I arched a brow at her. “How can I be sure no one pissed on them?”
She scrunched up her face. “Who would defile the sacredness of hot fries like that?”
My lips twitched. She almost drew an actual smile from me. “Wouldn’t put it past your friend.”
“Donna wouldn’t do that.” She sighed as I took the fries. “And she didn’t tell that girl to throw your lunch on the ground.”
I gave her a skeptical look and spoke around a mouthful of hot potato. “She didn’t tell her not to either.”
“No, but Donna isn’t the boss of everyone.”
I snorted and gave her a withering look.
“OK, fine. She has a lot of influence around here, but . . .” Mena trailed off, searching for words to defend her cousin, just as the girl in question appeared with the other two at the end of the hallway. Lunch was coming to a close.
Donna stopped next to us and clasped her hands in front of her. I shoved another three fries into my mouth to distract myself from the exposed skin between the tops of her socks and that infuriating skirt. Who the fuck decided to put a bunch of hormonal teenagers into porn-fantasy outfits and make them spend every day of the week together? Idiots . . .
“You OK, Mena?” Donna asked as she stared at me. There was genuine concern in her voice.
Mena huffed. “I’m fine. He’s harmless.”
I shoved more fries into my mouth. If she only knew how decidedly not harmless I was . . . I should’ve just walked away, but instead I found myself leaning back against the locker.
Donna finally faced her friend. “Hendrix has made it perfectly clear he wants to be left alone.”
I finished the last of the fries and cut in before anyone else could speak. “Thanks for the fries, Mena. You seem like a genuinely nice person. I really don’t understand why you hang out with these vapid bitches.”
Harlow fixed me with a scowl so deep she bared her teeth. Amaya stopped texting for longer than a few seconds and narrowed her eyes. Donna surprised me once again by leaning back just a fraction, a tiny smile pulling at her lips.
But it was sweet Mena who surprised me most. She stepped right into my space and poked me in the chest. “No. I know you’re new around here, so you don’t know us, and I don’t really understand this bizarre feud between you two, but I’m not going to stand here and let you talk about my friends like that. You’re being a judgmental douche—and not the vagina kind. The butt kind.” She jabbed my chest again, and my eyes widened. I’d inadvertently unleashed some kind of attack koala, and she was coming for my head. “I’m trying to be nice to you because I think that’s the right thing to do, but make no mistake—I would do anything for those three. They’re like more than sisters to me. No one fucks with Devilbend Dynasty.”
Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and stalked away. Harlow and Amaya trailed after her, but Donna remained, a smug smile on her lips as she crossed her arms.
I crushed the empty, greasy bag in my fist and straightened to my full height. She didn’t even waver, somehow still managing to look down her nose at me despite having to look up to meet my eyes.
“Don’t fuck with my friends. Then you’ll know what I’m really capable of.”
“You’re already making my life difficult enough. What more could you possibly do?” I gritted out, showing my frustration for the first time.
“You wanted nothing to do with me, any of the other students, or this school.” She shrugged. “I simply let a few people know.”
“Yeah, well, they’re really running with your suggestion now, so consider this a fair warning. If shit keeps escalating, I’m not just gonna take it lying down. I’m not expecting to be anyone’s bro, but I’ll have to start swinging back if it comes to it.”
I dumped the greasy bag in the trash and shoved my way through the crowd. It was the most aggression I’d shown since I started at Fulton, and surprised students started getting out of my way.
It was a lie, of course. If the violence increased, I wouldn’t do shit to fight back. I’d never swing a fist again, as much as I wanted to. I’d rather die.
The pent-up frustration had to be released somehow though. By the time the day ended, I’d snapped three pens.
As soon as I got in my car, I slammed the door shut and resisted the urge to punch the steering wheel. I couldn’t go home. Video games wouldn’t cut it today. Plus, I’d been slacking off with my fitness.
Because I was a good, responsible boy now, I shot off a text to my aunt.
Going to sign up to a gym. May be home after you.
Her response was immediate.
No worries. Staying at Robbie’s tonight. Be safe!
The words on my phone screen melted some of the frustration from my system. Be safe. Not be good or don’t disappoint me or don’t embarrass me. I was beginning to wish Aunt Hannah had raised me and not the two emotionless robots I had for parents.
I drove to downtown Devilbend and parked at Exert. There were several gyms in town, two closer to where I lived, but I chose this one because it was on a busy street in the center of everything. I wanted the anonymity of a crowd.
The young guy behind the counter looked up from the computer screen and gave me a polite smile.
“Hey. Welcome to Exert.” He was in shorts and a workout top with the gym branding, and his messy blond hair gave him a little bit of a surfer vibe.
“Hi. I’d like to join up.”
“Great!” His smile widened, and he tapped at the keyboard before pointing to a touch screen facing me. “Just fill this out.”
I filled out the form and handed over Dad’s credit card, and he gave me a membership card and key fob. “We’re open twenty-four hours, but the desk is only manned during business hours and evening classes. I’ve sent you an email with the schedule if you’re interested. Can I help organize a PT session? The first one is complimentary.”
“Nah, man, I’m good. Just here to work out.” I was already swinging my bag over my shoulder.
“No worries. I’m Turner, by the way. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Turner,” I called over my shoulder as I headed toward the changing room.
I thrashed my body for nearly two hours, alternating cardio and high-intensity weights. I hadn’t played football in a year, and with everything going on, my visits to the gym had been sporadic at best. No question I’d be feeling it the next day.
When I got home, starving, I made myself two microwave dinners and slumped into a stool at the kitchen island.
My phone vibrated when I was halfway through something resembling chicken and pasta. I checked the message and sighed. It was from that same number.
Hey, man. Wanna come out? Maybe play some pool? I’ll be here all evening. No pressure.
At the bottom was an address two towns over.
I’d ignored the fucker’s first message, and I knew I should ignore this one too, but the thought of spending another night in this empty house, alone, made me want to claw my eyes out.
I’d hardly had a conversation with anyone besides my aunt in nearly two months. I hadn’t heard from my parents since the day they put me in a town car headed for the airport. The kids at school were on a collective campaign to make my life hell. And I hadn’t spoken to any of my old friends in a long time. Most of the large group that used to hang on my every word disappeared pretty quickly after they realized I would no longer be going to school, let alone playing football—not after what I did. The rest I cut off myself. I couldn’t stand to look at them. It was like looking in a mirror.