by Ruby Vincent
“Life is so much easier when you have a mom that doesn’t give a shit,” Estelle remarked.
“Probably is.” I wriggled the jeans off my legs. “No sharing circles for one.”
We burst into giggles until reality promptly smacked me in the face. I was going to Tracy Sinclair’s house. Walking right into the lion’s den.
I looked down at my backpack. “Maybe you should drop me at the library. I don’t want to ditch you, but you can’t enjoy grinding on Ryan if you’re picking pieces of me off the floor.”
“No one’s going to touch you, Rae-Rae. Look, this is what you do. You said today that you used to be a raging bitch.”
“Yeah, so...”
“So if anyone runs their mouth, I want you to channel old Rachel and give it right back to them. Don’t hesitate; don’t back down. Bullies never know what to do when you stand up to them.”
“I don’t know.”
“Trust me.” She took her eyes off the road to shoot me a smile. “Old Rachel is coming out tonight.”
“Okay,” I replied, resigning myself to my fate. “I’ll try that.”
Twenty minutes later, we were driving through the gates of Meadow Creek Manors. My town Meadow Creek was an upper-middle-class community which meant that the neighborhood Estelle and I lived in was pretty nice. Meadow Creek Manors was even nicer.
Estelle parked on the road about three houses—or mansions—down from Tracy’s. I put the finishing touches on my makeup moments after she unsnapped her seat belt.
I turned to her and puckered my ruby red lips. “How did I do?”
“I’d bone you.”
I threw the lipstick tube at her, laughing.
“Just remember what I said,” Estelle went on. “Old Rachel.”
I nodded and squared my shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
It was hard not to feel like I was going into battle. Especially when the second I stepped inside, everyone in the entranceway turned to stare at me.
No one spoke.
Maybe everyone is over it, I thought as I looked at the blank faces. They’re going to act like decent human beings now.
I closed the door behind me and took a step.
“Waah.”
I jerked to a stop.
“Waah! Waah!”
Slowly, I turned to the staircase where Dean Milton was rubbing fists against his eyes, making ridiculous crying noises. His audience snickered and suddenly white-hot anger surged through me. If they wanted Old Rachel, they got her.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Wow, Dean. Don’t you see you’re in public? Wait till you get home to cry like a little bitch.”
“Wa—” Dean dropped his hands, staring at me wide-eyed. I spun away as Estelle smothered a laugh. I made for the living room before another voice stopped me.
“Tough talk, Bryant, but isn’t it you who needs to get home?” Josh Mackinall smirked at me from his spot on the wall next to his friend Luke. Josh stuck out his lips. “Mommy has to get home to tuck baby into bed.”
I marched right up to him. “Why don’t you tuck this”—I stuck my middle finger in his face—“up your ass? If your boyfriend here doesn’t get there first.”
His eyes bugged out. “You— What the— I should—”
While he struggled, I reached over and snatched Luke’s solo cup from his hands. “Hey!”
“Why don’t you catch me later and tell me that comeback, Josh. I’m sure it’ll be just as stupid and unoriginal as everything that comes out of your mouth.”
I sidestepped him and marched into the living room.
“Bitch!”
Estelle caught up to me and snagged my arm. “That. Was. Amazing. Old Rachel is badass!”
I snorted before tipping back the cup and downing the lukewarm beer in one go. “Old and New Rachel desperately have to pee. I’ll be right back.”
“No, I’ll go with you.”
I said okay but when I caught sight of the bathroom door, I picked up the pace, getting ahead of her. I slammed the door shut just in time for the first sob to rip from my throat.
Why did I come here? I knew this would happen! I knew they wouldn’t resist throwing it in my face!
Hot, ugly tears rolled down my cheeks as I leaned over the pink, porcelain sink. I couldn’t help myself. I reached down and placed my hand over the scar from my C-section.
“Babe? Rachel, you okay?”
