by Mae Doyle
“Hey! What are you doing?” I sat up and laughed. Maggie crawled over my bed and shimmied down under the covers while Harper did the same on her side. “What’s going on, guys?”
“You didn’t think that we were going to leave you tonight, did you?” Maggie sounded exhausted, but I caught the smile in her voice. “You need us, Rose. Let us take care of you.”
At first, I didn’t think that I’d be able to get to sleep with my two best friends in my bed. Harper snored a little from time to time, and Maggie was a heater, but I must have fallen asleep eventually, tucked in between the two people at Taylor Prep that I could trust.
◆◆◆
When the three of us woke we realized that we’d have to run if we wanted to make it for breakfast. “We overslept!” Maggie pushed me in the ribs to move me out of the way. “Holy cow, you weren’t joking about your ribs being extra strong!”
I laughed and sat up. Harper’s hair was a mess, and I had a feeling that none of us looked the best. “I don’t joke around with stuff like that. You guys want to run to the cafeteria and get something to go?”
“Yes!” They chorused, and we hopped out of my bed, throwing on sneakers to go with our pajamas. During the week the dress code was strictly enforced, but I had a feeling that we could get away with pjs in the cafeteria today after the big dance. Besides, I was pretty confident that most of the students would still be in bed, sleeping off their long night.
But I was wrong. The three of us tumbled through the double doors into the cafeteria and were met with a stony silence from everyone already in there. As soon as we made it through the door, all of the students turned to look at us. I looked from table to table, but the only friendly faces I saw were Woods and Everett, who waved to us from a table by themselves.
The three of us cut through the tables, ignoring food for the moment, to talk to them and see what was going on. “Everything okay?” Harper greeted Woods with a kiss and sat down next to him. Maggie sat next to Everett, leaving me on my own. I normally was okay with that, but having my girls by me, making me feel safe, was a good feeling. Right then I felt terribly exposed.
“Apparently there’s been some changes in the cafeteria.” I glanced around as Woods spoke and only then realized that they were the only two without food in front of them.
“Why aren’t you guys eating?” The look on Harper and Maggie’s faces told me that they hadn’t noticed that the table was empty of food. “What’s going on?”
Everett shook his head. “We were told that we eat last now.”
“What?” I felt rage course through my body. “Who told you that?” In answer, he looked up at the main table where the rogues and the harpies were sitting, full plates of food in front of them, staring at us. “They can’t do that.”
The boys shrugged. “We tried to get something to eat, but we were…stopped.” Woods looks embarrassed, and I didn’t want to push it, but this was not okay.
“Well, I’m hungry, and I’m getting something to eat.” I stood up, well aware that everyone in the cafeteria was staring at me, and I marched across the room to the food. Before I’d even grabbed a plate, however, the three rogues were there at my side, blocking me. “Move. I’m hungry.”
They didn’t flinch.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair and pulling out some of the tangles. “Move, you guys. I didn’t get anything to eat last night and I’m famished.” There was a loud growl from my stomach to back me up, but they still stood where they were.
Jackie had his arms crossed and was staring at me with a stony face. Brett almost looked like he was enjoying this – I could see a bit of a smile at the corners of his lips, but it was Kaleb who really broke my heart. I glanced up into his face, hoping to see a flash of the guy that I’d been kissing yesterday, but he just frowned at me.
“Seriously? When do we get to eat?”
“When everyone else is done.” Brett sounded bored as he gestured to the rest of the cafeteria. Everyone there was still staring at us, waiting to see what I’d do. What they’d do.
“But they’re taking forever.” I pushed past Kaleb and grabbed a tray, but before I could move toward the food, Jackie’s hand jerked out and he smacked it out of my grasp. I gasped at it flew from my hand and clattered on the ground.
“Seriously? All you guys have tried to do is ruin my life, and now you’re going to starve the five of us?” My face was getting red with rage, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t believe that these guys could act like this. It’s not that I thought that we were all suddenly friends, but it was impossible for me to deny that there had been some connection with Kaleb last night, no matter how short-lived it had seemed.
