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She bites her bottom lip.
“It was that or nothing at all, okay?” It’s what she replies. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I hold her arm, preventing her from running away from this conversation. I need to understand why she had to choose that degree when it’s more than obvious that she belongs in the science field. Luanna has always been passionate about science and chemistry. That’s her real talent and where she should be putting her energies. Not in another major that she’s going to hate and will suck the life out of her. Lu won’t be happy studying finances.
“Luanna.”
“Bree, I’m serious.”
Her eyes are pleading me to let the topic go.
“Your father is making you do this,” I guess, and her gaze darkens.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Luanna repeats.
Rage, as a fire, spreads in my chest when her answer —or the lack of it— confirms my suspicion. I’m skeptical of the fact that my uncle could be such an asshole. I had low expectations about the guy, but now they got even lower. Forcing his daughter to study and invest four years of her life in something that she doesn’t like for what? His own benefit? God, I can’t even decide what’s the most messed up thing in this whole situation. The fact that Luanna is sentenced to a degree that will only make her unhappy, or the fact that her father refused to pay for another career that wasn’t the one he chose?
At this point, I’m surprised that Luanna hasn’t escaped from her house. I don’t know how she’s capable of living in that circus that she calls herhome. Uncle Parker is probably the worst human being that I’ve ever encountered, and I’m disgusted to say that we are related, that I share blood with that douche. It’s unbelievable that no one has called him out on his abuse and gaslighting over Luanna.
My cousin blinks a couple of times, as if she wanted to hold back the tears.
“Is Karma already in the cafeteria?” Stanley intervenes the tense environment, changing the subject before it gets worse.
“She should be,” I respond in a dry tone.
“If she isn’t, I can wait for her there. I doubt that someone will eat me alive if I stay a couple of minutes on my own,” reinstates Luanna, shrugging slightly.
I don’t doubt that what she says is true, but it doesn’t make me comfortable. We’re heading towards the cafeteria anyway, so we can decide later what we’re going to do about it. My breath shortens as Stan pushes the door, allowing me to enter the place.
Even though it’s early, there’s a small crowd of people filling it. Some of them mumble as I walk by, some even point at me with their fingers, not bothering to hide it. The nausea returns, and I start sweating under my jacket.
They don’t know me,I repeat in my head like a mantra that’s going to keep me from giving in to the panic that fuels me.
Society is rotten to the core. They are hypocrites, talking about how we should stop destroying each other, but don’t hesitate when it comes to tearing apart someone, putting them to shame. There’s no empathy, or a collective conscience that stops them. People maintain this toxic pattern that has no end.
“Ignore them,” Luanna says, tilting her head.
If only it were that easy.
“I know,” I force out the words.
Karma is not here yet, but Ryder is. He’s walking towards us, or at least I thought he was until I see him looking over my shoulder. Turning around, I grab Stanley’s arm harder, preventing him from imitating Ryder’s movements. John Carter is entering the cafeteria with a smug expression stuck to his face.
Everyone has their eyes on us, expecting the scene that’s about to unfold.
“Bree, let me go,” Stanley grits out.
I shake my head firmly.
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Bree—”
“You could get in so much trouble,” I remind him, trying to knock some sense into him, but he’s blind with rage.
He clenches his jaw. A vein is visible on his neck, an angry blush spreading all over his face. He looks seconds away from getting rid of my grasp to beat Carter senseless. But we’re in a very public place. Students are surrounding us, some with their phones out, recording the whole thing. If we were in a private area, I’d let him do whatever he wanted. He could tear him to shreds for all I care. We’re on campus, and Moss has a strict policy against fights and violence.
There are too many witnesses.
