“Yes, but that’s different. In those cases, the Princes always told everyone why they were blacklisted. You’re different. Hunter refuses to say why you’re on the list, and a lot of people think it’s bullshit. Like Penn.”
“Exactly,” Adam cut in. “Please stay, Laney. Please. Don’t let them win.”
Trina nodded vehemently. “You’re better than them. We’ve only known you for five days and we can already tell that. So prove it to everyone else.”
I gnawed at the inside of my cheek and frowned. “How?”
“Show up on Monday, and then keep showing up every other day. Act like all of the assholes are totally invisible. Like they don’t affect you at all. Even if they do.”
A flush of adrenaline went through my system, and I took a deep breath. Then I nodded. “All right. I’ll try,” I said, voice barely above a whisper.
I wanted to believe my new friends. Wanted to believe that I could make it through the rest of senior year without letting the bullies break me. But deep down, I knew I was already breaking.
I wouldn’t last much longer.