“What the fuck did you say?”
“Hunter, why did you come all the way over here to bother us?” Blaze spoke up but James ignored him. It looked like he’d just selected his victim for this evening: me.
“Maybe you don’t understand who you’re messing with, little girl.”
Don’t be weak, June, you can stand up to him.
“Are you really so bored with your friends that you’d rather pick a fight with us mere mortals?” I retorted.
But my brazenness didn’t sit well with them. His undershirt slid to one side as he stretched his arm toward me and grabbed me, clutching the side of my T-shirt. It didn’t hurt, but I froze immediately.
“I’m not gonna let some kid talk to me like that.”
“Hey, leave her alone, Hunter!”
I heard Blaze’s voice, but it was Brian who came to my rescue. As soon as he got close, James backed off. “Look who’s here to try to save the day and push me around.”
Some people nearby laughed, but the tension skyrocketed when Brian got within an inch of James’s face. But Hunter didn’t seem afraid of Brian. He didn’t seem to be afraid of anyone for that matter. He was clearly satisfied with the reaction he’d gotten.
I saw Brian clench his fists. The veins on his neck popped out. He was ready to pounce.
“I missed your fucking face in juvie, Hood.” James’s irritated expression suddenly changed into a sly, almost smug smirk. “But honestly, I missed fucking your sister even more.”
His provocation caused the tension to boil over. Brian gave in.
“Brian!” Amelia predicted her brother’s next move. His fist landed squarely on James’s nose.
“Here we go again,” Blaze blurted, shaking his head.
James’s face was full of blood, but nobody could stop him. I saw him spit on the ground then grab Brian by his T-shirt collar.
Blaze and a few of James’s friends immediately tried to intervene, causing even more chaos.
As I tried to retreat, I recognized William, the guy from the locker. He was trying to separate the two of them when suddenly our eyes met.
Hi,he mouthed at me in the middle of the chaos.
“Hi,” I whispered back.
I stared in bewilderment while the guys tried to beat the crap out of each other. Blaze finally managed to restrain Brian while James’s friends struggled to hold him back.
William didn’t seem to have anything to do with what was going on. He smiled at me.
James wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand then glared at me and William.
“Let’s go, Will. Hood and his friends are fucking bringing me down,” he spat sharply.
William cleared his throat with a hint of embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said before leaving with them. Amelia looked shaken, and Brian was a bundle of nerves as we walked to the car.
I asked myself why she still liked that jerk, but the answer was pretty obvious.
“How come you guys hate each other so much?” I inquired with the hope that unlike his sister, Brian would answer me.
“James Hunter does it on purpose. He’s a troublemaker. That asshole loves picking fights with people,” Blaze whispered in my ear. “It’s never ended well when he’s around Brian.”
Brian flung the Jeep door open and glared icily at me before I could get in.
“Well, that was a hell of a scene you made, June.” There was anger in his tone.
