Someone notices.
A man steps in from behind, pushing Judas away from me.
“Is this guy bothering you?”
“Yes,” I say. “He is.”
The man shoves Judas aside and grabs my hand. This time, Judas doesn’t follow. He raises his hands in surrender, then turns and walks out the door.
“What’s your name?” the man asks as he leads me toward the sofa.
We sat next to a couple tangled together, kissing. Across from us, a girl is lounging in a chair.
“Carmen,” I say. “Yours?”
“Axel.” He points to the blonde girl. “That’s my sister, Mina.”
She lifts two fingers in a lazy wave.
He nods toward the couple. “And that’s Knox and Dahlia.”
Then he looks back at me. “We’ve never seen you before.”
“I just moved here,” I tell him.
“That explains it.” He chuckles. “Why was that freak Judas bothering you?”
“Freak?” I arch a brow.
“He has no friends,” Mina says. “Always weird around people.” She laughs. “We tried being friends the first year, but he gave off bad vibes.” She rolls her eyes. “Girls still stare at him, though. No idea why.”
My gaze drifts back to the door.
Judas is standing there leaning against the door frame, watching.
Watchingme.
“I heard he’s messed up in the head,” Mina continues. “Acts tough for no reason.”
“Fucking rich kids,” Axel adds.
I know how all of this feels, what it is like to be an outcast. So I stand up, and something inside me snaps.
“That freak is my brother,” I say. “So say another fucking thing about him and I will cut your throat.”
Her eyes widen, then she laughs. “Oh,” she says, “so you’re freak number two or something?”
My jaw locks. My tongue presses hard against the inside of my mouth. My fingers curl into a fist, metal biting into my skin as I pull the clip from the helmet strap wrapped around my hand.
And I lunge forward. I grab her shirt and slam my fist into her face. The metal clip breaks her skin, making blood spill from hernose. Before Axel can pull us apart, I lean close and whisper into her ear. “Or something,1maldita perra.”
Axel drags me back, moving my body behind. I see Judas already moving fast toward us. Before I can react, he shoves Axel, pinning him against the wall.
Axel laughs. “What are you gonna do, you psycho?”
Judas grabs him by the throat and squeezes. His fingers tighten. Axel’s face turns red, veins bulging on his forehead.
The music stops, and someone is shouting for someone to call 911. I rush forward and pull Judas away. He loosens his grip on Axel’s neck.
