“He's a dick and a rapist, so why wouldn't I?”
“Oh, I don't know, maybe because I've spent the whole year torturing you, turning everyone against you, helping my brother and his friends turn your whole life to shit? Give me a good reason why.”
This girl isunbelievable.I just saved her, and she's standing there demanding answers from me!
“The appropriate thing to say is thank you,” I hiss at her instead.
I turn to walk away, and she grabs my arm instead. Her hand is shaking so badly I can feel the tremble up my arm. We stare at each other in silence for a minute. I can't tell what she's thinking, she's as unreadable as ever, even with the shakes. Rory starts to groan on the floor and Avery flinches, then she stomps on his phone one last time and bends over to grab the chip out of it.
“I have a guy that can get the photos out. I don't need anyone getting their hands on them; I have enough problems in my life as it is,” she explains as she tucks it into her bra.
She tugs me out of the room by my elbow, and we set a brisk pace back to the dorms. I wince as my leg begins to protest the speed we’re going, but I don’t slow down. When we get back, she stands and waits for me to unlock the door to my room and follows me in.
I have never been ashamed of how little I have until suddenly there'sthisgirl, who has the whole world at her feet, looking around curiously. Her room is a palace in comparison. My cheeks flush, and I shake myself. What did it matter what she thought? Three more years until I was free from all this shit. Avery turns, and I know the look on her face. It was the exact one she always used to clean up after Ash’s exploits.
“I don’t know what agreement you and Harley came to, but I will pay you to keep this quiet,” she starts, and I snort at her. She raises a perfect eyebrow at me. “I know you need the money. Name a price and I’ll pay it.”
“Fuck your money. Just because I have nothing, doesn't mean I need to be paid for being a decent fucking person. That's what's wrong with you lot. You're all so busy stabbing each other in the back that you've forgotten how to be human.” I start to rummage around in my desk until I find my first-aid kit. After the year I've had, it's in dire need of a top-up, but I crack two of the instant ice packs and wait until they're cold. Avery takes one gingerly, like she's never seen one, and then copies my movements to press it against her head. I’m starting to worry she has a concussion.
“Well, what do you want, then? Everyone wants something. Name your price.”
“I don't want anything! You being nice to me just because I helped you means nothing to me!”
She looks at me like I've grown another head. I sigh and slump back onto my bed, glancing down at myself to take stock of the damage. My stockings have holes in them now, and I wince because they're my last pair. I'll have to get through the rest of the week with them and just deal with the taunts from the other students. There’s blood on my white shirt, but I think I can get that out. I have a fair bit of practice with blood removal.
My arms and legs are starting to ache; I can feel the pins holding my leg together and the bone throbs around them. I realize how regularly I’m having to fight people and put my body on the line here. So much for this school being a better place.
Avery sighs and turns to the door to let herself out, but she hovers for a minute in the doorway. Her eyes are dry, but her mouth is turned down in a little miserable frown.
“If you're willing to do that for your enemy, then what you do for your friends must be really special.”
It's… a genuinely nice thing to say, and my eyes well up despite it. I’m struck again by how much I wish I had what she has. I wish I had people who love me and watch out for me. I wish I had real friends. I wish my life wasn’t empty.
“I wouldn't know, I've never really had any.”
She gives a sharp nod and closes the door tightly after herself. I get up and lock it, and then I crawl under my covers and try to ignore the pain I’m in.
When I open the door the next morning, there is a brand-new uniform hanging from my door handle, stockings and all.
It fits me perfectly.
* * *
I'm not so naive to think that the universe will suddenly stop shitting on me just because of my good deed.
I make it to the chapel for the full school presentation of awards, and I find that seating is assigned. I'm between Avery and Harley, and that is when I decided that karma cannot be a real thing, because how did I deserve that torture? Avery had probably recovered well enough from the assault and would have something to say about my uniform. Would Harley tease me for taking it? Or will he just continue to ignore me for dragging him into my twisted, bullshit world? I’m still walking with a limp after using my bad leg to kick Rory.
Ugh. Rich dicks.
I take my seat, and Avery isn't there. I should feel relieved, but my stomach drops like a stone. Is she okay? What if she did have a concussion? Fuck, I should have walked her to the nurse.
After a minute of stewing by myself, Harley takes his seat and he looks at my bandage with calculating eyes. “Who the fuck beat you up this time?” he says, frustrated and angry, which throws me. He must have not heard from Avery yet. I can't tell him, not with this many students around us. Even if we were alone, I didn’t think I could tell him. Is there a girl code about this kind of thing? Did it count if the girl loathed your very existence?
Fuck.
I don't know.
“Doesn't matter. I'll survive,” I reply. His eyebrows tug into a little frown, but then the lights are dimming and the stage is lighting up. I think that will be the end of it, but he slumps down in his chair until he can whisper in my ear. “It does fucking matter. I’ve made it clear no one’s allowed to touch you, and I’myoursnow, aren’t I?”
