And now I’m insulted, which is so stupid. “Good, because you’re never going to be able to.”
“I know. We all know.” He leans back in the chair, the tension easing from him somewhat. Why, I’m not sure. “You can’t go around saying shit like that. Teachers take those kinds of accusations seriously, no matter how thinly veiled they are. They have to follow up on everything.”
I wasn’t even thinking about the repercussions of my words when I pled my case to Skov earlier. I was just looking for a way out of the project. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you into trouble.”
“Jesus, you really are always so damn nice, aren’t you?” He seems surprised by my quick apology, though he just ruined it by being rude to me. What else is new? “You didn’t get me into trouble. I just had to deal with Skov and her endless questions. Just—watch what you say. We’re stuck with each other. Deal with it.”
“Is that all you came here to tell me?”
Crew nods.
“You could’ve just sent it in an email.” We have access to the student email directory, as well as the staff.
“I wanted to tell it to your face, so you could see just how pissed off I am.” He glares, though it’s not as intense as when we first started talking. “Your actions have consequences, Birdy. You need to be careful.”
I hold onto the lollipop stick, sucking hard on the candy, contemplating breaking it apart with my teeth when Crew says, “One more thing.”
“What?” I pull the sucker out of my mouth.
“You really shouldn’t eat those things in front of me.” He nods toward the sucker in my hand.
“Why not?” I frown.
“Watching you play with that thing in your mouth, all I can think about is you sucking my dick,” he says, his tone casual. As if he just didn’t say what he said.
And with that, he gets out of the chair and strides away, not letting me say anything in response. Leaving me sitting there, my mind going over all the things I could’ve said to him.
He’s unnecessarily rude toward me.
Says extremely vulgar things, just to get a reaction.
Calls me by a silly nickname that I don’t particularly like.
But he didn’t give me the chance.
Typical. I’m starting to realize that’s how everyone treats me. It’s as if they all talk at me, instead of with me. I’m never involved in the conversation. I’m only supposed to sit there and take it like a good little girl.
It’s annoying.
Worse?
It hurts.
SEVEN
CREW
I’m minding my own damn business, striding through the hallways at school and heading for the dining hall, since it’s lunch, when I hear my name being called.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see it’s fucking Figueroa headed my way, his expression full of steely determination.
Great.
Since we came back from Thanksgiving break, it’s been one thing after another, and it’s only Tuesday. It frustrates the shit out of me. Most of it has to do with Wren too, which is interesting.
There’s more to Wren Beaumont than just a pretty face. Which deep down, I always knew. She’s smart, she’s kind to everyone—maybe not me, but I asked for that—and she’s influential. All things I can respect, though for whatever reason, the word respect and Wren never went together in my brain.
I’m attracted to her. When does respect ever come into that equation for me? Not like I degrade girls for sport, but they’re just…there. To talk to and to kiss and to fuck.
That’s it.
It threw me off when she apologized for what she said about me to Skov. I exaggerated a little bit, just like she did, acting like our teacher questioned me thoroughly regarding her allegations, which she sort of did, but it wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be. I was trying to make Wren feel like shit, and it worked, though I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.
The girl is easily manipulated, and too nice. So damn nice, you get a toothache every time you talk to her.
She’s just that sweet.
Wren has to know I say all that shit to get a rise out of her, and it’s so easy. Her bird feathers get ruffled way too quick. It’s almost fun, making her upset.
Harmless fun.
“Can I have a word with you for a minute?” Figueroa asks me, his tone friendly. Though I sense the dark undercurrent beneath his words. He’s unhappy.
Guessing he’s unhappy with me.
What the fuck did I do now? Oh, I know, I was born. With that supposed silver spoon in my mouth. He resents all of us rich kids, which is funny as fuck, considering he works at one of the most exclusive private schools in the entire country.