Something flashed across the circle of easels.
Benji looked up. The whispering girl from before went beet red again, shoving her phone in her pocket.
Daphne gaped. “Rebecca! What the hell?”
“I’m sorry,” Rebecca said, wide-eyed. “I’ll delete it!”
Dillion snorted. He was twirling his paintbrush like a drumstick, an insufferable smile on his smug face. He was wearing sunglasses, and his hair was even puffier than usual.
Benji reached for that deep calm Noah had given him. But it was shockingly flimsy with Dillion staring at him like that, all punchable and expectant. Like he was waiting on Benji to call him on it.
“Okay,” Mr. Jervais said, adjusting his turtleneck. “I don’t know what’s suddenly so interesting about Benji, and frankly, I don’t care. If everybody could start paying attention to the class I got up at 6 a.m. for?—”
Dillion cut him off. “It’s very exciting, Mr. Jervais. We finally solved the mystery of how he’s able to afford all these fancy art supplies. You see?—”
“Shut up,” Benji and Daphne said in unison.
Dillion’s grin grew. He pushed his sunglasses further up his nose. “What? Everybody’s read that article by now. I’m just passing along public information.”
“Information you fuckingfedto them,” Benji snapped, that flimsy layer of calm falling away.
Dillion slapped a hand over his chest. “Moi?”
“Yeah,you,” Benji said, wishing he knew the word in French. “Anonymous source, my ass.I’ma dick, Dillion? Seriously?”
“You’re delusional,” Dillion said, still grinning.
Mr. Jervais cleared his throat, looking deeply bored. “Thank you for this scintillating news, Dillion. Now, if we can get back to the class you’re all paying for?”
“Haven’t said the news yet,” Dillion said loudly. “Don’t you want to hear?”
“No,” Mr. Jervais said flatly.
But Dillion was already talking over him, his eyes glinting like everyone in high school who ever pushed Benji into a locker.
“I knew there had to be a reason someone with cufflinks would bother hanging out with trash like you,” he began. “You act all high and fucking mighty. But we all know what you are. You’re just a common whore.”
Daphne shot out of her seat. Before anyone could react, she was across the circle and pouring her coffee all over Dillion’s poofy hair.
The class went silent. Nobody had ever seen sweet, bubbly Daphne do something so vicious, including Benji.
Rebecca raised her phone hesitantly, only for the girl next to her to push it back down.
Dillion spluttered, wiping his dripping hair out of his eyes. He stared up at Daphne in outrage.
“What thefuck,” he cried.
Daphne shook the last few drops of coffee into his face.
“Shit!” Dillion lurched up. Benji stood with him, heart pounding, ready to throw down if needed. But Dillion’s mouth snapped shut as soon as he registered the fire in Daphne’s expression, which was so stormy it made her five-foot nothing stature look intimidating.
Dillion turned to Mr. Jervais. “Sir! What the fuck? Throw her out!”
“I don’t get involved in student disputes,” Mr. Jervais deadpanned. “You should go home and get changed. Stop dripping in my classroom.”
Dillion wilted. He stared at Mr. Jervais, waiting. When Mr. Jervais did nothing but stare back expectantly, Dillion’s confusion turned into a sneer.
“This is fucking ridiculous,” he growled and stalked out.
