When he lowers the can from his lips with a smirk, nodding once in my direction, it’s like he’s taunting me. King Midas knows he’s untouchable, knows I’m alone here.
Clutching the edges of my lunch tray so tight I could snap it in half, I double back toward the cafeteria, deciding I’ll eat inside. Beats having to stare at his hateful mug while I eat.
I only grip the handle when my name is called. Well … a version of my name, anyway.
“New Girl.”
Peering up, there’s only one person close enough for me to have heard her voice. A girl propped against a tree, not making eye contact as she discreetly puffs smoke from the side of her mouth.
“Are you … talking to me?” I ask. Maybe I was mistaken, because I have no clue who she is.
“You’re the one Pandora calls New Girl, right? The one from the posters?”
Great. Just how I want to be identified. “Yeah, unfortunately.”
She flicks ashes from the end of the cigarette hidden behind her thigh, out of sight from the teachers and monitors hanging around. Dark, inquisitive eyes look me over as a breeze incites an explosion of long, black curls that frame her face.
“Who’d you manage to piss off so early in the game?” I don’t miss the smile that accompanies the question. It isn’t menacing.
Taking slow steps toward her, still holding my tray, I sigh. “Eh, you know. A little bit of everyone, apparently.” That’s all I’m willing to say, hoping to avoid widening the target on my back even more.
An easy laugh puffs from her mouth before dropping the butt of a cigarette in the grass. The sole of her heavy boot comes down to snuff it out. Then, she eyes me again, with the same scrutiny as before.
“You got a real name?”
“I do,” is the only answer I give, and my response seems to amuse her.
“Just what the world needs. Another smart-ass,” she points out. “Fine. Name’s Lexi Rodriguez. You are?”
Her feigned politeness draws a laugh from me, too. “Wait. Did you not read the posters? Someone made sure everyone knows who I am.”
Her shoulders lift with an indifferent shrug. “I skimmed but stopped when I realized it was just more of the usual toxic bullshit that circulates around here. These robots thrive on grinding each other’s self-esteem to dust.”
Lexi’s perfect description of West has me glancing at him again and, sure enough, he’s watching.
“I’m Blue,” I finally answer. “And, before you ask, that’s not short for anything. It’s just Blue.”
“Wasn’t gonna ask,” she replies.
With how everyone else here seems hyper obsessed with others’ business, her statement comes as a surprise. Then again, there’s a laidback vibe about her that seems genuine.
My guard lowers just a little, and I drop down to sit in the shadow beneath the thick canopy of branches and leaves. I’m starving, so I immediately start in on the apple and yogurt I grabbed from the lunch line. Being careful, of course, to avoid foods that set off my allergy.
Peering up, I watch as Lexi slides down the tree trunk to sit, too. Seeing she’s currently snacking on nothing but a bag of peanut M&M’s, I hold out the bag of chips I hadn’t touched yet.
“I’m not gonna eat these. You should take them,” I suggest.
Pretty sure she’s not light on lunch because she can’t afford more, but knowing what it’s like to go hungry, I’m still inclined to offer.
That wild, beautiful hair of hers quivers when she shakes her head. “I’m cool,” she answers, but then holds her bag of candy out to me. “Want some?”
“Would, but things go bad for me when nuts are involved.”
When she smiles, I know she’s about to say something crass. Jules always does when I’m not careful of my wording.
“Things always go bad when nuts are involved. Pretty sure it has something to do with the dudes they’re attached to, though.”
My smile widens. “Facts.”
She’s quiet for a second, but then scoffs suddenly. Like there’s a bad taste in her mouth or something. However, when I look up and follow her gaze, she’s eyeing West’s table and I get it.
There, he and his brothers sit front and center, like royalty. Surrounded by their crowd of underlings, each one vying for just a morsel of the trio’s attention. It’s disgusting the way they fall over themselves, just for a chance of being accepted into their world.
Pathetic.
“They’re all just so … fake,” Lexi declares, and I don’t disagree.
“Those are the future leaders of Cypress Pointe,” I say back, adding a lackluster, “Lucky us.”
“Thing is, some of them weren’t always so pretentious. Seems like the moment we got to high school, the girls turned into blithering idiots who only make moves that earn the attention of some guy. Meanwhile, the dudes became pussy-crazed nymphos who think the sun rises and sets on their asses.”
“I think that epidemic is widespread, even beyond Cypress Prep. Unfortunately,” I add. “Boys, in general, suck.”
Nodding, she doesn’t object to the point I’ve just made. “Do you know who everyone is yet?”
I shake my head instead of speaking with my mouth full.
She points and I cast my gaze on West and crew once again.
“Tall Brunette is Parker Holiday—head of the dance squad, head groupie of the Golden boys. West, in particular,” Lexi adds. “Daddy owns a few luxury car dealerships across the state.”
The designer handbag perched on the table in front of Parker suddenly seems fitting, considering the fortune I imagine her father has amassed.
“The two blondes beside her are Ariana and Heidi. Both rich. Both on the dance squad,” Lexi continues. “The other brunette and the red head are also on the squad, but I can’t remember their names, which goes to show how important they are.”
Laughing, I lean back to rest on my palms, balancing the tray on my lap.
“The three seated directly across from the triplets are Austin, Trip, and Ryder—more football Neanderthals. And the chick who’s almost too pretty to look at, the one with the braids sitting next to Dane, is Joss Francois,” she explains.
“Another groupie?”
I expect Lexi to confirm my suspicion, but she doesn’t.
“Far from it. Peep that disinterested, ‘I’d rather be at the beach’ look on her perfectly made-up face,” Lexi answers. “I’m actually willing to bet she’s the only chick at that table who was invited to sit there.”
Admittedly, I’m intrigued. “What’s her story?”
“Well, she’s super smart. As in, our most likely candidate for valedictorian,” Lexi shares. “Daddy’s in politics and Mom’s Chief of Staff at Cypress Pointe Memorial Hospital. She also has this super loaded uncle who’s top dog at a major marketing firm. As if they don’t already have enough money, her parents are shareholders in a few startups that took off. To summarize, Joss is what I like to call rich, rich,” Lexi jokes.
“Sounds accurate,” I say, eyeing the lineup at that table. Their carefree demeanors, their outward perfection.
“She and her parents spent the entire summer visiting extended family in Haiti and Cuba,” Lexi continues. “And who can forget her sweet-sixteen on their yacht a couple years ago? I wasn’t invited, but Pandora posted all the pics. I’ve even heard rumors that she’s got a solid gold bust of herself showcased in her bedroom, but that’s probably not entirely true,” she mumbles. “But, yeah, she is one of the dancers. However, she’s not like the other girls. At least not in the Golden boys’ eyes. They respect her; therefore, the entire football team respects her, which means so does everyone else because we’re, apparently, all mindless drones when all is said and done.”