I just shrugged, closing my hand around my pepper spray but not taking it out just yet.
“No one really… just,” I looked at the girl, “a witness.”
“No, you’re just a stupid bitch,” he said and started toward me.
“Well, I guess it takes one to know one.” I sighed and pulled the pepper spray out of my bag and shook it, then pointed it at him.
He stopped in his tracks and then stepped back.
“What are you going to do now… stupidbitch?” I couldn’t resist adding.
He shook his head. “You’re crazy, aren’t you? One of those militant, crazy, feminist bitches.”
“Hmm, that’s right, but even better, I’m an armed one. Better get out of here before I lose all reason and spray you anyway. And FYI, this is the least painful thing I have in here.”
He scoffed and glanced at the girl in the corner.
“Don’t look at her, you look at me, asshole,” I ground out.
He stepped closer, and I willed my hand not to shake.
Breathe. Don’t let him scare you. Breathe.
He lingered there, studying me, assessing, like he was deciding how far the pepper spray would go.
“Whatever, you bitches aren’t worth my time,” he finally muttered and stalked out the door, shouldering past me roughly.
My body burned down the side he had forced past.
God.I hated being touched. I considered lighting my left arm on fire to clean it.
“Are you okay?” I asked the girl.
She approached me cautiously and nodded. “I’m okay, thanks to you. He’s usually all talk. I guess he got bored of it.”
“They’re never just all talk… there’s always something else there, waiting,” I murmured and tucked my pepper spray away. “I’m Selena.”
The girl nodded. “I know, kind of. I’m Aisha. I used to room with Lily Williams in freshman year. I feel like you were Winter’s friend.”
Winter. My one true friend. More than I deserved.
“You’re right. I’ve seen you around at the Hellions stuff. Sorry, I’ve forgotten practically everything in the last year.”
“You took a year off?”
I nodded, neglecting to mention why. Luckily, she didn’t ask.
“You’re in the drama club?” Aisha asked as we left the wardrobe room together.
“God, no. I’m not good enough, I’m sure. I was just delivering some books from the library. You?”
“I joined last year, but so far, I’m back of house. Standing on stage in front of people is… the scariest thing I can imagine.”
“So, you want to do it or not?” I wondered.
Aisha considered my words and then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I do. I don’t want to be scared of it, so, I have to do it… if that makes sense.”
“It does, but it’s a bravery grade above me, I’m afraid.”
