“Not the whole town,” I mutter under my breath. The fights must go on, after all. No one at the Slaughter Pen cares about football—at least not many of them. The regulars skip the game to come watch us fight every week. The big chain stores and restaurants and gas stations are open, but that’s about it. I guess for people who like to be part of the social scene, the games are where that happens. It was like that at FHS, too. Football is king. I’ve always known that. I just didn’t care.
“Royal’s going to expect you at the game,” Gloria says. “You can’t just skip them. He’s the quarterback.”
“And I’m not his girlfriend,” I say, giving her a look. I notice everyone else in the room has gone silent at the mention of their king’s name. Even the teacher is watching, like she wants to know who Royal’s fucking, too. I’ve heard whispers about him liking older girls. Maybe she thinks she’s got a shot.
“You’re a Dolce girl now,” Gloria says. “You have to go.”
“Um, no,” I say. “Neither of those things are true.”
“Whatever you say,” she mutters, shaking her head. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing you at the game. Just hopefully a little less of you than we saw last week.”
I ignore her for the rest of class. In science, where I sit with Royal, he’s cool and indifferent to me before choosing a different partner for our week of outdoor study. Guess he’s a one-time type of guy after all. I’m too done with the bullshit to even protest when DeShaun comes to claim me as his partner. Whatever. If Royal’s trying to fuck with me by having his friend keep tabs on me, he can knock himself out. And if he thinks I’m going to say something to DeShaun about him, he should know me better.
I focus on scraping the rocks on the inside of the fountain like my life depends on it. Right now, it feels like it does. I try not to think about Royal, about what a fool I am. Okay, so I broke my rules for him. I let down my walls, and now I’m paying. Not like I really expected more. This will not kill me. It won’t break me. It might break my heart, but I’ll survive. It’s what I fucking do.
After lunch on Wednesday, I’m tossing my trash when Gloria marches over and grabs my arm. “I need to talk to you.”
“I thought Dolce girls were too cool to carry their own trash,” I say, cocking a brow at her freshman servant.
“Just shut up and come with me,” she says, dragging me toward the bathroom. Her squad follows, but Gloria holds up a hand when we get to the restroom door. She reaches out and squeezes Eleanor’s hand when she starts to protest. “This is between me and Harper. Royal business. You understand, right?”
Without waiting for her sister to answer, Gloria pulls me into the bathroom off the café. When she sees a group in front of the mirrors, Gloria snaps her fingers at them and points to the door. “Out.”
“But we—”
She plants a hand on her hip and swivels her head in that bitch way girls do. “Did you hear that, Harper? I think she said no to me.”
“I didn’t hear that.”
She turns back to the girls. “You better be glad my girl here didn’t hear you this time,” she says. “Next time, someone might be paying better attention.”
“Is this really necessary?” I mutter to her.
The girls grumble and roll their eyes as they trudge past us and shove out the doors. “Can you believe them?” Gloria huffs. “The attitude of some bitches at this school, I swear.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Are you fucking serious right now?”
She cracks a smile like she can see the irony. “For real, though,” she says, covering her heart and rolling her eyes back in her head. “You and Royal, oh my god. Is it true?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Did you have something to talk to me about?” I ask, crossing my arms and glaring. “Or is that it? Because if it is, this conversation is already over. There is no me and Royal.”
She turns on the water and checks each of the stalls before returning to the mirror and opening her little purse. “You never know,” she says, meeting my skeptical gaze in the mirror.
“You think someone’s going to hide in the bathroom to listen to our conversation?”
“The rumor mill is the heart that pumps the blood of this school,” she says before turning to me, her hip braced on the sink. “Just… Be careful, okay? Despite my horridness, I actually like you, Harper.”
“And you want to tell me to be careful of Royal, that he’s going to destroy me, that he’s dangerous and not someone to be trifled with. Trust me, I know. I’ve been warned. I’ve experienced it firsthand. And now I’m paying.”
She gives me a funny look. “Is that your final decision?”
“What are you talking about?”
She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Royal is… I’ve never seen him like this for a girl, okay? He’s got a lot of pride, and he may not say it, but the ball’s in your court, Harper. Please make the right decision.”