“Well, I guessed that, shit for brains. What did you want to talk to me about?”
“How are you planning on winding her up specifically?”
I shrugged. “That’s really for me to know and you to just to take advantage of.”
Pretty boy scowled, and I smiled. Objectively, the guy was good-looking. Not my type, but he had some hidden emotional depths, when he wasn’t being a blithering idiot who tripped over his own tongue and crapped on the best thing that ever happened to him.
Not that I was bitter.
Nope.
I’d nursed my crush for as far as it went, and I got a new friend out of it, so win win for me.
“Yeah, but I need to know because I don’t want it to blow back on Frankie.”
Yeah. “Tell you what, you let me do my part, and you just make sure you do yours. Tripping over your tongue is a specialty, and I really would hate to see it fall into that bitch’s mouth and burn any bridges you might be in the process of rebuilding. Catch my drift?”
He scowled at me, and I had to admit,thatwas a good look on him. “You’re protecting Frankie, so I’ll let that slide. Don’t ever say shit like that to me again. Wanting her has never been the problem, and I would rather cut off my tongue than touch Sharon with it again.”
“Good boy, there might be hope for you yet. Now shoo. I have work to do, and I stir shit better when someone isn’t watching me.” Utterly untrue, but he needed to go away. “Besides, Frankie slapping you is a stellar idea. It might actually help her forgive you.”
He let out a little sigh and shifted his backpack strap. “Not sure I’ll ever deserve it.”
Ugh. Okay. “Look,” I said, relenting. “You screwed up. But it’s not irreparable.”
He frowned. “Are you giving me advice?”
“Shut up and take it, but do not comment on it, or I’m walking away. Got it?”
Hands raised, he said, “Got it.”
“Good. You hurt her. You hurt her a lot, because you didn’t know what you wanted and you projected that on her. Like you thought she didn’t know or wouldn’t. You decided you knew how she felt better than she did. Stupid mistake. Huge. Never ever tell someone how they really feel. It’s patronizing and dickish. That said, you seem to have woken up face down in the cow pasture and tasted the manure. Good job. Now clean that shit off and just go for it. She’s not throwing you out the door, and you’ve been stepping up since that fucktard put hands on her. I can’t say whether you did before or not, but that’s neither here nor there. Stop hesitating. Grab that girl and kiss her like you mean it. Sometimes, actions speak a fuckton louder than words.”
I took two steps away and then whirled back as the bell rang again. Dude was so getting a tardy. Not my problem. “But to be clear, you hurt her again, and what we do to Sharon is going to look like a picnic next to what I’ll do to you.”
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again.
Good boy.
Maybe he could learn.
“See you in a couple of hours for Operation Bitch Slap.” Such a stupid name and funny at the same time. “Toodles.”
I was halfway to my car before I glanced over my shoulder. Bubba was gone. I could only hope he took my advice.
Back in my car, I had my phone out and my feet up as I scrolled through my contacts.
Who was in Sharon’s sixth period class?
Archie
Both classes dragged like hell, probably because I was itching to get back out there. From the moment that video dropped, all I could think about was crushing those bitches like a bug. While we hadn’t really discussed it, I had zero doubt that Patty wasn’t involved in that shit. She’d had a hate-on for Frankie because she was under some delusion that Frankie was the reason Patty and I weren’t getting back together.
She wasn’t the only girl gunning for her. I used to think this girl-on-girl shit was funny before it involved Frankie. I didn’t mind when they fought over us. Hell, it entertained me. The lengths some girls went to get our attention.
But this?
Nothing funny about this at all. The verbal attacks had been one thing. This bordered on criminal. Seriously, painting Frankie as someone who invited being drugged and assaulted? That crossed so many lines, she was in another county.