Back to Class (The Thornback Society #3)

by Aspen Hadley

"Are you sabotaging your tech in order to spend time with him?" I huffed. "Meredith, why would I purposely make my life more difficult just to spend time with a guy?" "Hi, remember me? The girl with the vendetta involving giant inflatable yard decor? Love makes you do strange things." "You can't use love as an excuse for your bizarre behavior toward Brooks, especially when you didn’t even like him when you started the war." "I can, actually. And I do."

"Don't you two think she looks adorable?" I looked to Hailey and Ruby, who were both watching with smiles. Meredith, however, grimaced. "You really hit me where it hurts most."

She dressed deceptively, looking too small to be taken seriously, and I respected her for that.

It wasn't easy to prepare kids for the armpit of life that was junior high.

"Do I have something on my face?" his voice interrupted, and I realized I'd been staring. "You have a nice face," I said, my lips tugging into a frown at the words I hadn't meant to say.

Really, it's a good time to be a rat," she finished.

Except for Jeannie—but coming down on Jeannie for anything would be akin to kicking a baby otter, and no one would do that.

Twenty minutes later, I'd cursed the printer, its unfortunate mother, its possible offspring, and all those people who created devil technology.

"So, you're invited to the St. Patrick's Day party on Friday. If you can't come or don't want to come, I will happily fake either of our deaths."

"Why can't he fall into a manhole and get eaten by one of those sewer crocodiles everyone used to fear as kids?" I muttered.

Dani had been a superstar, but one little elf couldn't carry the whole team, no matter how springy she was.

Wesley kept bumping me out of my comfortable train of thought, making me see things differently.

Man, I loved my family.

"I think they might be forming a team," Meredith whispered. "A bro-lliance," Ruby nodded wisely. "A what?" Hailey asked. "You know, an alliance of bros. Bro-lliance."

Wesley stepped up beside me. "Did she really yell 'ca-caw' like a battle cry?" he asked. I nodded with a grin. "This is the woman treating the sick kids at school? She's been given access to needles?"

Meredith leaned into him for a moment before he gathered his horse and moved along to race. "That man could melt ice," she said to me. "I think he already does, daily," I cracked, and Meredith smiled and shrugged, giving me an acknowledging nod.

"I thought we were fierce dragon women," moaned Ruby on Monday afternoon as we all flopped in her office after school. "Thornback women, out to conquer the world, yet getting our booties kicked by stick horse racing and hours of dancing Irish jigs."

It was not relaxing, not comfortable, and it made me want my mommy.

It was subtle public humiliation, and it was next level. "You

you are a dragon lady. You can handle it."

"You're off the hook for now, Aryn, but we will talk after we demolish them and break his spirit."

The warmongering among my teammates halted as Wesley approached, and I heard my brothers' curiosity as loudly as if they'd actually spoken out loud.

and everything shifted as I decided that this round, I'd fight for my own honor.

"I'm saying that I know better now, and I'm still a sucker for the full combination."

Young enough to have perspective but old enough to be mad about it.

"We know, that you know, that we all know, that strange things are brewing," she said.

This was alternate-universe stuff.

I was willing to sneak bags of M&Ms and licorice into his luggage if necessary.

“Doing my best to keep the dragon ladies happy.”

so I was definitely foaming at the mouth a bit.

It was totally unfair to go to bed realizing I was falling for a guy for the first time and then to wake up looking like this. So much for wooing

I turned my head to the side. "Rubes, that's depressing." "History often is." She shrugged. "It's why we're supposed to learn from it. No sense in pretending it didn't happen. Otherwise, we can't prevent a repeat."

basically victimizing him with her enthusiasm.

but I still had some fortress tendencies,

"Because I will be forced to ninja kick you."

"No. I never coddle with intent, although it does occasionally come slipping out." "I never pout with intent either,"