He stares right through me as I vomit up my current issue in a single rushed breath. “Huh?”
My gaze rolls to the sky in silent prayer before coming back down. “I don’t have a lunch account.”
“That sounds a lot like your problem, princess. Dunno what you want me to do about it.”
Bouncing lightly from foot to foot, I stare at the ground between us. “Can I please just borrow yours?”
“You can borrow mine, Legs. For a price.” I lift my head as the owner of the thick twang steps past with a grotesque catcall.
Jace whips in his direction. A growl rumbles in his chest. “Ima make you eat that whistle, Rod. Keep movin’.”
He raises his palms in surrender. “Sorry, man. Didn’t realize she was one of yours.”
I lift a brow. “One ofyours?”
Jace’s scowl curls into a lazy, lopsided smirk. At first, I think he’s smiling at me, but the girl from my first class comes up frombehind and fits her body against his. “Hey, Jace.” She traces a heart on his chest with her index finger. “I thought you were gonna call me this weekend?”
“I got tied up.”
“Poo,” she mewls, but her demeanor changes when she finally notices me standing here. “Oh, hey Barbie. Don’t you have a Dreamhouse to scurry off to?”
Jace’s cruel laughter burns me up inside. I don’t know why I expected a little decency from someone like him. I turn on my heel, but the feel of his fingers closing around my arm stops my flight. In his opposite hand, he offers his card between two fingers. “Once.”
He slaps Darla on the ass. She squeals and saunters away as I take the offering with a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”
With my newly purchased lunch in hand, I scan the crowd for an empty spot. I spy Chris and make my way over to her. “Can I sit with you?” I ask.
She slides over to make room. “This is Ellie,” she says, chucking her thumb over her shoulder.
The two girls she’s with smile, but the one with glasses is the only one who talks. “I’m Randy. This is Mae.”
“Hi.” My shoulders drop for the first time in hours. The relief loosens my muscles as I pop the tab on my Diet Coke, but it’s a brief reprieve. A fan of soda sprays in my face, dappling my white top with sticky brown stains. I gasp. A band of curses flies under my breath as I scramble up and stare wide-eyed at my ruined blouse.
“Uh-oh, Barbie. It looks like you made a mess.”
My gut wants to slap that sarcastic grin from Darla’s face, but my brain overrules it with logic. She has tons of friends behind her. I have three misfits who I seriously doubt would have my back in a fight. It will only end badly for me. Instead, I swallowmy pride and wipe my neck with a napkin. “You realize Barbie is blond, right? If you’re going to insult me, at least do it right.”
Her overlined eyes narrow. “Stay away from Jace, okay, bitch?”
A smug grin grows on my lips as I look up through my lashes. “Oh, I’d love to. Unfortunately, we live together.”
Her dropped jaw is a small victory, yet a win nonetheless. “Youlivetogether?”
I ball my napkin and throw it at her feet. “We do. So if you have a problem with my presence, take it up with him.”
The room’s collective eyes bore into my back as I stroll away, but my head remains high, my cheeks dry. The countdown starts now. I have to finish what’s left of one year at this rotten school. Then, I’ll get my diploma and can kiss this hellhole goodbye. I make a plan right here, right now. I am not going to let them break me.
***
The last class of the day is gym. Rows of pink lockers line all four walls with benches in the center. The smell of Coke still wafts from my cleavage. I huddle in the corner, changing my clothes with my back to the other girls.
At the last minute, I decide to hide my mother’s ring in my bag. The nets strung across the gymnasium indicate we’re playing volleyball. I have a lot of rage to work out on the court, and I don’t want to accidentally knock out a diamond. I slide it in the back and set my shoes in front to keep it hidden. Tonight, I’ll go out and get a lock to ensure my things stay secure. My old school utilized the honor system, but something tells me these barbarians are anything but honorable.
Dressed in shorts and an NYC tee, I jaunt up the steps to the gym floor. My eyes immediately catch on Jace with a group ofguys in the corner. The sides of his torso peek through the wide-open maw where I assume sleeves used to be. The front hem is shoved into light gray sweatpants. A lean band of muscle ripples in his arm as he whacks the ball over the net.
I take a sip of water and tear my gaze away. He dresses like a punk and acts like an asshole. I refuse to think he’s hot. I’m certain he’s the reason I made enemies on my first day. He could have asked what’s-her-name to help make my transition smooth, but instead, he used her as a pawn against me. He’s the worst.
I reject all thoughts of his toned body and chiseled jaw and dismiss the way my stomach flips whenever his eyes catch mine. I push them from my mind like yesterday’s trash. Done. Forgotten. Jace who?