Tate stood there, books in hand, as she skimmed the group with a bored expression. She rolled her eyes, flicked some of her hair over her shoulder, and shook her head. “What are you going to do after high school, Kate? You can’t bully everyone to do what you want, and why are you even doing it now?” Tate gestured to me with perfectly manicured nails. “Pushing Strattan around isn’t going to do a bit of good. You know that you won’t get Mason back. He’s gone. He was gone the second her mom moved her into his house.”
Kate sucked in an angry breath. “Back off, Sullivan. This isn’t your business.”
“Maybe not, but Heather used to be a good friend and since I’m all about making amends, I can’t walk by.” She arched an eyebrow. “Wanna hear some advice from someone who has gone against Mason and his girlfriend?”
“Go away, Tate. I mean it.”
She shook her head. “Let it go.”
“Can’t you hear, Tate?” Jasmine stepped right in front of her, much like Heather had done with Kate. The petite black-haired beauty looked even smaller standing in front of Tate, who had model-like long legs and towered over. “Kate said to keep walking.”
Tate grinned down at her, like an adult whose child tried to boss them around. “You’re like a mosquito that won’t die. Back up or I’ll swat you down.”
Jasmine bristled. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
Tate lifted her bored eyes again, skimming me and Heather up and down before landing on the leader again. “I’ve been back a week, been around the last weekend, and I already know you’re losing power. You’re deluding yourself if you think you can push your way around like this. Let it go, Kate. We used to be friends and this is friendly advice. Stop going down this path, lick your wounds, and find a different guy to latch onto.”
Heather shifted back, refusing to meet her ex-best friend’s gaze, bumping into me in the process. I sighed and settled back against her locker.
Kate lifted her top lip and bared her teeth. “We weren’t friends.”
“We were in the beginning.”
“When you ditched Jax.” Kate threw a smug look to Heather. “Remember that, Jax? When your best friend stabbed you in the back?”
Tate stiffened.
“Or didn’t you tell her what you did, Sullivan?”
“Shut up.”
“Oh.” Kate’s triumphant smirk spread over her face. “You didn’t tell her? That you slept with her boyfriend at the time?”
“Shut. Up.”
“What?” Heather’s voice had grown quiet.
“No. You started this. You came over here and interfered. You’re on the list now, Tate. I was giving Jax one last chance to get away, but it’s too late now. For both of you. You’re all going down, right along with Mason’s latest screw.”
A dry chuckle left me. It acted like a beacon and as one, the rest of the girls turned to face me. I stood from the lockers. I caught movement from the corner of my eye and glanced over. I spotted Logan watching from a distance, frowning. Ethan was with him, and they both seemed unsure of what to do. I gave him a nod and sent him an unspoken message: I would handle this.
His frown deepened.
“You got something to say, slut?” Kate mocked. “Finally?”
“Finally?” I threw back, moving closer, replacing the spot that Heather had been in. Kate was my height, so I could stare her right in the eyes. I did so now, no blinking, no turning away, nothing was going to break our stand-off. “Why break this up? I don’t need television. You’re entertaining enough. Please, keep going. Threaten Tate some more. I’m not a fan of hers. Or even better, try going after Heather again. Go for it.” I bared my teeth. “Fair warning. She bites back.”
She frowned.
I rolled my eyes. “Am I supposed to be scared that the four of you ganged up on me? Or that you’re willing to threaten my friend? You’re making a list? Is that supposed to strike terror in me? Anyone can make a list. I’ve got one, too. Does it make your knees shake?”
I heard a wolf whistle from down the hallway, followed by, “That is so hot!”
Another guy yelled out, “Girl fight!”
Kate wanted to scare me. She didn’t. I’d gone against the best of the beasts: my mother. As Jasmine took another step forward and raised her hand, I shifted so I was facing her head-on. She stopped in her tracks and surprise came over her. Her hand lowered.
“You think physical violence is going to do it?”
Tate started laughing now.
I ignored her. “Go ahead and touch me. I’m not scared to take a hit, but you’re only going to hurt yourself. One bruise and I can go to the principal. It’s not like there aren’t witnesses here.”
As those words left me, Kate grabbed Jasmine’s arm and shoved her back.
“Kate,” she protested.
“Not yet,” their leader barked. “Go to class. All of you.”
Parker gasped now. “You’re letting her win?”
“No.” Kate turned her back to me, but I heard the warning in her tone. “It’s not time.”
“But—”
“Go, Parker. I won’t say it again.”
All three did nothing to hide their disgust with Kate as they left. Parker glowered at me for a full five seconds before she was dragged away by Natalie, the only one who hadn’t said a word. My gaze lingered on her and wondered what she was like. Parker and Jasmine seemed to be the hotheads of the group. They reacted the quickest, but Kate must’ve been their leader for a reason.
Kate rounded back to me. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “You’re not what I expected, Strattan.”
Tate snorted behind her. “You haven’t even scratched the surface, Kate.”
Kate glanced at her. “And you have?”
“I know that Mason Kade wouldn’t be in love with her if she were simple.”
“Maybe.”
Heather burst out then, “Go away. All of you.”
