Someone has painted SOCCER SLUT and WHORE over the windows in red paint. I walk forward with a lump in my throat, inspecting the damage done to my Honda SUV. Key marks stretch across the passenger’s and driver’s side doors, and pressure sits on my chest. “Who would do this and why?” I whisper, wrapping my arms around Callan when he pulls me into him.
A muscle clenches in his jaw as he bundles me in a protective embrace. “I think we both know the answers to those questions. There is one obvious person, and I won’t rest until we prove that bitch did this.”
38
ASTRID
“That fucking, spiteful, jealous bitch!” Gwen paces my room, spewing venom and looking like she’s ready to commit murder. “I’m going to kill her!”
“Not if I get there first,” Callan grits out, continuing to run his hand up and down my back. I’ve been depressed ever since the discovery in the parking lot, and even more so after we got a call from the principal to say the cameras had been checked, but whoever did this must’ve known the cameras would be down for thirty minutes for maintenance because the vandalism happened during that time.
“We don’t have any proof it’s Ana.” I reiterate what Principal Cowles said when we told her she’s the only one with an obvious grudge against me. “And it’s not like she’s going to fess up to it when she’s hauled into the office in the morning.”
Apparently, they can’t accuse her of a crime without evidence, but they can talk to her and ask her if she knows anything about it. I had to report it to the cops so I can make an insurance claim for the repairs, and Sheriff Longwood said they’ll be conducting their own investigation, but I doubt they’llgo to too much trouble over a high school student’s secondhand car.
“She can’t get away with this.” Gwen’s mouth purses as she wears a path in my floor. “It’s not right. This is going to hit you in the pocket, and you did nothing wrong.”
“I’m glad your dad took out comprehensive insurance,” Callan says, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “You would’ve had to pay for all the repairs if you only had basic car insurance.”
“My deductible is one thousand dollars. I’ll still have to pay that.” I can’t ask my parents to cough it up when it’s one week before Christmas, and they’ve got my college fees looming.
Callan’s parents deposited eight hundred dollars in my checking account a few weeks ago, insisting I take it for the work I did on their house. I had put half into my savings account and used the other half to buy Callan’s Christmas gifts, so I’ll have to pay for this out of my savings, which I hate. I’ve been saving for the past three years for college, and it’ll kill me to withdraw such a large sum, but I guess I have no choice.
“I can contribute,” Callan says at the same time Gwen says, “I wish I could help, but money is tight.”
“I’m not taking money from you,” I say to Callan. “You’ll need it for college.” I swing my gaze to Gwen. “And I know you don’t have money to spare, so I don’t expect anything. I have the money saved. I just hate using it for this.”
“Maybe we could do one of those fundraising pages,” Callan suggests, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. “I bet everyone at school would help.”
“Absolutely not. It’s Christmas, and people have their own worries and expenses. I’ll have to suck it up.”
“Ana better hope I don’t see her face today, or she’ll be sorry,” Callan says as he helps me out of his truck the next morning at school.
“Don’t start anything with her,” I warn him, holding on to his elbow so I don’t fall on the snow. As I predicted, we had a couple of inches of snowfall last night. Guess it’s lucky I didn’t end up making it to Burly after all. Mom has promised to drive me over there in the morning now her pottery studio is closed until January. “The last thing you need is to get written up. I don’t want you doing anything that might jeopardize your scholarship.” I tug him to a stop when we reach the bottom steps. “Promise me.”
“Don’t ask that of me.” He grips my hips through my coat. “She did this to hurt and embarrass you, and I need to protect you from anything else she might do.”
“She wouldn’t dare. There’s a spotlight on her head now, so she’ll back down.”
“Until that spotlight dies out, and she’ll use the time to plot her next move.” He pulls me into a hug. “I know she’s doing this ’cause of me, and I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. You’ve done nothing to encourage her. Honestly, I think she’s a fucking psycho, and that’s even more reason for you to stay away from her. She’s probably hoping to get a reaction out of you, and ignoring her will drive her crazy.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Callan takes my hand and leads me into the school. “I’ll try to ignore her, but if she starts on you, I won’t hold back.”
“You did this!” A familiar screech accosts my eardrums as we make our way down the hallway.
A large crowd is gathered around Gwen and Ana as they face off in front of Ana’s locker.
“Oh no.” I take off racing with Callan by my side. Gwen is lucky she got a scholarship to Bennington Turo, and like Callan, I don’t want her risking it for me.
“Open it!” Gwen roars. “Open your fucking locker, Ana.”
“What is going on here?” Principal Cowles asks, stalking through the crowd to confront the two girls.
“Ana has red paint in her locker, Principal Cowles,” Gwen says. “I saw it when she opened it.”
“Liar!” Ana snaps.
