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Knowing my dad, he’d probably take me out of high school, not that I cared about that. School sucked, but it was the only reprieve I got at home.
“We’ll meet the new girl and make our assessment,” Caleb said. “None of us can be held responsible for our parents’ sins.”
I didn’t understand what he was talking about, and in truth, I really didn’t care.
The rest of the drive went by in silence. Caleb turned on the radio to some kind of rock station. I didn’t exactly hear the words. Music wasn’t really my thing. Hearing random people singing about love or hope, or dancing.
I didn’t like it.
When we arrived at school grounds, I knew the instant I saw a group formed in a perfect circle that something wasn’t right.
Before the car had even parked, I left my bag and pushed my way through the crowd. I shouldn’t have been surprised Lauren wouldn’t take my warning, but what did shock me was seeing Nancy there. She didn’t look happy, but she also wouldn’t let Ashley escape.
Ashley, my new friend, her shirt was torn, tears streamed down her cheeks, and I caught sight of the bruise already forming. Blood came from her nose. It didn’t look broken. Blood also came from her mouth.
Lauren grabbed Ashley’s hair, pulling it tight, making her scream.
Everyone cheered at the violence. Ashley begged for them to stop, but they wouldn’t.
She was an innocent. Her mother had made a decision that had landed her daughter in hell.
As I watched her, something clicked inside me.
I’d never fought. Not the punches coming from my dad. I took the beating he made Peter give me. I even meekly sat through my doctor’s visits. I hadn’t said a word to the driver. My mother left me alone. I was all alone, and not once had I fought back. I’d taken every single little detail that had come my way. No fighting. No nothing.
Ashley had done the same. Her story was different from mine. She wasn’t a minion’s daughter. Her mother made the choices, and Ashley was the one paying the consequences of them.
I snapped.
When I stepped into the fighting ring, Lauren’s back was to me. Just because I’d never been in a fight didn’t mean I didn’t know what to do.
My knife was back in my bag, but I was strong. I grabbed Lauren’s hair, but rather than just give it a threatening tug, I yanked, and I did so hard. She wasn’t expecting the attack, and so she let Ashley go, who collapsed to the ground. With my grip still in Lauren’s hair, I shove her to the ground, not gently either.
She cried out.
I stood there, panting, waiting.
Lauren flicked her head back and glared right at me. “Really? You’re going to fight over this slut?”
“It takes one to know one. I thought I told you to leave her alone.”
“You’re not the boss of me.” She charged me, but I saw it coming, so I dodged it. I was able to land a blow to her stomach, taking her back as she fell to the ground once again, the grass blocking her fall.
The crowd suddenly parted, and one by one, the Monsters arrived. My hands were clenched into fists. I didn’t know if I could trust them to take care of this or if I had to keep fighting.
Ashley touched my ankle and I made the decision to give the guys a chance. It was the first time I’d ever done it, but I turned my back on them, letting them all deal with Lauren while I looked at Ashley.
“She’s off-limits,” River said, his voice carrying.
“Anyone who attacks the new girl will be hurting us, understood?” Caleb asked.
One by one, people dispersed. Not a single teacher came out to help.
I helped Ashley to her feet, holding her against my side. She shook and I glared at everyone. How fucking dare they? I wanted to hurt them. I wanted to kill them all.
“I dare one of you to test our theory,” Gael said. “I’m looking to have some fun, and you all know how much I enjoy dishing it out. Just give me a reason.”
I didn’t linger to see if anyone took him at his word. I held Ashley and walked toward the girls’ bathroom.
“So they’re the Monsters,” she said.
“You heard of them.”
“Yeah. I also heard you’re their shiny new toy.”
I raised my brow at her statement.
“Sorry, it’s what they said.”
“People are mean.”
“Tell me about it. My face turned into a nice punching bag. What is it with that girl? What did I do for her to have it in for me?” She leaned against the counter. I grabbed some tissue and dampened it.
“It’s not what you’ve done. Her own reputation took a beating when she offered herself up to the Monsters not too long ago. She was humiliated. This is her way of getting back in the food chain and not being the scraps along the floor.”
