Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen, #1)

by Chloe Walsh

Tommen’s guidance counselor was batshit crazy, but she had a whole host of games and team-bonding exercises planned for the three-and-a-half-hour bus ride. She even had a bag of fucking Easter eggs and little laminated award charts as prizes. She did this every damn time she joined us on an away game, and usually I just ignored the woman until she gave up and left me alone. I always sat alone so she couldn’t pair me up with the person beside me and make me do those bleeding feelings exercises—and, god forbid, reflection time—she loved so much. But today? Today I found myself participating in the boring-as-fuck quizzes and charades games, not to mention, I bleeding Spy. I knew Gibsie, Hughie, and Feely were laughing their asses off at me from the back of the bus—they knew I never joined in on these games—but I didn’t give a shite because playing these games meant Shannon had to talk to me. Every time I won, the girl next to me smiled. Every time I handed her another Easter egg or stupid little award, she crept further out of that shell she was hiding in. That was worth the slagging I was going to reap from my team. She was worth it all.