pressed.

“It has nothing to do with you!” I cried out and unlocked the Chrysler.

I threw my bag inside and turned to Corrigan, “Drive my car home, alright?”

“I’ll just give you a ride tomorrow morning. Or Bryce will. You can drive it home then.”

“I’m not coming to school tomorrow.” Or the next day.

“Why not?” Corrigan looked at me again and seemed to get it. He asked softly, “What happened, Sheldon?”

“You can get the play by play from Bryce. I’m leaving.” And I slammed my door shut and tore out of the parking lot.

Mena and Corrigan watched.

CHAPTER FOUR

I went home and showered again. After I had changed into some baggy clothes, I moved downstairs to my father’s study.

Inside, I sat behind the computer and typed ‘Greco’ in a search engine. A moment later I searched through the results and found out that ‘Greco’ stood for a Greco Defense, named after Giachino Greco. It was a chess move that’s used by amateurs who are stupid.

Corrigan had been right. The word had been an insult, but a nerdy insult.

I forwarded the article to Corrigan’s email.

The doorbell rang when I laid down to watch a movie a little later.

Muttering an irritated curse, I moved upstairs and was surprised to see Mena at the door.

“Hi,” I murmured as I held open the door.

“Hi.” She looked nervous.

“Come on in.” I gestured inside and we walked towards the kitchen. “Do you want anything to eat? Or drink? I was just going to watch a movie.”

“Oh. Um…” She laughed again and shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”

“Believe what?”

“This. Me. You.” She waved between us. “I’m nervous and I’m never nervous.

I’ve gone against some of the richest snobs in the nation and I’m nervous around you.”

“Why?” I took out a Diet Coke and slid it across the counter to her. “You want a glass with some ice?”

“Sure.” She sat on a stool at the counter. She explained, “I’m nervous because… I don’t know. Dumb, huh?”

“I told the school’s counselor and the secretary of our principal to expel me today,” I stated bluntly. I hopped onto the counter and dangled my foot over the edge.

“It’s not dumb, but there’s not a lot that makes me nervous.”

“I know. I heard. That was pretty balsy.”

I shrugged. “Had nothing to do with balls.” I just hadn’t cared about the consequences.

“So…” She took a deep breath. “Have you thought about what I said before?”

“About being friends?” Who outright asked for a friendship?

“Yeah. I know…it’s kinda stupid, but I just wanted to know before I entered the social scene tomorrow.”

“Actually,” I smirked. “I’m supposed to become friends with you anyway.”

“Why?” She asked suspiciously.

“Because of Corrigan. He asked me this morning to make friends with you. He wants you to come to a party this weekend.”

“Oh!” Disgust flickered over her face before she contained it. “He recognized me after you left school. He did a double-take and started muttering about second chances. I don’t believe in second chances for scum like him.”

I frowned and pointed out, “He’s one of my best friends.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I just—”

I waved her off. “Don’t worry.” I laughed and drank some of my own Diet Coke.

“Corrigan’s an ass. I told him myself this morning.”

“I’m sorry. I knew he was one of your best friends. I just…when I met Corrigan, he slept with my best friend and never called her. She cried for an entire week.”

That sounded exactly like Corrigan. I smirked.

Mena grimaced again. And then she cringed when her phone rang.

“It’s my brother,” she mumbled just before she answered it and moved into the living room.