I dropped my hand. “I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”
I cleaned up as best as I could and finally threw open the door. Estelle lurched forward and grabbed me in a hug. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
I buried my face in her hair. “I’m okay. It just... still hurts, you know.”
“Of course, I get it. Listen, you need me to go out there and smash my heel in someone’s face, you let me know.”
I cracked a smile. “Will do.”
“Oh ho, what’s this? A little girl-on-girl?”
We turned around to see some random guy from my chemistry class leering in the doorway. My hand flashed out and slammed the door in his face.
“I swear Meadow Creek High is the most ridiculous place on earth. How did we end up going to school with so many idiots?”
Estelle took my arm. “Just lucky, I guess. Ready to go out there?”
I nodded and channeled Old Rachel again. She wasn’t stopping me from crying in bathrooms, but I was enjoying the dumbfounded expressions she was leaving in her wake. Estelle was right. No more letting these people walk all over me.
Estelle and I followed the music and ended up in the living room. The lights were off but it was easy enough to see who was grinding their ass on who. I spotted Tracy Sinclair in the middle of the dance floor, rubbing herself all over Theo—or Geo. I could never tell them apart.
“Do you want to dance?” Estelle shouted over the music.
“I better not.” I pointed at Tracy. “I want to avoid her, Madison, and the fembots for as long as I can.” I bumped her shoulder. “You don’t have to stick with me. Go find Ryan. I’ll be fine.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “What do I look like? I don’t find guys. They find me. If Ryan wants to get some tonight, he’ll come looking.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t pretend she wasn’t right. Estelle didn’t have to chase them down; guys pretty much fell at her feet.
“Come on. Let’s get a drink.”
I wasn’t going to say no to that. I vaguely remembered where Tracy’s kitchen was and ducked out of the living room and went down another hallway. It was packed with people. Over their heads I could see the kitchen so we tried to wriggle our way through.
“What’s going on?” Estelle asked. “What are they all staring at?”
“No idea. Let’s just get to the vodka.”
I slipped into the middle of the crowd and light spilled on me from the room. Everyone was standing in front of a doorway. Why? I didn’t care.
“Excuse me.” I tried to get between two girls when the crowd shifted and knocked me into them.
“Hey! Watch it!”
Two hands came up, grabbed my shoulders, and shoved.
I went flying into the room. Feet tangling, I tripped and fell backward, landing on my elbow.
I hissed in pain as I glanced up at the onlookers. No one even looked at me.
“Rachel, are you okay?!” Estelle shoved her way to the front. “Did you hurt your...” Her words trailed over as her eyes were drawn over my head.
My eyes narrowed in confusion until the first moan broke the silence. I whipped around.
I was lying on the floor of an office and sitting behind a desk was a writhing, moaning couple. I couldn’t see the girl. Only the back of her blonde head as she attacked the neck of whoever was under her. But when the desk chair swiveled slightly to the side, I saw who that neck belonged to.
I scrambled to my feet and ran to the safety of Estelle. Christian’s hands snaked around the girl’s waist as she moved up and do
wn, up and down, on his lap. “Holy crap!” I hissed. “Are they having sex?!”
“It sure looks like it to me.”
It looked like that to me too. Although I couldn’t be sure with the desk blocking my view.
“Oh, Christian!”
“Alright, I need to get out of here. Now.”
As if he heard my voice over the girl’s noise, Christian’s eyes snapped open and our gaze locked immediately. I felt my cheeks heat up like a sidewalk in summer. I don’t know what I was feeling so embarrassed about; I wasn’t the one hooking up in front of all of Meadow Creek High with a girl that was definitely not Madison.
Christian held my gaze. He didn’t glance at his audience. He didn’t look at the girl getting even louder on his lap. Those amber eyes remained fixed on me, keeping me rooted to the spot. I tried to look away. I tried to leave. But I couldn’t move.
Christian smirked. “You seem to like what you see, Bryant. Want to join?”
Heat spread like wildfire from my cheeks to the rest of me. “You—” Old and New Rachel tried to respond to that, but my throat constricted, keeping whatever I was going to say in. Before I could find my voice, Estelle grabbed my arm and pulled me away.
