She’s cut off as Annalisa suddenly pounces across the table, trying to get a hold of Kaitlyn, who shrieks. But Julian catches Annalisa around her waist before she reaches the other girl.
“Julian! Let me go! I have to kill her!” Annalisa struggles to get free of Julian’s iron grip. “If you love me you’ll let me claw her face off!”
Charlotte jumped up when Annalisa did and is now standing beside me. Mason, Chase, and Aiden are also all standing up, wearing matching enraged expressions. Kaitlyn clutches Makayla beside Charlotte and me while Annalisa still struggles to get at her.
“You’re crazy!” Kaitlyn shouts.
If there is anyone in the cafeteria who wasn’t already watching us, they most definitely are now. Aiden steps right in front of Kaitlyn, scowling down at her and blocking her view of Anna.
“Leave. Right now. I don’t want to see your face ever again. I’ve told you countless times before, but I guess I need to say it S-LO-W-E-R. Me, plus you, equals never going to happen. It was a one-time thing. I don’t make the same mistake twice.”
How is Kaitlyn still standing there? Actually, she’s moved even closer to him. Aiden’s hostile facial expression and voice full of clear animosity would’ve made anyone else shrivel up into a puddle on the floor. I was honestly a little intimidated, but she’s taking it all in stride.
“Oh darling, you’re just a little confused.”
Aiden looks down at the hand that Kaitlyn places on his chest, and his eyes darken.
“Okaaayyy.” Pushing Kaitlyn’s hand off Aiden, I slide between the two of them. I’m getting nervous from all the attention we’re receiving, and it’s already a miracle a teacher hasn’t booked us yet. I didn’t want to push our luck.
“Kaitlyn, we’ve all come to an agreement. Collect your shit and leave. Now.” Turning to the rest of the room, I call, “Show’s over people! Get back to your lunch.”
“She said the show’s over!” Aiden announces, and everyone scrambles back to what they were doing before, conversations starting back up around us.
Grabbing Kaitlyn’s purse, I throw her fancy reusable water bottle into it, and then shove it into her chest. “Go.”
She swipes the purse from me like I’ve infected it and holds it to her chest. “Who do you think you are?” she demands.
“I’m the extremely pissed and hungry girl whose food you threw all over the ground. Now leave so I can peacefully enjoy the rest of my lunch period.”
Finally, I’m back in my seat. Charlotte slowly sits back down beside me, and Chase does the same, but Mason and Aiden remain standing with their arms crossed, looking at Kaitlyn and Makayla. Annalisa and Julian aren’t at the table anymore. He probably took her to calm her down before she ripped Kaitlyn’s trachea from her throat. Something Kaitlyn said really triggered her.
“You’re picking this whore over me?” Kaitlyn accuses Aiden.
Before he can respond, she leans down and hisses in my ear, “Aiden’s mine. I told you to stay away from him. This is your last warning.”
“Do I look like I give a shit?” I nonchalantly take out my phone, pretending to look at some texts.
The so-called Queen Bee can’t handle being ignored and not getting the last word in. “I’m talking to you!”
Ignoring her, I message Annalisa to see if she’s okay. Maybe if I keep pretending Kaitlyn’s not there, she’ll go away.
She snarls. “Stay away from—what are you doing?”
The snarky reply is on my lips before I can stop myself. “Checking my calendar. Nope. Looks like I won’t be giving a shit tomorrow either.”
“Kaitlyn, let’s just go. Matt’s waiting for me anyway.” Makayla tries to reason with Kaitlyn.
Finally, a sensible suggestion.
“You’ve been warned,” Kaitlyn states as she finally leaves with Makayla.
I mutter under my breath, and in my state of annoyance, unconsciously reach beside me to Mason’s abandoned unwrapped sandwich and take a bite. I realize what I just did as a foul taste overwhelms my taste buds. I spit it out and glare at the innocent sandwich. Distantly, over the sound of my growling stomach, I can almost hear what’s left of Kaitlyn’s minimal composure shattering.
7
Today is quickly turning into one of the worst days of my life. To top everything off, I just got my period. Getting my period isn’t what makes this day suck (although it certainly doesn’t make it better)—it’s that I don’t have any tampons. I usually keep some in my bag for times like these, but yesterday when I was in the washroom, a random girl asked me if I had any so I gave her my last one. It honestly doesn’t matter who the girl is or how you feel about her. If she needs a tampon, you give her a tampon.
I’m about to text Charlotte, but then I remember that she has the calculus test this period with Chase, so her phone is in the basket at the front of the room. Annalisa’s phone is off, but she’s long gone from school by now, judging by what happened at lunch. I don’t have any other girl’s number, and it’s not like I can ask one of the Boys. Since I’m in the middle of my spare period, no one else is in the bathroom to ask for help.
Making a quick run to the convenience store down the road, I buy the only box they have in stock—a giant, hulking package of fifty—and make it back to school and out of the bathroom just as the bell rings.
I hate being late, but since starting here, it seems like it’s an everyday occurrence. Abandoning going to my locker, I shove the open box of tampons into my shoulder bag and head to sociology class—the one I share with Mason, Noah, and Aiden. Oh, and Kaitlyn and Makayla.
I get there before the bell and sit down beside Mason. Aiden sits behind us, an empty chair beside him where Noah would be.
“I miss him.” I look longingly at the empty chair.
“Class is definitely going to be less enjoyable without being able to laugh at his stupid comments,” Mason agrees.
“I’ll text him to come get ice cream with us after school today.”
Mason shakes his head at me. “The kid’s at home with a concussion.”
“A mild concussion,” I correct him. “He won’t pass up an opportunity for free ice cream.”
“Especially if Mason’s paying,” Aiden adds.
Aiden’s being weird today. Contributing to normal conversations? He could barely even look at me without a scowl on his face last week. He even smirked at me today. Multiple times! Maybe I’m wearing down his gruff exterior and he’s starting to like me, or at least feel more comfortable around me. It’s just a theory.
Mason mumbles about us being lucky he doesn’t back out of promises when Kaitlyn walks by, glaring at me the whole time. She sends Aiden a wink, but other than that, she doesn’t cause any trouble. Near the end of class, Mr. Rogers calls me up to the front to collect my homework from last week.
I place my bag on my desk and head to the front to grab my paper. On my way back, just before I get to my desk, one of Kaitlyn’s friend’s shoots her leg out into my path. I narrowly dodge her leg, and look back at her with a triumphant smile. Ha! Take that!