by Kent, Rina
“Define pig.” He waggles an eyebrow. “Because if it means a lot of meat, then I do have that, babe.”
“Eww. Gross.”
His brows furrow and he pauses for a second. “You realize you just said that out loud, right?”
“Was I not supposed to?”
“Usually, I know you think it, but you never voice it.”
“New person, new rules.” I jab his hard, muscled side. “Pig.”
He laughs. “Well, shit. Looks like we got a new Rei-Rei in da house. You going to talk back to everything?”
“If you’re being a little shit, why shouldn’t I speak my mind?”
“Because you don’t?” He waves two fingers in front of my face. “You usually have a blank robotic thing going on here.”
“Why?”
“Don’t know. Don’t fucking care.” He lifts a shoulder. “Now, about that BJ you promised me…”
“In your dreams, dude.”
“Dude?” He stops, watching me closely.
Asher had a similar reaction when I called him that earlier.
“What’s wrong with that?” I ask, unsure what the hell their problem is.
“You don’t call me dude, Rei-Rei. Were you hit badly in the head?” He lifts a hand before I can form a response. “Don’t answer. I don’t care. I’m more interested in the BJ.”
“I told you it’s not happening, dude.”
“Fine.” He feigns a breath of resignation. “I’ll settle for a lap dance.”
“Hard pass.”
His shoulders shake with laughter that somehow seems genuine compared to all the fakery I’ve seen since this morning.
“What was my reply when you asked me for blowjobs before?” I ask.
“You agreed, of course.”
I narrow my eyes. For some reason, that doesn’t ring true. “Don’t lie to me.”
“You really agreed.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Didn’t mean you did, though.”
“Why the hell would I do that?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Beats me.”
“What does…” I clear my throat. “How does Asher react to that? You’re supposed to be his friend.”
“Come on, of course he knows they don’t happen. Otherwise, he would’ve been after my ass.”
“And he’s okay with the joking?”
“Meh. I thought so until he threatened me not to joke with you about BJs the other day.” Owen shakes his head. “Weird son of a bitch.”
Hmm. That’s interesting.
We continue walking for a while. Deep down, I’m thankful for his presence. I would’ve felt utterly out of my element if Owen weren’t by my side.
“What position do you play on the Devils?” I ask.
He raises an eyebrow as if he didn’t expect me to ask that question. “Wide receiver.”
“What about Sebastian?”
“Quarterback.”
“Are you hoping to get drafted into the NFL?”
“What’s with all these depressing questions first thing in the morning? You never gave two shits about us before.”
“Oh.”
I’m the head cheerleader so I figured both our teams were one. After all, the cheerleading squad exists for the sake of the football team, no?
“I’m sorry.” I meet Owen’s brown gaze.
He stops in his tracks, and I’m forced to stop, too. “What did you just say?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t care before.”
He points a finger at me. “Who are you and what have you done with my bitchy Rei-Rei?”
Before I can answer that, a group of beautiful girls in cheerleading uniforms storm in our direction with Bree at the front. They pluck me away from Owen and surround me in one shallow hug after another.
They say things like they missed me and the team isn’t the same without me. However, just like when the other students greeted me, I can sense a wicked undertone. If I’m being honest, some of the girls even appear sad I’ve returned.
Ouch. That stings.
At this rate, I’ll end up with figurative needles all over my heart.
“Oh my Gosh, Reina”—Bree points at my shoes—“where did you get those vintage flats? Aren’t they like five years out of fashion?”
I stare down at them, frowning. They’re kind of cute. I mean, even the resident asshole, Asher, looked at them with amusement.
“They’re back in style. Keep up, Bee,” a girl on my right says in a bored tone.
She’s wearing the cheerleading uniform and black-framed glasses that hide her Asian eyes. Black strands fall on either side of her face in slick lines like some anime character or a cosplay.
Now that I think about it, she’s the only one who didn’t hug me just now.
“It’s Bree, not Bee,” my supposed best friend bites out. “As if you’d ever know anything about fashion, Naomi.”
The girl, Naomi, glares back. “I kind of do since my mom owns a fashion house and all that.”
“Whatever.” Bree brings out her phone and spends several minutes trying to fit everyone in a selfie frame.
I lean closer to Naomi and murmur, “Thanks.”
“I didn’t do it for you.” She retrieves a tablet from her bag. “Bree is a bitch, but so are you.”
She walks in the opposite direction before I can respond while Bree continues fussing with her phone.
“Never mind Naomi.” A girl with a cute, goofy smile inches toward me. “She shouldn’t even be with us. Dean George shoved her down our throats because her mom wouldn’t give a generous donation to Blackwood College if her daughter isn’t part of the cheerleading squad.”
“Stop smiling like an idiot, Lucy,” Bree snaps without looking back.
Lucy, the girl who was speaking to me, clamps her lips shut and slowly retreats.
Bree swings me to her side and orders several other girls, the prettiest ones, to stay back. She snaps several shots of the entire team. I try to smile for the picture, but the gutting fakery all around me is like tasting bitter acid.