We escaped the crowd and stumbled into the kitchen.
“Damn.” Estelle whistled. “I want what she’s having. Aren’t you glad you came to the party now?”
I gaped at her. “No!”
Laughing, she threw an arm around my shoulder. “Forget Christian Moreau. We’re here to drink, dance, and have fun. And now it’s time for the drinking.”
We practically dove for the counter. I poured us both a large cup of vodka and didn’t waste a second in putting it to my lips. We polished it off and I reached for more.
Estelle didn’t. “I’ve got to run to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
I nodded and waved her off. As soon as she was gone, I poured myself some more.
“Wow. I don’t believe it.”
Slowly, I put my cup down. I was expecting this. Waiting for this. I didn’t think she’d hunt me down this fast but that’s Madison Bernard for you. Madison stood in the kitchen’s entrance with what looked to be the entire cheer squad flanking her. On her side was her second-in-command, Xenia.
Summer vacation had been good to Madison. A healthy tan clung to her skin and her hair had grown out so that it fell in thick, black waves past her shoulders.
I scowled. Why couldn’t the queen of the gargoyles have picked up sand fleas on her trip to Barbados?
“I heard you were here,” Madison said casually, striding into the room. “But thought it couldn’t be true. There’s no way you would be that stupid.”
I rolled my eyes. “Go away, Madison. I was invited.”
“Nuh uh!” a squeaky voice piped up. “I didn’t invite her, Madison. I swear!”
“It’s cool, Tracy,” she said without taking her eyes off me. She came closer until she was standing so close I could smell her peach blossom shampoo. “I know she’s lying.”
Madison leaned in until our noses almost touched. “Listen, Rachel, as a new mom, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of responsibilities now.” I balled my hands. “So why don’t you run along and change Junior’s diaper. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
My fists shook. I had never wanted to hit anyone more than I did at that moment. I had no trouble channeling Old Rachel. Especially because New Rachel was eager to take her down too.
My eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you get the hell out of my face.”
Madison lurched back, her lips twisting with surprise and anger. “What did you just say to me? You’re pretty confident for a bitch who’s outnumbered.”
I got right in her face. “No, I’m pretty confident for a bitch that’s about to kick your ass.” I pointed over her shoulder. “And your little friends can get some too.”
A flicker of shock flashed across her face. Madison wasn’t expecting this reaction and who could blame her. I spent all of junior year hanging my head and avoiding her at all costs. She wasn’t prepared for Old Rachel to make a comeback.
“Madison, you’re not going to take that, are you?”
Xenia’s soft rebuke put the fire back in Madison’s eyes. “No, I’m not. It’s about time someone put you in your place, Bryant.”
I lifted a brow. “Maybe, but I don’t think that’s going to be you. You’ll have your hands full chasing down your cheating boyfriend. Tip: he’s in the next room with another girl on his lap.”
“What?” Her brows snapped together. “What are you talking about?”
My eyes drifted off her rapidly darkening face and landed on the devil himself—or Christian as he preferred to be called. He stalked down the hallway, parting the crowd like butter, with his boys right behind him. “Move.”
The cheerleaders blocking the entrance scattered and Christian blew into the kitchen. Madison spun on him, forgetting me completely. “Christian, what’s going on?”
Christian reached for a beer and put it in his mouth. He popped the cap with his teeth and took a swig without so much as a glance at Madison.
“Hello?!” Madison forced herself between him and the counter. “Some piece of trash just told me you were hooking up with another girl.”
Piece of trash. I guess I could add that to the list of things Madison liked to call me.
Christian eyed her, his face expressionless. “So what?”
“So what!? How could you do that to me? I’m your—” She cut herself off, lips snapping shut, but it was too late.
“You’re my what? My girlfriend?” His voice was cold enough to drop the temperature of the room. I was usually on the receiving end of that voice. It was strange to see it directed to Madison of all people. “I told you from the beginning I don’t do girlfriends. You have a problem with that?”
