Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“You know nothing about me,” I say finally, my voice steady despite the way I barely contain a tremble. “Nothing.”
A guy named Rowdy starts cackling. “Fight! Fight! Fight! But can you do it naked? I totally want to see Heidi and Charlotte wrestle around naked.”
“You don’t belong here,” Heidi states, not backing down and ignoring the idiot who’s chanting. “Maybe you should sit at the whores’ table instead with the Rockford reject.”
She points to a girl sitting alone.
“Does Coach Jenner know what a scathing bitch you are?” I ask, cocking my head to the side. “She’s been known to kick people off the squad for bullying.”
Heidi’s eyes flare with anger. “I’ll deny it. But you can’t exactly deny this.” She pulls her phone out of her gym shorts pocket, flips right to a picture, and holds it up for me to look at.
I’m stunned speechless seeing the picture. I knew they existed—vaguely remember them being taken—but didn’t realize they’d been spread to bitches like Heidi to use against me as ammunition.
She’s too busy glaring at me in triumph to notice the imposing presence behind me. My skin prickles at his nearness. A strong, toned arm with a dress shirt rolled up to the elbow reaches past me, snatching the phone right out of her hand.
“What’s this?” Cal demands.
Heidi audibly gulps, her eyes wide with terror. “N-Nothing. I was telling her she should delete these before they get in the wrong hands.”
“I should make you go visit Ms. Frazier again,” he growls, “because having pictures of underage teens performing sexual acts is a crime that carries time, Miss Fulton. Do you feel like going to jail today?”
Heidi whimpers, no longer the badass she was moments ago. I wonder why Cal is coming to my aid, but I don’t argue it. Not over this. I want these pictures gone and this dealt with. I already have too much on my plate as it is.
“I’m deleting this now.” He messes with her phone and then glowers at the table filled with wide-eyed teens. “If I hear so much as a whisper that any of you have these pictures on your phones, I will bring the police here in a heartbeat so they can investigate every damn one of you.”
Kids start scrambling to open their phones, no doubt worried at what Cal threatens. I could kiss him right now in thanks. He grabs my elbow and then motions at the table—now named the whores’ table—with Heidi’s phone where the girl sits alone.
“Sit over there,” he rumbles, his hard voice holding no room for argument.
The girl—a beautiful black girl with a Rockford hoodie on—grins our way. I decide she’s clearly an outcast like me and could use some company. Before I get far away, I hear Cal tell Heidi he’s keeping her phone until the end of the day and she can pick it up after school from the office.
I set my bottle of water and chicken sandwich down before sitting across from the girl. Extending my hand across the table, I shake hers.
“I’m Charlotte English. Nice to meet you.”
Her eyes widen for a moment, and then they dart over to Cal. “Wait? You’re—”
“The girl who put your cousin in a coma?” Cal offers, taking the seat right next to me. “That’s her.”
My heart skips a beat. This is Terrence’s cousin? Guilt swallows me up and I fear I might drown in it. Two people at this table who are directly affected by my actions. I want to apologize for the millionth time, but what good would that do? He’s still in a coma.
The girl narrows her eyes, her nostrils flaring. Now that I’m looking at her, I do see the similarities in her and Terrence. You can tell they’re family. Same eye shape and way they smile, though she’s not smiling now.
Great. Another enemy to add to the list.
“I’m sorry,” I say to the girl. “I really am.” Emotion clogs my throat as I tear my gaze from hers to pick at the edge of the chicken sandwich wrapper. “I can’t change what happened. I wish I could. I really wish I could.”
Cal makes a derisive, hateful snort.
“I’m Tierra,” the girl states.
I meet her eyes and they’re no longer blazing with anger. She’s softened, seemingly at Cal’s response to me.
Cal lets out a heavy, resigned sigh. “Right. So moving on. Tierra here is new. A Rockford transfer. She knows all about bitches trying to ruin her life. I thought you two might have something in common.” He slaps the table and stands. “Look after my cousin, English.”
With those confusing words, he leaves.
“Cousin?” I ask, studying her.
“More like brother from another mother,” she says as she takes a bite of her sandwich.
We both eat in amicable silence before she crumples her wrapper up and openly stares at me. I try not to squirm under her intense glare. I’m unable to finish my sandwich, leaving half of it on the wrapper uneaten.