I frowned. I wasn’t expecting that question. I took another step back.
“Money? No. No. Look, I’m leaving if you can’t give me anything. Bye.”
“Come closer,” he thundered. I saw him frown with disappointment before showing me three little orderly packets. “How the fuck am I supposed to give you anything when you’re so far away?”
My throat suddenly went completely dry. I tried to ignore it and cautiously moved closer. James didn’t look up, but when my shoes appeared in front of him, his lips curved into a crooked smirk.
“One for Amelia, who was my girlfriend for all of twenty-four hours last year,” he started as he handed me the first clear baggie with three orange pills. I stretched out my fingers and unintentionally brushed the back of his hand “One for Poppy, who I fucked at Will’s party.” James gave me a provocative look. “How do I say this without corrupting the innocent Snow White?”
“Just give me the stuff, and we’re done,” I demanded, annoyed.
He snorted. “One for Ari, who blew me after morning practice yesterday.”
My jaw dropped and a look of horror took over my face a fraction of a second later. That was impossible. He was kidding.
“One for . . .” He pretended to hand me a baggie, then he shook his head. “Oh, no, nothing for nosy bitches.”
You disgust me. I don’t want shit from you.
The sentence was on the tip of my tongue but I was so upset that I couldn’t speak.
James fiddled with a clear rolling paper, and I saw him put tobacco and weed in it. I turned around to leave.
His gruffness scratched at my shoulders. “What, you thought the voices in the hallway were only talking about me, princess?”
“What voices? Saying you’re a drug dealer? A liar? A thug?” I accused.
“Are you disappointed? You didn’t think I’d fuck all your little friends, did you?”
“Liar. You deserve to be with a girl who treats you like shit, like Taylor does,” I retorted contemptuously.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but your friends are girls, right?” he jabbed, rolling up the clear rolling paper between his fingers.
“Your point?”
“There’s no group A or B,” he clarified, putting the joint in his mouth.
“Are you defending Taylor?” Or all the other girls I’d seen him make out with the night before.
“No, I’m saying you’re all the same,” he said as he lit his joint. Was that a compliment or an insult?
“You”—James took a hit, got off the bench, and stood in front of me—“you’re a world-class busybody.”
I wished I could burn him with my eyes.
James leaned his face toward mine. “And remember, I don’t like girls like you.” At that point, I realized that I still had the baggies in my hand. Quickly, I put them in my jacket pocket so nobody would see them.
“That’s for the best, because guys like you disgust me.”
“Yeah, I bet.” He snorted sarcastically.
“You wanna know something? Ari, Amelia, and Poppy can’t stand you.” Nothing I said seemed to upset him.
“Are you really sure about that?”
>> <<
Unlike the girls, I spent the entire afternoon studying without any medical intervention.
