Head held high, looking straight ahead, fuck the lot of them.
The giggles sputter out. I'm not doing what they expect me to. I'm not crying or breaking down. I'm not screaming at them.
I make it to my door and find my bag sitting on the floor. I bend down to pick it up, and then I catch Avery’s eye as I straighten. She's not laughing or smiling. She's just watching me. Her eyes are cold on mine, and I think about how Ash described her.
She doesn't seem very kind to me.
I lock my door behind me and throw my clothes on with trembling hands. It takes me a minute to realize Avery must have had the opportunity to case my room while I was in the shower, if she had my bag and my key, and I rip the loose board up to check my safe is still there untouched. Once I’m sure it hasn’t been tampered with, I spend two hours pulling everything else apart in my room until I'm sure there isn't anything missing, or a hidden camera planted. That's all I need, that girl having video of me drooling in my sleep. Or dancing around with my headphones in, listening to Blaise’s crooning. I shudder at the thought.
When I finally put my room back together, I climb between my sheets and text Matteo. I need something, anything, from someone who cares about me and, in his own twisted way, Matteo does.
Do you remember when I drank for the first time and you told me I was too good for that kind of thing? I think I'm going to go out next week, and I think I may end up in a fight.
If I see Avery while I'm drinking, she may not walk out of it alive.
You could call in a favor. There are many people that would take care of your problems for you.
I could.
But I won't.
Chapter 6
By the time I make it to breakfast on Monday, the photos—yes,photos—of my naked walk have been seen by the entire school.
The first guy to approach me about it gets ignored, but the second guy gets a bloody nose. He made the mistake of telling me how much he wanted to watch my tits bounce while he fucked me, and I take note of his name when his friend calls out to him while he slinks away. Spencer Hillsong is a dick.
I don't get approached after that. I eat breakfast in my usual spot, and there's a three-chair buffer on every side of me, like no one is willing to risk my violence.
That is until Joseph Beaumont sits across from me again.
“I hope you're not embarrassed, Mounty. I'm actually impressed with what you've got going on under the uniform. I didn't realize your rack was so big.”
I don't even glance up at him. I'm reading the last book I need to for Lit for the year, having spent the entire weekend studying like a fiend to keep myself distracted. I hadn't gone to the dining hall to eat, so I'm starving, and my plate is overflowing with eggs and bacon.
“Aww, don’t be like that, Mounty. Nudes are an everyday thing here at Hannaford. I can show you mine, if you want. I'm quite the photographer.”
I would rather gouge my eyeballs out than see Joey’s dick. I think about telling him, that but it's more appealing to ignore him until he fucks off.
“Cold shoulder, and I'm trying so hard. You're a hard girl to befriend. I could deal with Avery for you, you know. Would that win me your trust?” he coos at me.
“No.” I look up at his cold, blue eyes. The color and shape is identical to his siblings, but they don’t feel the same. Looking into Joseph Beaumont’s eyes was like staring into a void.
I get the impression that this boy tortures his siblings for the simple pleasure of it, and I have no interest in being dragged into it. Besides, I was starting to get ideas of what I would do to Avery senior year when graduation came closer and my chances of being expelled were drastically reduced.
I'd destroy that girl.
But I'd do it myself. I wouldn't hide behind her evil brother.
“She speaks! Are we talking now, or are you insisting on freezing me out?”
“What exactly would you like to talk about, Joseph?” I put down my book and fold my arms. His eyes trace over my chest, and I clench my jaw because I know he's thinking about the damned photos.
“Call me Joey; my father is Joseph. Let’s talk about my party. We're going to the edge of the school boundaries, there's a small woodland area that I've made my own. I'll pick you up after curfew and personally walk you down there, so you don’t run into any trouble.”
I didn't want to go to the damned party at all. How many of the guys would proposition me there? Would Avery and the boys be there, and would I get drunk and confront her? It was a recipe for disaster. I open my mouth to say so when Harley sits down next to me.
I glance around, but he's alone.
