“I did offer,” he says, with the creepiest smile I’ve ever seen. I tear the door open and storm from the class, feeling dirtier than I ever have. But he’s right, who is going to believe me after everything that’s happened since I came back here?
Why is this year not over yet?
* * *
My morning has not gone the way I hoped it would, but the sugar rush definitely carried me through it. The bell for lunch rings just as my sugar crash hits, and I groan. At least I can eat and recaffeinate. Caffeine is absolutely necessary to ensure no more fists are thrown.
I haven’t seen or heard anything of Blair since this morning, but most of her bitch squad have been MIA too. I’m taking it as a blessing, because the whispers and looks have already been so insane today, that, despite my armor and the sugar, I feel like I’m bleeding out.
I pack my things up into my bag and head for the cafeteria, not paying attention to anyone around me. I guarantee I’ve taken nothing in during any of my lessons today, so I’m definitely going to have to beg someone for their notes at some point.
I meet Indi by the doors for lunch, and the grimace on her face tells me that she has bad news. “Blair is back… and she is pissed.”
“Of course she is,” I groan. I mean, she definitely deserved at least a bitch slap, but I definitely saw red earlier. You can fling shit at me, and I’ll let it go, but you donotinsult or fuck with my friends. All reason disappears when you cross that line.
“Apparently her nose isn’t broken, though.” She shrugs and links her arm with mine. I love her show of loyalty, even if it is a subconscious thing. “So ya know, she has no real reason to be pissed.”
“I’m almost disappointed that it’s not broken,” I joke, and she snickers.
“The day isn’t over yet.”
We walk into the cafeteria laughing, and it goes so quiet you could hear a fucking pin drop.Just awesome.
Indi stills at my side, and I love how fierce she looks right now. There’s a nasty sneer on her face like she’d happily throw hands if anyone says one goddamn thing.
I jut out my chin and glance around the room. I don’t see Blair here yet, but I catch the eyes of at least half of the room as I go. My eyes dare them to be brave enough to say something to my face rather than whispering about me behind my back. No one says a fucking thing or even moves until I lock eyes with Lincoln. He raises an eyebrow at me, but I refuse to look away first. Finley leans over and says something to him, drawing his attention from me, and I smirk.
Once he looks away from me, conversation starts again, and Indi leads us toward the line to actually get some food. I grab a cheeseburger, fries, and a soda despite the fact that eating feels like that last thing I want to actually be doing.
As we head to our usual table, coughs of ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ follow me across the room. “Fuck you all, like you’re the virgin fucking Mary,” Indi snaps at someone who I don’t remember having ever seen before.
“Not worth it,” I tell her, pulling her to our table and letting the words slide off of me like water from a duck’s back.
She slams her tray down, and her hands shake as she sits, her face red with anger. “People are such fucking dicks. Not one of them would call you out on shit to your face. Cowards, all of them.”
“They are.” I shrug. “But they’re not worth your rage for exactly that reason.”
She shakes her head and jams a fry in her mouth. Apparently, her hangry is showing. “I don’t know how you do it. I’d have already broken under the pressure of everything you’ve been through the last few weeks.”
“Nah,” I say, shaking my head as I unwrap my burger. “You’re stronger than you think. You survived last year here on your own.”
“Let’s agree to disagree.”
We sit and eat in a comfortable silence until Raleigh and some of his friends join us. No one says a thing about the video, Blair, or my outburst this morning. They just talk about the upcoming game this week, and it’s just so fucking normal. I love it.
“Are you okay?” Raleigh asks when everyone else is distracted with another conversation about the Asheville Allstars.
I think about his question for a quiet, contemplative moment. Am I okay? I feel okay considering everything that’s happened, so I nod and smile. “I could be worse.”
He frowns a little, the lines on his forehead deepening as he does. “How come you didn’t call me for a ride today if you needed one?”
I swear it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes. I don’t get why me coming in with Lincoln is so out there. I mean, yes, he hates me. That much is obvious, but still. I bite back my frustration at being called out, especially since it’s really not any of his business. Yeah, he’s been a good friend, and he asked me out on a date, but that doesn’t give him the right to question me.
Despite all of the mild resentment swimming in my head, I answer him, trying to sound as rational and as calm as I can. “Smithy, my guardian, arranged it. I thought I was coming in with Indi, but with the amount of press at the house, it wasn’t possible. Lincoln is my neighbor, and it was easy for me to get to his house undetected, so I could actually get to school.”
He frowns again, but nods. “Okay.”
That’s all he says. Like I needed his permission. I grit my teeth together and take a deep breath. I’m on edge today, so I’m not going to snap at him. This could be me fully taking it the wrong way. He’s been nothing but nice until now, so this has to just be me.