“Yeah,” Owen agrees. “You’re a badass, no matter what he says.”
“Thanks, guys.” Piers smiles softly at them.
They’re so adorable, it sickens me. I shouldn’t be the one feeling lonely tonight, not after everything they’ve done.
Before I know what I’m doing, I’ve grabbed my beer and slid off my seat. Taking wobbly, lurching steps, I make my way across the tavern to their table. They spot me before I get there, their eyes widening as I saunter drunkenly up. The world is spinning a little, and the ground feels uneven beneath me feet.
Somehow, I make it and slide into the booth next to Piers. He scoots over, astonished.
“Buy me a beer, boys,” I say.
To my surprise, Piers signals the waiter and orders four more beers.
“Cheers!” I raise my booze, and they clink theirs against mine. “To assholes,” I proclaim as I drink.
“You mean us?” Owen asks.
“Nope! I mean Sawyer.”
They look surprised. They all share a glance, and then lean toward me.
“Something happen with you and Sawyer?” Piers asks.
“Obviously. Another.” I push my empty glass toward the center of the table. It slides too far, but Bennett catches it before it falls.
Piers throws his arm around my shoulder. “You guys broke up?”
“We were never not,” I say as the next round of beers arrives. “I mean, we weren’t—there was nothing to break up from.” My words are slurring and I’m a little confused. I laugh. “I’ve been here a while,” I tell them. I drink a little, and then throw Piers’ arm off me as I realize it’s there. “Hey. Don’t get all cozy with me.”
“We just wanna help,” Bennett says.
“Yeah,” Owen agrees. He reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “We—” he belches “—wanna help you, Avery.”
“Bullshit!” I yank my hand away and try to stand, but the table blocks me. I fall back into the booth, against Piers. “You guys got Aurora killed.”
They all share a glance, then Bennett says, a little quieter but still slurred, “Avery, I’m sorry about—”
“I don’t even know why I came over here. You guys are all assholes.” I disentangle myself from Piers and lurch away from the booth. I hear their voices yelling my name as I stumble away, tugging my hood up, and leave the bar.
It’s cold. Damn, it’s cold. I squint and look around, a little lost. Why did I go sit with them? I feel myself yearning to go back inside, to let them comfort me for the hurt they caused, but instead I try to walk back toward the school. I only make it a few steps before I stumble and fall face-first into the snow.
“Avery!” Hands grab my shoulders and pull me out of the snowbank. Bennett’s face fills my vision.
“Assholes!” I yell in his face.
He frowns and guides me back toward the tavern. Owen’s leaning against the wall outside, trying to light a cigarette, and Piers is standing next to him.
“Why do you guys do all this shit to me, huh?” I demand of them as Bennett walks me over. “Why?”
“You have to be punished!” Piers shouts back. “You—you—” I watch as he drunkenly searches for words. “You—made us look bad!”
There it is. The bottom of it. I always knew it was petty.
I blow a raspberry at him. “You guys took the written test and I didn’t. You made you look bad. You’re just making me a sssss …” I pause. “A scapegoat.”
Enraged, Piers grabs me by the shoulders, yanking me away from Bennett.
“Piers,” Bennett says warningly behind me.