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“Are you, er, are you like me?” She still hadn’t sat down.
“I’m a girl, so I guess that makes us similar.”
Her smile widened. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.” She sighed. “I mean, are you like, a mistress’s kid?” She nibbled on her lips and I shook my head.
“I’m a minion’s kid.”
“Oh.” She was all alone.
She wasn’t a bastard, or a secret love child. She was a no one.
“Sit,” I said. If I made this new friend, it might actually send the Monsters running in the opposite direction and I wouldn’t have to worry about being disappointed when they lost interest in me.
“I don’t … if you don’t…”
I smiled at her. “Please, sit.” I never smiled. In this place, turned-up lips meant weakness. I wasn’t weak, but I also wasn’t going to turn her away. Snapping my book closed, I stared at her. I didn’t bother to see we’d become the topic of conversation. Not only was I considered a Monsters’ whore, but I wasn’t cavorting with the wrong crowd. What-fucking-ever.
They had to deal.
“I’m Ashley March,” she said, holding her hand out.
“Emily Crane.”
We shook hands.
Ashley glanced around the room. “I didn’t realize a place like this exists. It looks like a normal school.”
“Your mom tell you about this place?”
“My stepdad. I don’t know if he is my stepdad. I don’t know what to call him.” She pressed her lips together. “I will understand if you want to bully me.”
“Wow, okay, I don’t do that. Not here. I don’t bully. There’s a difference between being a bully and surviving. I survive in this school and that’s what you’re going to need to do. Here, you’re the lower being. You’re something they want to crush. What you’re going to need to do is show that you don’t give a shit. Do you care?”
“What? That they all call me a whore and dirt, and want to smash my face in?” she asked. “Of course, it bothers me, but at my old school, I was called trash, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“What kind of school did you go to?” I asked. I shouldn’t be learning more about this girl than I needed to.
“A normal one. You know, where jocks are just football players, and people are normal.”
“We’re all normal here. Just with a few added extras.”
Ashley sighed. “It was a lot easier when my mom didn’t fall in love with a guy with a few added extras.” She pouted.
“Don’t cry,” I said. “Here, crying is the kiss of death. What you need to do is learn to have a backbone. They will hurt you here.”
“See, this is what I’m talking about.” Ashley shook her head. “I already miss being called trash. You know, I had a note in my locker telling me they were going to cut my face up.”
I sighed and rubbed at my temple. “Do me a favor. Carry a weapon or mace, or something.”
Ashley’s eyes went wide. “You think they’re telling the truth?”
“They don’t make threats they don’t keep. Sorry.”
Her chest rose and fell. “I’m sorry. Just a lot to process right now.”
“It’s one of them. Take your time.” I sat, spearing my fork into my fries and popping them into my mouth, chewing.
“So, do you have to fight for yourself as well?” she asked.
“I tend to go under the radar. Or I did until recently.”
“What happened recently?” Ashley asked.
I didn’t get a chance to respond as Lauren, who’d still been trying to deal with the very public rejection Gael had subjected her to, poured the gravy pot over Ashley’s head.
Laughter filled the room. I hadn’t been paying attention. Otherwise, I could have stopped that.
Lauren looked toward the room, wanting their respect again.
I never got involved. I always stayed in my own quiet corner. One moment, I was sitting with my back against my trusty wall, the next, my lunch was across the table as I lifted up my tray. Before she could react, I had hit her across the face with the metal.
Silence met my outburst and Lauren went down, blood instantly spurting from her nose.
My heart raced, but I had this twisted sense of satisfaction. Then, while she was still down, I grabbed the trash bin and, fuck, it was empty, but I wasn’t done. I lifted it up, and all the scraps dropped out onto her.
I didn’t know if Ashley was crying, but I didn’t care.
“You’re nothing but trash, Lauren. Don’t ever forget your place or Gael may have to put you back in it.”
I grabbed Ashley’s hand, and I didn’t scamper out of the back door. I led her across the dining room.
No one at this time would touch me. Not while they know the Monsters were my allies.
I left the cafeteria and took her to the gym shower.
She was crying.
“Don’t cry,” I said.
