talk to my parents about getting your mom a job as our maid. If she could
be trusted not to steal the silverware.”
The other girls glanced at each other nervously, but still laughed on
command when Arabella was done, like trained monkeys. Fairfield had a
strict no bullying policy, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. It happened
to June. A lot.
“How very sixteen-hundreds of you.”
What was wrong with her? She knew that despite having everything,
there must be something. People didn’t bully for no reason. There was
obviously something in Arabella’s life that wasn’t right, something she
wasn’t getting that she needed.
Arabella scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, just the silverware comment. It’s very old-fashioned.” June knew
she should just shut up and take it and hope Arabella got tired of bullying
her and moved on to someone else. If she didn’t react, there’d be no
satisfaction in it for her tormentor.
So far, two months into the school year, it hadn’t worked.
Arabella scowled, dodged around June’s open locker door, and reached in
for her biology textbook. She tucked it against her chest and leaned back, a
sick smirk on her face. “Thanks for lending it to me. I hope you don’t mind
having to replace it when I accidentally drop it into the garbage chute
tonight. You know, where you sleep.”
The textbooks weren’t assigned. They were purchased. Her scholarship
covered her books too, but not if she had to replace one. June knew the
textbook could easily cost sixty to a hundred dollars. She worked part time
at an ice cream shop and that would easily be two to three shifts to replace
it.
She held out her hand. “Please give me back my textbook.”
“But you were so nice to lend it to me because I forgot mine at home
today.” Arabella blinked innocently.