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Lucy winces before she and a few other girls bow their heads with pained expressions.
Oh.
I bite my lower lip so hard I’m surprised blood doesn’t come out. So this is what the others have been going through while I was hiding in my room and skipping watching them at practice.
While I was too engrossed in myself, the girls have been at Bree’s mercy—or lack thereof.
Old Reina might not have done much for these girls before, but that will change now.
I won’t sit back and watch as they’re being mistreated.
Straightening my spine, I meet Naomi’s gaze. “I’ll step up under one condition.”
She gives me a quizzical glance but says nothing.
“You need to forgive me, Naomi.”
Soft gasps echo from the girls as they watch us closely.
Her lips purse. “Why is that important?”
“It is to me.” My voice softens. “Don’t you want to protect the girls?”
“Why would you think I want to do that?” She maintains her signature glare, but I know she cares deep down or she wouldn’t have asked me to help them.
“Come on,” Lucy pleads.
“I need allies,” I coax.
“You must be out of your mind if you think you’ll have that in me.” Naomi flicks her silky black hair back. “I’m your enemy, Reina.”
“Well, you know what they say about keeping your enemies closer than your friends.”
“You’ve become such a freaking weirdo.” She rises to her feet. “So, are we doing this or what?”
I smile as I stand up with both Lucy and Naomi on either side of me. The rest of the girls and some boys follow suit, one by one.
“Let’s go get my place back,” I say with all my confidence.
Naomi leans in to whisper, “I’ll gut you if you return to your old bitchy self.”
I smirk. “Is that a promise?”
She shakes her head. “That blunt-force trauma really did a number on you.”
We stride toward the main table. Everyone in the cafeteria watches us closely, seeming to hold their breath.
Silence fills the space as everyone at the main table stops talking all at once.
I stand there, carrying my plate, straightening my shoulders.
Prescott offers an awkward smile. “Hey, Captain.”
Bree reprimands him with a look and presses her lips into a thin line.
Owen jumps up from his seat and grins at us. “Long time no see, Rei-Rei. Are you here for that offer?”
“I’m here for my place.” I meet Bree’s stare head-on. She has enough decency to stop rubbing her hand along Asher’s arm, but she doesn’t let him go.
