I blink a few times. “Excuse me?”
“I know you know my name.”
“How so?” I cross my arms, daring him to prove himself.
“You and Robyn were talking about me yesterday. You think you’re all high and mighty, but you’re just a freshman. You’re nothing. Less than nothing.”
“Because of my age?” I roll my eyes. “Trust me. I am not going to walk around campus like I’m some kind of star who is owed everything and anything from everyone around him. Er, me.”
Ace narrows his eyes. “You need to learn your place.”
“How about this? My place is wherever the fuck I want it to be, and you and your friends can’t tell me any differently.”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re nothing.”
“Well, you mean nothing to me, so… I guess we’re even.”
Ace scowls, but I don’t give him a chance to touch me. I made that mistake with Zac, and I won’t let that happen again.
But I don’t make it far before I see another one of Rob’s friends. Shit, did he sic them on me? I swear he must’ve because Gabe is making a beeline for me. I risk a glance around. Rob is nowhere in sight, so it’s not as if he’s watching his friends harass me.
I was bullied until the third grade when I lost weight without trying. Nothing really changed. I’m only five foot even, so it’s not as if I ever had a growth spurt, but once I was deemed “pretty,” the bullying stopped.
From the guys, that is.
The girls were vicious, but only for a few days because I stood up to them. Plus, Erika had my back. We killed ‘em with kindness, and throughout the rest of grade school and then high school, we were the cool kids.
I always expected to be at the bottom of the totem pole here. You have to pay your dues. I get that, but for Rob to have such a bruised ego over my refusing to sleep with him again that he’s sending his friends after me is too much. Seriously too much.
Gabe stops in front of me. “Katie Quake?”
“Yes, that’s me.” I purse my lips, wondering what he’s going to toss out next but then decide to beat him to the punch. “I’ve heard about you. You’re Gabe, right? Gabe… Pen…”
“Pendleton.”
“That’s right.” I snap my fingers. “I’ve heard…”
He flashes me a smile. Damn. Robyn’s right. Gabe really does know how to turn on the charm, and he doesn’t even have to say a single word.
“What is it your heard about me?” he asks, his voice low, husky.
“That you’re a real charmer.”
He winks at me.
“But is it really all that charming if you use that to try to manipulate people?”
His smile disappears. “Who says I try to manipulate people?”
“Let’s see. Zac and Ace already harassed me. Now it’s your turn. Do me a favor and tell Rob to have his lower ribs removed so he can suck his own cock? Fuck. Leave me alone, okay?”
“You sure have a mouth on you,” Gabe says. “How big is it?”
I glare at him.
“How many cocks do you think can be crammed in at one time?”
“That depends on how tiny they are,” I snap.