"Peamah, hey…" I said. My voice was steady, but my heart was doing a nervous dance in my chest. He stood there like a statue of anger, looking as furious as I'd ever seen him. Behind him were two other guys wearing their basketball jerseys. One of them was spinning a ball on his finger, looking at me like I was something he wanted to step on.
"I told you to stay out of my head, didn't I?"
He didn't just say it; he spat the words out. I felt the tiny droplets of spit land on my cheek and resisted the urge to wipe them off. I didn't want to show any weakness. Beside me, Malo shifted his weight. I could feel him tensing up, ready to bolt or fight, though I knew which one was more likely.
"I don't know what you're talking about, dude. I'm not in your fucking mind. I haven't even thought about you at all," I explained. I tried to keep my tone level, hoping he would just realize he had the wrong person and leave us alone so we could finish our lunch in peace.
