For Nevermore Season 1

their ilk, full license to find a hundred and one things they never liked about him, all while pretending it wasn’t about his looks or money. Jeremy Wood was one of the nicest guys Sam knew, and someone Becca used to hang out with quite a lot. Just one more shred of evidence proving that Becca was changing even more than Sam had thought.
    Sam’s stomach twisted. He turned to his side leaning low in his seat, then pulled his cell phone from his pocket and listened to Noella’s message again. Becca was too busy being bratty in the front to notice.
    “And what about Caitlin?” Becca said. “Did you hear about her and Alex Rivera?”
    “Yeah, but I can’t say I’m surprised.”
    “I was,” Becca said, “Wasn’t she all like, ‘I’m waiting for the right guy’ and acting all purity-ring good girl or something?”
    Vicky laughed, “Yeah, right! The more good they say they are, the more skeletons they have in their closet. She’s got half the football team in hers!”
    “No way!” Becca said, shocked, eyes wide. “That’s just disgusting.”
    “Sad,” Vicky said. “And Alex is such a pig. Don’t even get me started.”
    Becca said, “I guess I’m just lucky that I found my Mr. Right.” She tilted the rearview, then winked at Sam. He smiled back, flushing from her genuine smile and the same feeling he always got when the best of Becca rose to the surface.
    Bruno Mars’ “Grenade,” came on and Becca cranked the radio, as though it wasn’t already many decibels past too loud to enjoy, then started singing at the top of her lungs. Sam sank lower, wishing he was anywhere but the backseat of Becca’s Jetta.
    They pulled into the mall parking lot, then went inside and headed straight for Forever 21, probably Sam’s least favorite store and the only one in the entire mall that made Sam feel even more like a third wheel than he already did.
    He milled about the front of the store, running his fingers along the long rows of tacky jewelry. Becca and Vicky were in the back of the store, sifting through the racks and at turns making fun of stuff or saying how cute other stuff was. It all looked the same to Sam, though.
    Sam made his way toward the entrance of the store, took a look back to make sure he was out of Becca’s sight, then took out his phone and listened to Noella’s message once more, before dropping it back in his pocket. He turned back to see Becca and Vicky in the middle of the store, and Becca smiling at him.
    The girls joined up with him a few minutes later with nothing in their hands. He thought they’d come to the store so Vicky could get a new top.
    “We’re leaving?” Sam said, hoping the answer was yes.
    Sam wasn’t that lucky. Vicky wanted to check out a few other shops and wasn’t leaving until she got the “perfect top.” He figured the girl had no less than 50 different outfits and couldn’t imagine she needed yet another. He wished he’d just taken the bus home, or had Becca drop him off at home. Having a girlfriend with a car was cool, except when you were stuck spending hours in the mall or hanging out with her friends. Now, as he followed them, he felt something stirring in his stomach, and hoped he wasn’t coming down with something. This was the second time in the past 20 minutes he felt the pain. Ironic, especially given that he left school yesterday saying he was sick in order to hang out with Becca.
    After they left Forever 21, they headed toward the food court so the girls could each get Frappuccinos. They were 100 yards from Starbucks when Vicky pointed to an overly tall, gangly guy who looked to be in his mid-20s, and dressed head to toe in black, with piercings in his upper lip, ears, and nose, and a barbed wire tattooed on his face. Sam thought face piercings were hardcore. He didn’t even know how to define a tattoo under the eye.
    Vicky said, “Oh my God, I think we found the perfect boyfriend for Scarella! Maybe we should see if we can get his number, and by number I mean his inmate number.” She laughed hysterically at her own joke.
    Sam said, “Still mad that Noella kicked your ass?”
    Vicky stopped, eyes wide, “Excuse me?”
    “I said, are you still mad that Noella kicked your ass? She didn’t make you deaf, too, did she?”
    Becca stared at Sam, all three of them stopped about 10 yards from Starbucks.
    “What’s your deal?” Vicky said. “Why are you always defending her? Do you have a crush on Scary or something?”
    “No, but