Page 32 of She's With Me (She's With Me 1)

“He doesn’t need to worry about it. It’s not his fault his booty call from hell decided to go all psycho on me. I guess I kind of made it my own fight officially yesterday when I glitter bombed her,” I reply honestly, and they laugh.

As we round the corner, we see Aiden at his locker, clearly identifiable by his tall, muscular frame, easily towering over the other students. He turns to look at us and meets my eyes. I smile at him. Maybe he’ll smile back? His eyes zero in on my hand, held comfortably in Mason’s. His scowl deepens and he turns around to finish pulling books from his locker. Okay, maybe no smile. We’ll get there. Baby steps. Mason pulls his hand from mine as we continue toward Aiden’s locker.

When we get there, Mason leans back against the locker beside Aiden’s and crosses his arms across his chest. “Hey.”

Aiden grunts in response.

“I’m going to get a breakfast bagel!” Noah announces. “The cafeteria lady who works Wednesday morning always gives me extra bacon!”

I laugh at his retreating form. That kid could get a telephone pole to like him.

“So, I hear you’ve taken up detail as head of my security brigade,” I say casually, trying to hide my smirk and ignoring Mason glaring a hole in my head.

Aiden shuts his locker and narrows his eyes at Mason, who gives him a shrug, before looking at me.

This is gonna be good. He’s going to admit he likes me—or at least doesn’t hate me.

“I just don’t want to have to explain to anyone why Mason had to drive you to the hospital. I’ve got enough problems.”

Wow. His heartwarming concern is touching.

“There you are, you evil little troll!” The screech erupts from down the hall, and Mason and Aiden straighten up on either side of me.

Kaitlyn bulldozes through the hall, angry-looking friends on her tail, leaving a path of confused and intrigued students behind her. Looks like the drama’s starting early today.

Resisting the urge to laugh as she gets closer to me, it’s hilarious that she’s still sparkly. Like really sparkly.

“Wow, Kaitlyn. Someone looks extra radiant today. Did you do something with your hair? No, no, your makeup is different. No . . . I don’t know. You just seem to . . . shimmer . . . today.”

The giggle escapes before I can contain it. The residue of my fun prank is still evident, and it’s impossible to take her mean face seriously. Mason laughs beside me.

“You think this is funny?” she shrieks. “How dare you do this to me!”

“Do what? Oh, I get it. You’re all sparkly because you’re embracing your future career. Good for you, Kaitlyn. I always thought you’d make a good stripper.”

The crowd laughs, and Mason does as well. Aiden stands tense beside me, like he’s preparing to jump in front of me in case she pounces.

“This didn’t come out of my hair! I washed it, like, ten times yesterday!” Makayla whines.

“Good.” I laugh harder.

“Shut up, Makayla!” Kaitlyn says harshly to her best friend. “I know you did this, Amelia, and you’ll pay.”

“Do what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know it was you, bitchface—” she starts.

“All right, listen here, you sparkly demon slut. I don’t know what you’re talking about so let’s just hold today’s confrontation to a few short minutes. Whatever it is you think I did,”—or what I actually did, but she’s got no proof—“I didn’t. I want to go to class today without causing a scene. If you have a problem with me, I ask that you please write it nicely on a piece of paper, fold it up, and shove it up your ass.”

My smile is so obviously fake that it makes the vein in her forehead bulge and I mentally high-five myself. Instantly, she loses her composure completely and lunges at me. Tossing my arms up in an X in front of my face, with my eyes closed, I brace for impact.

There is none.

Aiden’s got Kaitlyn’s forearms, holding them out and away from him as she tries to swing at me. I resist the urge to laugh as I lower my arms. It just looks so comical: this sparkly five foot five blond, with a bright-red face and crazy eyes, urgently trying to get past the six foot three muscular wall who looks like he’s extremely bored of the situation already and is not even breaking a sweat.

“You cocksucker!” she yells.

“No, I’m afraid that’s you, sweetie.” I smile sweetly at her as I peek around Aiden.

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