She posts it on the cheerleading squad’s Instagram account with the caption ‘Captain is back!’ then shows it to all of us. The girls ooh and aah for a while before their attention drifts to the latest gossip going around the college.
We walk down the hall. Bree and I are at the front, and the others follow like they’re our ducklings or something.
This was my life? Come on, Old Reina, you could’ve done better.
Not that I’m judging or anything.
“Someone saw Jason Brighton outside this morning,” one of the girls says over her gum.
Her friend gasps. “No way.”
“Yes way.” She pulls out her phone and opens an Instagram account with the handle devils-for-the-win. Sure enough, there’s a picture of Jason’s pickup truck pulling out from behind the college’s student parking lot. Jeez. I can’t believe someone managed to spot him even though he parked that far away.
“What’s that loser doing here?” Bree snaps.
She has a squeaky kind of voice that really gets on my nerves. I’m tempted to hit her upside the head every time she talks that way. It’s like she has zero respect for anyone.
Old Reina, why the hell were you even friends with her, let alone best friends?
Before I can come to Jason’s defense, Lucy whispers, “Maybe he came to spy for the Knights.”
“I’m sure that’s not it—”
I’m cut off by a fuming Bree. “I’m going to tell the dean about this.”
“There’s no need,” I tell her.
“What do you mean there’s no need, Rei?” she scoffs. “They’re our rivals and the game isn’t far away. Do you want them to beat our asses?”
Okay, I definitely underestimated the whole rivalry thing between the Knights and the Devils. If the cheerleaders are so worked up about this, it must be huge.
In that case, it’s better they don’t know I asked Jason to drop me off. Obviously, the Knights aren�
�t welcome around here.
Maybe that’s why I kept my friendship with him secret?
I really hope that’s the case and not some other snobbish reason.
“This is me.” Bree leans in as if to kiss me, but she doesn’t. She only says, “Muah, muah,” on each side of my face and stalks off to class.
Things continue being awkward as the rest of the girls follow behind me. I test it and try to hobble faster, and they also quicken their pace. I walk slower, and they slow down, too.
Okay, this is ridiculous.
I stop and face them. “Walk beside me.”
“Uh…we don’t do that.” Lucy bites her cheek.
“You and Bree are always in front,” another says.
“Well, that changes now. I’m not your mama duck.” My attempt at humor falls on deaf ears. They watch me with quizzical expressions, and none of them laugh.
I shake my head. “Just come over here.”
One by one, the girls abandon their backup-dancer positions and trickle to my sides.
Lucy takes my right, grinning until her nose scrunches. We round the corner in silence. Students keep staring at us—or maybe they’re staring at me.
“Rei…” Lucy starts. “I mean, I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but the girls are so curious about what happened.”
“I don’t remember.”
“Oh, right.” Lucy exchanges a look with the others, as if they expected me to say that.
“I really don’t remember.”
“Yeah, sure, Reina.” Lucy’s grin falls a little. “It’s just that we were so worried when we heard the police found human remains close to where you were attacked.”
I come to a screeching halt, forcing the entire squad to stop, too. “How do you know about that?”
“D-Dad is the deputy commissioner. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I frown. This is my chance to know what happened back there. “Do you remember the night I disappeared?”
“Of course I do.” She grins. “We played against the Vikings.”
“And beat their asses,” a girl adds. “Do you remember Seb’s last-minute play?”
“Totally cool,” Lucy says before facing me. “You disappeared before the end of our routine.”
“I did?”
“Yeah. I remember it so well because you never do that. You’re usually the last one to leave.”
That means I broke a pattern. There’s definitely something fishy about that night. “Do you know where I went?”
They all shake their heads, and Lucy says, “We thought you snuck out with Asher since he came back from England that weekend.”
He’s obviously mad I disappeared on him that night. There’s no way I went to see him, which leaves one option.
Did you think you could escape?
I’m beginning to believe maybe Asher’s assumptions are true. Maybe, just maybe, I planned to disappear from Blackwood for good.
Now, I have to figure out why.
Dean George personally welcomes me back to the college. I don’t know if I should feel honored or awkward, so I settle on something in the middle.
Awkward smile.
He only leaves after he makes sure I’m settled in the cafeteria and have my plate of food in front of me.
We have an entire long table for the cheerleading and football teams, but the football team has a meeting with their coach so it’s only us for now.
Some male cheerleaders join us, but just like the girls, they seem more wary than happy to see me.
“Does the dean welcome all his students back? I thought he would be a busy man considering the size of this college.” I grab a bottle of water as I watch him disappear down the hall. His assistant nearly falls on her face trying to keep up with him.
Naomi, the Asian girl from earlier, bursts out laughing as she stabs her fork into her pizza.
I pause in opening the bottle. “Why are you laughing?”
“Ignore her,” Bree says in a dramatic voice while picking at her salad.
My meal is also a salad. Apparently, we only eat salad on this squad—except for Naomi. I eye the pizza on all the other students’ plates and my mouth waters. I’d kill to have a slice.
I meet Naomi’s icy stare with my own. “Tell me why you’re laughing.”
“You must’ve really hit your head so hard, queen.” She says the last bit with pure mockery.
