Rumors were worse than wildfire sweeping every corner of the school. Everyone had somehow found out so many details of Jack's situation, but I had a gut feeling the reason was spelled: S-A-M-A-N-T-H-A.

Jack hadn't come to school today. Since the festival was on Saturday, the night after the school's big bonfire where Carson's band was performing, we were all a little nervous.

Anton had texted the group exactly once yesterday. He explained that he could not continue directing until Thursday due to family issues. He said to rest tonight because Jamie Skylar would join us tomorrow to oversee our rehearsal.

I tried my best to go about my school day normally, which seemed almost impossible. Apparently, if my mother was called in to help Jack's sister, the only logical explanation was that I was dating Jack Garrison, which made me gossip ground zero despite my protests.

Somehow, I made it through my morning classes without throwing anything or yelling at the people who would rather discuss the Garrison family than read The Grapes of Wrath.

Even with Parker by my side, yesterday had been long and debilitating. Mary had gotten out of surgery that had gone well, but she was still in the hospital recovering from blood loss and the wound.

Mom had said she was lucky. Mary would need time before being discharged from the hospital, and depending on her recovery, she might even need physical therapy. The three of us got home around three in the afternoon, and Mom and I went straight to bed.

This morning, Parker had to dump a glass of water over my head and roll me into the shower to get me to school on time. Mom wanted me in school regardless of how tired I was, so she had Parker make a coffee and hot chocolate concoction for me to drink in a thermos and drop me off before the first bell.

My brother was driving back to school today. I was grateful for his coming to the hospital. Jack had been happy to see him, and I knew they'd talked before I'd gotten back to the hospital after visiting the theater.

Before school, Jack had texted me, saying that Mary was doing better and the doctors would run more tests. He had mentioned something to me about his uncle insisting he see a counselor this afternoon.

I was having a hard enough time dealing with the previous day's events myself. Parker and I had discussed what happened in-depth afterward. He'd been the only person I felt I could open up to without having a strange conversation with Jack.

It had been easier for me to live in blissful obliviousness, ignoring Jack's existence. I couldn't leave him alone after seeing him stripped down to his weakest point. No one deserves to be broken down over and over by a parent. Seeing him cradle his sister and the fear in his eyes forced me to look beyond his perfect façade and popular act.

Without the filters and his usual confidence, I saw a boy who didn't think he was worth very much. He was a young man who wanted to protect his family. He was broken and alone.

Jack clearly needed allies. I didn't think he'd find them at school. Most of the students that graced the halls at Crestview were gossip-starved vultures and blood-sucking leeches. Anton was stressed about Mary in the hospital and the play. Lilly and Mary were scared and needed Jack to guide them, but he was just as lost.

"He's hurting," Parker told me when I returned to the hospital yesterday. "But it isn't necessarily your responsibility to save him. Focus on yourself and your feelings. If they call you to help Jack, then reach out. If not, he understands, and so do I."

The problem was that I didn't understand my own feelings. I couldn't freeze Jack out anymore, but what would my relationship with Jack look like if I acknowledged his existence? Did I want to be amiable? Did I want to be friends? Could I care about him more than that? I wasn't sure about any of it.

I made my way to my usual lunch table and sat down with the other cheerleaders. Of course, they were discussing their take on the latest whale-sized tales about Jack fending off his father with a shotgun while his sisters fled.

"Shayna," Shelby leaned towards me. "So, did he give you his jacket yet?"

"What?" I asked.

Shelby was nothing but gab and about a hundred text messages a day if she decided you were her best friend. She flashed her white teeth and flipped her white-blonde ponytail.

"You know," she said, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Your new boyfriend. Come on, girlfriend, spill the tea."

My bag of chips popped open a bit too hard, and the contents spilled on the table. I smiled and turned to Shelby. "Jack and I aren't dating."

"Why not?" Tess asked. "You don't still hate him, do you?"

I sighed and absently cleaned up the chips. "Jack just went through a horrible family tragedy. I'm sure the last thing on his mind is dating."

