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So close tobeing done with everyone’s bullshit. If another person tried me, I was bound to lose my temper, and that small altercation would feel like a damn birthday party compared to what I was liable to do. And to top it off, because my life couldn’t be a walk in the park, I hadn’t heard from or seen my mother in days.
I was starting to get worried. She was a grown-ass woman who’d made it abundantly clear she made decisions with herself and only herself in mind. For some idiotic reason, I couldn’t ignore her the way she did me.
Fuck, it would be a lot easier if I could. With all the tension I was holding, my shoulders and my neck hurt like a bitch. Nothing I did made me relax. No amount of runs or going for a drive worked. At school, I had to stay on alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and at home, it was a constant state of confusion.
My phone rested in my hand. I’d sent off the fifth message today. It wasn’t unusual for her to disappear randomly for an odd number of days, but that was when she was out hunting for a man. She currently had one, which I’d seen twice in the past week. It was twice too many if you asked me.
Asking Richard why the hell my last name had been changed occurred to me on multiple occasions, but the thought of having a conversation with him made my skin crawl. There was something about him that didn’t sit right with me. Besides the first incident with my mom, Richard had been treating her like a queen, at least from what I could see. It wasn’t as if my mom would show me. She was too busy living her dream life to even check into reality.
I had a handle on absolutely nothing in my life.
“She’s a savage.”
“Heard she was picked up off the street. Some charity case or something.”
A group not too far from me eyed me like a caged tiger. I rolled my eyes. As long as they left me alone, there wouldn’t be a problem.
“Would you stop glaring at people? This is why there are so many rumors about you going around,” Mac said. He sat across from me, his cashmere sweater hugging his muscular form. He sported his usual warm smile as he held out a coffee cup toward me. “I don’t know if you’re the devil or an angel right now.”
I took the offered cup of gold and took a sip. The hot splash of coffee was a burn that I whole heartily welcomed.
“Why should I care what anyone thinks?” I glared at the table of girls, still eyeing and whispering about me. They quickly averted their gaze. “Fucking pussies.”
Mac smirked at me. “I didn’t say you had to care, but you should be careful. You don’t want certain people taking an interest in you.”
“Too late for that,” Nelly said as she took the seat next to Mac. Why she talked to me at all was something I didn’t care to understand. She didn’t like me, and she didn’t like that Mac was basically like my friend.
“How do you figure? I haven’t done anything.” I drank more of the coffee and groaned as the hot liquid made its way down, warming me from the inside out.
Nelly stared at me pointedly as if I was the biggest dumbass she’d ever seen. If she weren’t Mac’s best friend, I’d consider giving her a nose job just like that other girl.
“You aren’t that dense,” Nelly said. When I said nothing, she huffed in annoyance. “The kings. It’s why Lisa Sullie hasn’t come for you.”
“Oh, I figured she was too busy with a plastic surgeon.” I shrugged, but the look Mac gave me said I wasn’t seeing the bigger picture. “What?”
He shook his head, and his smile was brighter. “You’ve been doing great,” Mac said.
I grunted. “Did you not see what happened last week?”
Mac nodded. “Yes, but that couldn’t exactly be avoided. Other than that, you’re doing good.”
We had different definitions of good. The tension between my shoulder blades eased the more coffee I drank. “Most of the teachers also don’t like me.”
“They don’t know where you stand.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” This school was over the top and confusing. How could anyone attend and still be able to get good grades? There was so much more to worry about than just showing up. Every move a person made was scrutinized; who you spoke with and how you responded were all watched.
“We’ve been over this, Kee,” Mac said.
I leveled him with my best glare. After the week I had, Mac was the last person who’d get my full anger aimed his way. He genuinely tried to help me. I just wasn’t good at taking the help.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m the new girl, and something about I’m not new money. I’m something or the other.” I rolled my eyes as I tried to relax with my coffee.
“You’re not taking this seriously,” Mac said.
How can I?
“Are you surprised?” Nelly finished polishing her nails. “She’s not from here. I don’t know why you bother with her, Mac.”