“Shut it, Naomi,” Bree scolds.
“No, let her speak.” I smile, crossing my arms over the table. “We’re a team, right? You can tell me anything.”
“God, I can’t believe this,” Naomi huffs. “Well, Queen Bitch—that’s your name around here, by the way—your daddy and your sugar daddy pay a shitload of money to this college. If you asked the dean to crawl on all fours like a dog, he’d be woofing.”
“That’s enough! You’re out, Naomi.” Bree hisses as all the girls—and even the boys—grow silent.
All clinks of utensils come to a halt, and everyone holds their breath.
Their wild eyes swing back to mine, as if expecting me to transform into a raging bull and squash Naomi under my boot –or in my case, flats.
I do no such thing and just watch the scene like an outsider looking in.
This was my life.
I’m a queen bitch and my teammates are scared of me.
Old Reina, just what the hell were you?
“Whatever.” Naomi jerks up, swinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. She yanks her plate off the table and stomps out of the cafeteria.
“I’m so going to teach that bitch a lesson,” Bree mutters under her breath.
“Calm down, Bree.” Prescott, one of the male cheerleaders, pats her arm, and she shoves him away.
“What’s Naomi’s problem with me?” I ask no one in particular.
“Uh…nothing.” Lucy slides to my side, grinning. “She’s just still bitter about the prank we pulled on her last year.”
“What prank?”
Lucy’s plump cheeks turn crimson, but she says nothing.
“Lucy.” I level her with a determined glare. “Tell me.”
“Uh…you dared Sebastian Weaver to fuck her.”
“She’s been mad at all of us ever since,” Prescott adds.
“As in more bitchy and grumpier than usual,” another girl, Morgan, says.
“She doesn’t even eat low carb like the rest of us.”
“And she doesn’t run in the mornings either.”
“Have you seen her thighs? Or those saggy arms?”
“Someone saw her sleeping in a cemetery. How creepy is that?”
God. These girls are like vapid animals tearing their prey’s flesh apart while laughing and joking.
The boys continue eating in silence, but it’s the same as participating.
I ignore them, focusing on Naomi holding her plate and storming out of the cafeteria. Her steps are tense and her shoulders hunch with tension.
Did I do that to her? Did I turn her into someone hated by her own team?
In my understanding, being the captain means taking care of the entire squad. Why do I feel like it’s been the other way around?
How could I dare someone to fuck with such a cute girl like Naomi?
I stand up, wiping my mouth with a napkin. My appetite for this salad is non-existent anyway.
“Where are you going, Rei?” Bree places a hand on my arm as if demanding I sit back down. “We have to go through our routine, remember?”
No, I don’t remember. That’s the entire fucking problem.
Still, I offer them the slight smile I’m starting to think they expect of me. “I’ll be back.”
Not putting too much pressure on my hurt leg, I make a beeline out of the cafeteria, nodding and smiling at anyone who calls my name. A redheaded boy who can’t be any older than a sophomore freezes when I wave back at him.
Goddammit. Please tell me I wasn’t the type who belittled everyone around her.
Old Reina, I’m seriously starting to hate you.
Outside, I spot Naomi retreating to the back entrance of the college. I hobble my way after her and stop near a fountain that has a Greek-like statue on top.
Naomi sits at the edge and slams the plate on her lap. A few football players wearing the Devils’ black and white jackets head in the direction of the cafeteria. They must’ve finished their meeting.
Owen and Sebastian are there, too, deep in conversation with their teammates.
The moment Sebastian notices Naomi, he abandons his friends and joins her on the edge of the fountain.
The jerk does it with ease, too, as if he’s entitled to invade her space. True, he’s good-looking with golden hair and sun-kissed skin, and from what I’ve heard, he’s the star quarterback, but so what?
I stand on one leg but lean over to hear what they’re talking about.
“Hey, tsundere.” He grins. “What type of trouble are you up to today?”
She doesn’t raise her head from her plate, as if she’s still all alone. “Beating your ass into the fountain or shoving your face up your ass. Take your pick.”
Sebastian laughs and bumps her shoulder with his. “I knew you were kinky. Tell me more.”
“Fuck off.”
“I would rather fuck on.” He winks.
“What part of leave me alone do you not understand? I hate you, asshole.”
“But I don’t.”
She grabs her plate and attempts to leave.
“You don’t have to play so hard to get, tsundere.” He taps her nose. “You’re just a fuck, remember?”
Naomi turns as red as a tomato as he stands up and stalks back toward his friends.
Jerk.
No wonder he’s Asher’s friend. The asshole surrounds himself with dipshits who resemble him.
But then again, I’m the one who dared Sebastian. That part is all on me.
I limp to Naomi’s side, my head lowered and my skin prickling with shame.
“For the last time, I won’t suck you off. I’d rather eat vomit off the walls,” she snaps.
“Wow. That’s quite the visual.” I smile.
Her head jerks up and her gaze immediately hardens. “You.”
“Yeah, me.” I sit down beside her, keeping some distance between us. “Do you mind?”
“I do, actually. I escaped your band of mean girls to eat in peace.”
