by Dean Murray
Part of me wanted to wait and see what he was going to say, to lose myself in what was sure to be a very convincing lie designed to make him look good, and me feel like I was on heroin for however long he favored me with his presence. Luckily that idealistic, stupid part of me had seen too many girls get used by smooth-talking boys. I interrupted right away.
"You mean when your sister nearly got beaten by that whore, and you not only didn't do anything, you stopped your friends from doing anything either."
Alec flinched a little. I was a little surprised by how satisfying it was to have him, a demigod, on the run, but I didn't let it slow me down.
"The fact that I, a little waif from out of town, could defuse the situation and save Rachel no doubt sticks in your craw, which explains why you're lurking around out here waiting to talk to me. Because only then can you fabricate some reason for why everything had to go down the way it did, and thereby save face!"
He wasn't flinching now. Instead his face had gotten tight and remote. For a second it seemed like he was looking right through me. "You don't understand."
Alec's expression should have scared me. It sent shivers down my spine, but I was too mad to back down over a little thing like my knees nearly shaking. "Of course. That's an easy comeback. I don't understand. You're right, I don't. I would've done almost anything to protect my sister, but you didn't even care that Rachel was going to get hurt."
Now I really was scared, Alec was trembling slightly, and he looked like he wanted to slap me. While I was still trying to decide whether I should radiate smugness at having verbally bested him, or run back to the safety of the tutor room, he lunged forward and grabbed me around the shoulders.
"I was going to offer you my protection against Cassie and Brandon, and you throw your supposed superiority in my face. Fine, but don't come crying back to me when the mask comes off."
Alec abruptly released me and stalked off. He was moving so incredibly quickly he'd disappeared around a corner with one balled-up fist pressed against his side before I'd even started shaking in fear. I'd never before been that helpless. Had he wanted to, I had no doubt but that he could have easily snapped my neck. He was that strong.
I really was trembling now. I wanted to mutter something about overzealous body-builders lifting just to intimidate people, but couldn't get the words out. I think maybe I was afraid he'd overhear and return to finish the job.
My shoulders felt like the skin was on fire, but I knew it was just my imagination. His grip had been rock-hard, but he hadn't actually squeezed enough to hurt me. He'd shown pretty good control for someone who'd just been spanked in a debate, and obviously wanted to rip my head off.
Turning around to return to the tutor room, I almost tripped over my own feet when I saw Britney standing just outside the closed door.
"Are you crazy? First you side with Rachel against Brandon, firmly putting yourself in Alec's camp, and then you turn around and piss off Alec?"
I really wasn't in the mood to argue with Britney, so I tried for nonchalance. "So now I'm not on anyone's side. They'll both leave me alone and I'll be fine."
"Oh, yeah, because that's how things work." I'd only thought Britney was mad before. She was all but shaking with fury now. "Don't you get it? You, me, most of the rest of the school, we survive by staying neutral. For better or worse, we aren't attractive, cool, or rich enough to get in with Alec or Brandon. Once you piss one of them off though, you'd better hope you're in with the other one, because that's the only way you've got any kind of protection."
It was starting to sound like organized crime or something. Of course they could make my life miserable socially, but it wasn't like they were going to really hurt me. I opened my mouth to try and calm Britney down, but she cut me off.
"You don't understand how much influence they have. Three years ago someone tried to start a newspaper in Sanctuary. Things were going along just fine until he pissed off Alec's mother. The city condemned the building and refused to change the zoning laws so he could get another place. When he really pushed the issue, his house mysteriously caught on fire."
My mouth was hanging open, but Britney seemed to think it was disbelief rather than amazement. "I'm serious, Adriana, and I'm not letting you take my family down with you. Find your own way home."