“I’ll get you something to eat.” Amelia’s voice behind me made me stop in my tracks and slowly turn around. There was no reason why she would want to help me, and the fact that she offered made me nervous.
“What’s the catch?”
She shrugged. “No catch. Aren’t you hungry? Let me help you out?” Leaning down, she picked the tray off of the floor and walked down the buffet, slowly loading it up with breakfast. There were fresh waffles with fruit and clotted cream, homemade Greek yogurt, and she even added a bowl of granola to the side. “Does that look good?”
I nodded. “Thank you.” Even though I still wasn’t sure what game she was playing, the food looked amazing and I didn’t want to throw her help back in her face. I was starving, and I knew that my friends were, too.
She smirked. “It does, doesn’t it?” She brought it back to me, but when I reached out for the tray, she yanked it back out of my reach. “Oh, hold on. I forgot the most important thing.” My stomach dropped as she winked at me and leaned forward, spitting right on top of my waffles. I stared in disgust at the thick glob of spit as it pooled in a waffle hole. “Let me finish seasoning your food.”
I didn’t move as she carried my tray around the cafeteria. Everyone she stopped in front of leaned over and spit into the food. My friends watched in horror from the table, their jaws open and their eyes wide.
“What a bitch,” I muttered under my breath, and turned to leave. Before I could take a step, though, someone reached out and grabbed my arm. Looking back, I saw the cool eyes of Jackie locked onto me.
“My cousin isn’t a bitch. She’s being really nice right now making sure that your food tastes great. Don’t you have something you want to say to her?” When I didn’t answer right away, he dug his fingernails into my arm. “Don’t be rude, Rosita, here she comes.”
I dipped my head as Amelia walked back to us and shoved the tray in my face. “All seasoned up,” she said brightly.
The food smelled amazing, but as soon as I looked at it, I felt my stomach twist and turn. There wasn’t any way that I could eat it, and she and the rogues had to know that. Without realizing what I was doing, I reached out and knocked the tray from her hands. She tried to hang onto it, but only succeeded in flipping it.
All of us watched in horror as the tray turned towards her, the food flying off of it and sliding down her chest.
“You fucking bitch.” Her voice was cold and her eyes glittered with hate. Even though I took a step back from her, I knew that I was dead.
She lunged for me, wrapping her hands around my neck, but before she could hurt me, someone pulled her off. I watched in shock as Kaleb and Brett worked together to hold her back. “I’ll kill you!” Her voice echoed through the cafeteria as everyone watched.
“We can’t hurt her, remember?” Brett stood in front of Amelia, holding her by the shoulders. “You’re not allowed to physically hurt her.”
“I’ll kill her!” Amelia was still yelling, but she sounded less convinced now, and I could see Brett shake his head. Jackie stepped between us, blocking my view.
“You should go.” His voice was low and full of warning. “If you don’t, Rosita, she’s only going to keep trying.”
“But I’m hungry.” I lifted my chin and stared at him. “And so are my fr
iends, and Brett just said that she can’t physically hurt me, so why should we leave? I belong here just like everyone else.”
“No, Rosita, you don’t.” He let go of my arm and ran a hand through his hair while Amelia continued to rage behind him. “Just…go, okay? I’ll take care of it.”
“You’ll take care of us being hungry?” I shot back. My arm ached where he had grabbed it, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of rubbing it right now. “I’ll believe it when there are pizzas in my room, Jackie. With extra cheese.”
Turning on my heel, I stalked away from him. My friends got up and ran to me, Harper and Maggie linking their arms through mine. My words echoed in my head, and I shook my head at how stupid I had sounded.
Yeah, right. Extra cheese pizzas in my room.
“Are you okay?” Harper whispered, her lips close to my ear. “She was so pissed.”
I giggled as we walked through the door and all loaded into the elevator. “She deserved it.”
