Not embrace the bloody hoax like it’s a long-lost royal father turning up to save her from a life of grinding poverty.
Lilac doesn’t even seem to notice anything’s changed as she slips into the corridor, despite a trio of teenage girls branding her a slut as she saunters by.
When she opens her locker, a slew of condoms spill out. Without the tiniest alteration in her expression, she bats a few remaining wrappers from the cubby to the floor, then stores her Chromebook and textbooks inside.
“You’re welcome,” Em says, slipping her arm through mine. It takes all my self-control not to break away. I love touching people, but I’m not fond of the reverse. Especially when it’s a demonstration of ownership like right now. To Lilac, she loudly calls, “Hope it’s not too late for those.”
“Didn’t think I could get pregnant by blowing your boyfriend,” she retorts, “but what do I know? I’m failing biology.”
She kicks the pile along to her neighbour’s patch of floor like she’s kicking through leaves in a park, then slams her locker shut and strides over to stand next to Trent, opposite me. Even with her back ramrod straight, she barely skirts five foot two. Fucking her would be like fucking a doll.
A feisty curly-haired doll, spilling over with attitude.
“That really the best you’ve got?” Lilac’s fingers reach out to touch the front of my shirt, hovering a few millimetres away from actual contact. “Pretty sure you just filled my calendar for the rest of the year.”
Given the testosterone laden glances being shot at her from every passing male, she’s probably right. She bites her lip, and I can’t tear my eyes away. Even without makeup, her mouth is gorgeous. Wide with a full top lip built to stretch around anything shoved inside.
My cock twitches, wanting to play.
“Whore,” a boy shouts, reaching out to grab Lilac’s tit as he walks by. She winces, her defences crumbling to show a split second of terror.
Then Trent pushes the boy against the bank of lockers before he can make contact, smashing a gigantic fist into his face. Blood sprays from his nose, probably broken, then splatters over my friend’s shirt as he punches him again. When he jerks him forward, the boy sags. Seconds tick by before he supports his own weight.
When he does, Trent shoves him along the corridor, giving him a kick in the back of the leg to help him on his way.
I glance at Lilac, but her mask is back in place. She stares at the scene with casual disinterest, moving her foot back from where the blood dripped near her shoes.
“Come on,” Trent says, holding out his elbow for her to take. “I’ll shout you lunch.”
He flicks a cautious glance my way and I incline my head. He’s not a threat in any way I care about, and we both know it.
Em looks pissed, but lately that’s been three quarters of our relationship (and I use that word loosely.) Why, I don’t know, except maybe she also expected Lilac to cower.
It’s hard to bully someone when they don’t respond the way you need. And Em is even more of a bully than I am. Right now, I regret telling her my plans and I’m not sure why. Because she might take it upon herself to run Lilac off and succeed where I failed, maybe?
“Might go and help them,” Caylon says, and I growl, “The fuck you will,” before I can help it. Em stiffens against me, and I drop my arm away from her, tired of placating her jealousy when I don’t give a damn what she thinks.
Caylon hooks up an eyebrow in amusement and I pretend to ignore him, pulling my phone out so I don’t need to look at either of them. The photo I snapped of Lilac while she was pulling on her thong is front and centre. I click away from it before Em can glance over my shoulder, a habit she persists in, even though she knows I hate it.
“Want to get away from here for lunch?” I ask, desperate to go alone but knowing that will backfire in more ways than one. “My treat.” Like it’s ever not my treat.
She claps her hands and squeals like I’ve asked her to Paris instead of a cheap restaurant and I catch Caylon’s eye as he smirks.
“You wanna come, too?”
His feet still point in the direction Trent and Lilac walked and call me crazy, but I feel if I leave him here, that’s exactly where he’s headed. I might have more money and a good three inches on him, but Caylon attracts pussy like a bloody magnet and there’s no way I’m leaving him alone to pounce.
I guess he knows that because he inclines his head, muttering, “Sure,” under his breath. A word that causes Em’s teeth to grit as she pretends she’s on board with this new plan.
I head for my car, not stopping to see if either of them needs to collect something before we go. The sooner I put distance between myself and Lilac, the better. I might have changed my mind about wanting her to disappear from my life forever, but I don’t need her to know that.
Not yet.
Not until I have a plan.
* * *
When we get backto school, the entire rugby team is now fast friends with Lilac, like they thought the pantomime was real. Five players escort her to the first class after lunch, even though none of them share physics with her.