Madison’s face was redder than a maraschino cherry. If I could guess, she was far from pleased, but what could she say with their entire crew and me looking on?
Lifting her chin, Madison folded her arms. “No, I don’t. I just thought we were hooking up tonight. But if you got another girl lined up, then I’ll find someone else to take me home.” Her eyes cut across to Liam. “Liam, what are you doing tonight?”
Meadow Creek High’s favorite quarterback jerked. “Uhhh....” His gaze immediately shot to Christian.
He shrugged. “You two have fun.”
“We will.” Madison twisted around, smacking Christian in the face with her hair, and marched off. She snagged Liam’s arm on the way out.
“Hey— Wait!”
I expected her cheer cronies to follow, but their attention remained fixed on Christian. He turned to me and I stiffened. I was next.
Christian advanced on me, closing the distance between us, but I glanced up to see he wasn’t even looking at me. He kept coming and knocked into my shoulder. I stumbled out of the way, almost ending up on the floor for the second time that night. Christian passed through the spot I was standing in and grabbed the bottle of vodka.
I’ll put it down to feeling buzzed and not having fully come down from channeling Old Rachel, because that was the only explanation for what I did next.
“Hey, asshole! Watch where you’re going!” My hands flashed out and I shoved him.
A chorus of gasps went through the room.
Time stopped. Christian stopped. I stopped.
I looked down at my hands as though I couldn’t believe what they had done. Did I just shove Christian Moreau, bad boy of Meadow Creek High, and my designated bully for the last two years?
Christian turned slowly, inch-by-inch, as a hush fell over the crowd. His normally amber eyes were pitch-black, or at least that’s how I saw it when he faced me and I noticed the look in them. A shiver went up my spine.
Christian bent down, getting right in my face. “That... was a mistake, Bryant.” His breath ghosted over my lips.
I swallowed. There’s no going back now.
“N-no.” Th
at came out as more of a croak so I cleared my throat and tried again. “No. The only mistake I made was taking your shit for as long as I have.”
I put up my hands and shoved him again.
Why did I just shove him again?!
The act made him straighten, but didn’t push him back. Christian was a solid mass of pure muscle and my idea of exercise was running downstairs to get a tub of ice cream. He was immovable, but that didn’t stop me from shoving his chest again. It didn’t seem like anything could stop me, least of all my common sense screaming at me to back down. Something had taken over me.
“I’m not putting up with you anymore, Christian, and the same goes for you!” I swiveled my head around to my gawping audience. “Old Rachel is gone— I mean, she’s back— Or— Never mind!”
I spun back on Christian. “You’re not messing with me this year, Christian!”
He raised a brow. “Is that right?”
“That’s right!” I jabbed his chest, keeping up my assault on his pecs. “You’re not talking to me! You’re not looking at me! You’re not even going to breathe in my direction! You stay a hundred feet away from me at all times! Time for you and your pathetic hangers-on to get their own life and stay out of mine!”
As the words tumbled out of my mouth, his expression started to change. He wasn’t glowering anymore. He was... grinning?
“A hundred feet, huh?” He laughed—a rich, full sound that shook my confidence. “And if I don’t?”
Can’t back down now, Bryant.
I crossed my arms and looked him right in the eyes. “That’s not an option.”
Christian hummed as his gaze traveled up and down my body, making me wish I wasn’t wearing the dress equivalent of a bikini. The smirk still clung to his lips. He lifted his hand and I braced for what was coming next.
Christian bent down. Closer. Closer. Until his lips were only centimeters from mine. His arm reached around me and I fought to keep my eyes locked on his.
Just as suddenly, he straightened and stepped back.
He was holding his beer in his hand. Christian moved around me and walked out of the kitchen. Laughter escaped his throat the moment he stepped out of the entrance. He laughed louder and harder than I had heard in a long time and every chuckle was like a dagger to the heart.