Harper gently squeezed my arm. “Why don’t we all hang out and watch some movies? Maybe it will take our minds off of being hungry?”
I nodded. I needed something to take my mind off of this whole day, and while I wasn’t sure that a movie marathon would do it, being surrounded by my friends was a really good start. The five of us all piled into my room and snuggled up in bed to watch some of our favorites.
We were halfway through Maggie’s pick – Unicorn Cyclone – when there was a sharp rap on my door. I paused the movie and all five of us looked at each other. There was a very good chance that it was a trick and I’d open the door to see Amelia standing there, but I got out of bed anyway.
Taking a deep breath, I swung open the door. Nobody was standing there, but on the floor were three pizza boxes. Glancing around, I grabbed them and brought them inside before locking the door and turning to my friends.
“Should we eat them?” I was still nervous. The last thing that I wanted was spit pizza, but when we opened the first lid, it looked fine. It wasn’t until I lifted the top two boxes to hand them to my friends that a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Frowning, I bent and picked it up.
I promise they’re safe.
Chapter 19
My desk still hadn’t been replaced, so kept sitting in the back of math, which made working on my calculations hard, but it was better than sitting on the floor. I refused to do that, no matter how much easier it may have made things. Not only would I not have been able to see the front of the classroom, but I didn’t want my classmates to see me so low to the ground in front of them. Especially Jackie.
Any compassion that I may have seen in his eyes in the cafeteria on Sunday morning was gone. I was sure that it was him who sent the pizzas to my room, but how he got them delivered to Taylor Prep I never learned, because all of the rogues refused to talk about it.
“I wish you’d just tell me how you guys got them past the gates, because I would love to have pizza once a week.” It was Wednesday and Mr. Gessler hadn’t gotten to class yet, which meant that I wasn’t standing in the back. Instead, I’d walked over to where Kaleb sat and I’d poked him in the back to get his attention, but he refused to turn and look at me. “I’d even share with you if you’d teach me your tricks.”
That got his attention, and he whipped around so fast that his hair flopped a little with the movement. I felt my stomach lurch as I watched him. He was incredibly attractive, especially when he wasn’t looking at me with disgust or hate.
“What in the hell are you talking about, Rose? And besides, why would I want to share anything with you? I’d probably catch a disease.” He sneered at me, allowing his eyes to rake over my body. I hadn’t felt uncomfortable in my school uniform in a while, but the way he looked at me made me tug on my skirt. Maybe I’d gotten taller this semester, because it felt a little short on my thigh.
“The disease of being awesome,” I shot back, even as I cringed internally. I didn’t know what it was about Kaleb that tied up my tongue and made everything I said sound incredibly stupid. “And you didn’t seem worried about catching a disease on Saturday.” My cheeks felt like they were on fire. He chuckled, though, before he turned around, but before I could say anything else, Mr. Gessler strolled back in.
“I hope that you’re all ready for a test,” he announced, waving a pack of papers in the air. “It’s a surprise, but I just want to see how well you’re all going to do. There are some of you that I’m worried may not be able to continue with us in the new semester.” He let his eyes slip over the class, not staring at anyone in particular, but I felt myself get nervous. “So, do your best, don’t mess up, and prove to me that you belong in this class.”
He handed the tests to a student to pass out and I felt myself grow cold as soon as I looked at it. There was no way that I could handle all of the material on here. We’d covered some of it this semester, sure, but since I was a late transfer to Taylor Prep, there were some things on it that I wasn’t sure about. I glanced around and saw, with horror, that most everyone else in the class was bent over their work, their pencils flying.
Crap.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to stay as calm as possible and bent over my test. All I had to do was my best and I was sure that it would be fine. I may not have as strong a math base as everyone in here, but I knew that I deserved it just as much as them.
Even though I told myself that, it still took me 45 minutes longer than everyone else to finish.