"You're so pessimistic, Shayna," Kelly said. "Besides, you're done with Juan. Can't you move on? Jack is like so perfect for you."

"Perfect?" I rolled my eyes. "He needs space. He skipped school today."

"Such a shame what happened to his family," Shelby said. "I mean, his mom is about to kick the bucket, his dad goes to jail, and like, we're so lucky there's no football game this week."

White-hot rage roiled from my stomach up to my throat. Jack's life was in chaos, and these girls were happy that there wasn't a football game this Friday. They cared about whom he was dating and if he could win.

I'd seen the blood on his clothes. He'd saved his sister's life. He literally took a bullet for his family. He'd have to live with the memories of his failure to protect his siblings forever, and no one seemed to care about that. They just wanted to paint him as some kind of hero.

"I think that you might have a chance at junior prom queen with Jack by your side," Kelly said. "Imagine the photos. You two would look so good."

"People love a good underdog story," Tess agreed. "Jack Garrison overcoming terrible odds."

Shelby giggled. "The perfect power couple."

I banged my fist on the table. "Enough. Jack has enough on his mind without dating. We aren't together. I saw him covered in blood, and all you can talk about is my fictional love life."

Shelby wrinkled her nose. "You're no fun, Shayna."

"We're just trying to spin this crisis in the best way," Kelly said. "I mean, you're so out of it today."

Out of it? These girls were my so-called friends. They were supposed to have my back. Instead, as usual, they just wanted to rule the school, which meant taking advantage of any opportunity. Jack wasn't a tragic hero, just a pawn on their dating chessboard.

Tess set a hand on my arm. "We know you're sensitive, but we want what's best for you."

I jerked away. Gathering my lunch, I threw the contents in my backpack, then got up from the table and walked away.

Tess called for me to come back, and I could hear Shelby calling me an unflattering name when she thought I was out of earshot. Blindly, I found my way out of the cafeteria and down the hallway. A few moments later, I found myself entering room 322, where part of the cast was having lunch.

Inside, Rita and Jules poured over the script while Hugh texted someone and Novah read in a corner. They all looked up as the door shut behind me. Hugh frowned while Rita's face lit up.

"What are you doing here?" Rita asked. "I thought you ate lunch with your friends."

"Today, I'm not so sure they're my friends," I said. 

Novah perked up from her book. "Took you long enough to hate those posers."

I grimaced because, unfortunately, Novah was right. They weren't my real friends. I needed to stop trying to be what the school wanted and just be me, not solely a cheerleader but a lover of both theater and cheer.

"All they want to do is turn all the notice on Jack into an attention grab," I said.

"Cheerleaders," Jules rolled their eyes and turned back to their script.

I rolled on the balls of my feet nervously. "So I'm hoping it's okay if I eat lunch here." 

"Of course, you're welcome," Novah said. "It's a safe place for friends. 

That made me smile. It was all the invitation I needed. I sat down at one of the lab tables beside Rita and Jules and got my sandwich back out. Rita showed me her script, and I could see she was polishing her speech for the monologue contest.

"I think I almost have it," she said. "But the monologue competition at the festival will be competitive."

"Rita," I said. "You're amazing on the stage. You'll get it."

"I'm just nervous," she said. "And Jamie Skylar is coming to our next rehearsal."

"We met Jamie Skylar," Hugh said. "She was nice."

It had been weird to walk into the theater and be introduced to a minor celebrity, even if she had left in such a hurry. It was good, though, that she was coming back to help us again.

"She's famous," Rita said. "And she'll be judging us."

"You'll do great," Hugh said. "I believe in you, Rita."

Nerves were something everyone got. Even the idea of performing my monologue made me nervous. We'd have to do it, though. It was what we signed up for.

Rita just shrugged. My phone buzzed. I looked down to see a string of texts from Jack.

The bell rang a moment later, signaling the end of lunch. I gathered my things and decided I'd make it through the school day unscathed if I relied on the right people.