“Have a little trouble, Miss Bennett?” Mr. Gessler’s voice was dry, but I still felt embarrassed. He hadn’t done anything to replace my chair and my desk, and then it seemed like he was almost happy that I’d struggled with the test.
“A little,” I admitted. I didn’t want to show any weakness in class, but it was obvious that I was the person in the class he was referring to as possibly not sticking with them next semester. “But I can study hard over break and make sure that I’m able to keep up in the spring.” I know that I sounded hopeful, and I heard the class chuckle behind me, but I didn’t give them the satisfaction of turning around to look at them.
“I think you’ll have to. Mr. Moore will be able to assist you with studying before break.” He looked past me and raised his voice. “Mr. Moore, will you come here please?”
I wasn’t sure which student he was calling up, but as long as they were willing to help me, I didn’t really care who it was. I needed to stay in this class so I could really impress when it was time to apply to colleges.
Kaleb appeared at my side. “Mr. Gessler, how can I help?” His eyes darted over to me, but he didn’t say anything to me.
The teacher waved his hand between the two of us. “You can make sure that Miss. Bennett here doesn’t crash and burn.” He picked up my test and glanced at it before tearing it in half and throwing it away. I swallowed hard as I watched him destroy my work. “Miss Bennett, you may take the test again right before break. If you and Mr. Moore work hard, he may be able to help you salvage your grades. If you fail it again then you’re out in the spring and you’ll need to find another teacher to have mercy on you, do you understand?”
Oh, I understood. I nodded and then turned to walk to the back of the classroom before anyone noticed that my eyes were burning. Kaleb was just a few feet behind me. I could feel his presence close to me. Before I made it to the bookshelf, where I had my things, he spoke.
“Every afternoon, do you understand? You’re not making me out to look like an idiot.”
“I have voice practice three times a week. I can’t cram it all in, so don’t be ridiculous.”
He shrugged. “Fine, fail. I don’t care. But if you’re not in the library at 4:00 every day then you’re fucked, got it? Miss one day and I’m out.”
My mouth dropped open and I turned back around before he could see the shock and pain on my face. I guess that our time at the dance really meant nothing. Just when I thought that I was beginning to break through with one of the rogues, I g
ot shut back out.
Maybe they were right. Maybe I really didn’t belong here.
◆◆◆
Voice wasn’t any better than math was. I was a little choked up from the stress of completely bombing my math test, and my throat was tight, which made it difficult for me to hit the high notes. Well, difficult may have been a bit of an understatement.
The entire day sucked and I didn’t see an end in sight, especially not when I was face-to-face with Amelia.
“You sound like a dying dog.” She picked a bit of nailpolish off of her finger before looking at me and then flicking it at me. A bright pink missile shot at me and landed on my arm until I brushed it away. “Everything ok, little Rose?”
I glared at her, well aware that Mrs. McKearin was around somewhere and wouldn’t want to hear us bickering. “Everything’s fine, Amelia. Just dealing with your harpies and the rogues, so my hands are a little full.
“They looked a little full on Saturday night. Don’t worry though, I don’t think that you’ll have to worry about any guy here wanting to kiss you again. I mean, the idea of getting with a virgin is exciting, but actually having to break one in? No, nobody wants that headache.”
“So they’d rather just be with a whore like you?” I batted my eyes at her, trying to look as innocent as possible, and was rewarded with a nasty glare that quickly slid off of her face as the teacher walked up.
“Did I hear you correctly, Rose?” Mrs. McKearin crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. “Did you just call Amelia a whore?”
Shit. How did she hear me? My face burned bright and hot, and behind the teacher I could see that the harpies were all doing their best not to laugh. “I think you misheard.”
It was a lie, and we both knew it. “You know, Rose, you’ve been off since you got to class. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re excused. Go back to your room and come back Friday with a better attitude.”
I stared at her. I’d never heard of teachers telling students to get out of class before, and I sure never expected it in voice. Math? Sure. Spanish? Quiet possibly, but voice? Never.