“I was trying to help.” Tate frowned as Kate followed after her friends.
“You’re not.”
For a second, the two former best friends stared at each for a second before Tate’s shoulders dropped. Her head lowered an inch and she lifted one shoulder in a halfhearted motion. “Fine.” She was swallowed up by the crowd that remained behind her. They were all still watching and as I scanned them, a sense of déjà vu came over me. It was like my last semester at my old school, but I didn’t know these people. I hadn’t gone to school with them since kindergarten. I didn’t know the embarrassing stories from middle school or all the cliques.
Kate sucked in an angry breath. “Back off, Sullivan. This isn’t your business.”
“Maybe not, but Heather used to be a good friend and since I’m all about making amends, I can’t walk by.” She arched an eyebrow. “Wanna hear some advice from someone who has gone against Mason and his girlfriend?”
“Go away, Tate. I mean it.”
She shook her head. “Let it go.”
“Can’t you hear, Tate?” Jasmine stepped right in front of her, much like Heather had done with Kate. The petite black-haired beauty looked even smaller standing in front of Tate, who had model-like long legs and towered over. “Kate said to keep walking.”
Tate grinned down at her, like an adult whose child tried to boss them around. “You’re like a mosquito that won’t die. Back up or I’ll swat you down.”
Jasmine bristled. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
Tate lifted her bored eyes again, skimming me and Heather up and down before landing on the leader again. “I’ve been back a week, been around the last weekend, and I already know you’re losing power. You’re deluding yourself if you think you can push your way around like this. Let it go, Kate. We used to be friends and this is friendly advice. Stop going down this path, lick your wounds, and find a different guy to latch onto.”
Heather shifted back, refusing to meet her ex-best friend’s gaze, bumping into me in the process. I sighed and settled back against her locker.
Kate lifted her top lip and bared her teeth. “We weren’t friends.”
“We were in the beginning.”
“When you ditched Jax.” Kate threw a smug look to Heather. “Remember that, Jax? When your best friend stabbed you in the back?”
Tate stiffened.
“Or didn’t you tell her what you did, Sullivan?”
“Shut up.”
“Oh.” Kate’s triumphant smirk spread over her face. “You didn’t tell her? That you slept with her boyfriend at the time?”
“Shut. Up.”
“What?” Heather’s voice had grown quiet.
“No. You started this. You came over here and interfered. You’re on the list now, Tate. I was giving Jax one last chance to get away, but it’s too late now. For both of you. You’re all going down, right along with Mason’s latest screw.”
A dry chuckle left me. It acted like a beacon and as one, the rest of the girls turned to face me. I stood from the lockers. I caught movement from the corner of my eye and glanced over. I spotted Logan watching from a distance, frowning. Ethan was with him, and they both seemed unsure of what to do. I gave him a nod and sent him an unspoken message: I would handle this.
His frown deepened.
“You got something to say, slut?” Kate mocked. “Finally?”
“Finally?” I threw back, moving closer, replacing the spot that Heather had been in. Kate was my height, so I could stare her right in the eyes. I did so now, no blinking, no turning away, nothing was going to break our stand-off. “Why break this up? I don’t need television. You’re entertaining enough. Please, keep going. Threaten Tate some more. I’m not a fan of hers. Or even better, try going after Heather again. Go for it.” I bared my teeth. “Fair warning. She bites back.”
She frowned.
I rolled my eyes. “Am I supposed to be scared that the four of you ganged up on me? Or that you’re willing to threaten my friend? You’re making a list? Is that supposed to strike terror in me? Anyone can make a list. I’ve got one, too. Does it make your knees shake?”
I heard a wolf whistle from down the hallway, followed by, “That is so hot!”
Another guy yelled out, “Girl fight!”
Kate wanted to scare me. She didn’t. I’d gone against the best of the beasts: my mother. As Jasmine took another step forward and raised her hand, I shifted so I was facing her head-on. She stopped in her tracks and surprise came over her. Her hand lowered.
“You think physical violence is going to do it?”
Tate started laughing now.
I ignored her. “Go ahead and touch me. I’m not scared to take a hit, but you’re only going to hurt yourself. One bruise and I can go to the principal. It’s not like there aren’t witnesses here.”
As those words left me, Kate grabbed Jasmine’s arm and shoved her back.
“Kate,” she protested.
“Not yet,” their leader barked. “Go to class. All of you.”
Parker gasped now. “You’re letting her win?”
“No.” Kate turned her back to me, but I heard the warning in her tone. “It’s not time.”
“But—”
“Go, Parker. I won’t say it again.”
All three did nothing to hide their disgust with Kate as they left. Parker glowered at me for a full five seconds before she was dragged away by Natalie, the only one who hadn’t said a word. My gaze lingered on her and wondered what she was like. Parker and Jasmine seemed to be the hotheads of the group. They reacted the quickest, but Kate must’ve been their leader for a reason.
Kate rounded back to me. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “You’re not what I expected, Strattan.”
Tate snorted behind her. “You haven’t even scratched the surface, Kate.”
Kate glanced at her. “And you have?”
“I know that Mason Kade wouldn’t be in love with her if she were simple.”
“Maybe.”
Heather burst out then, “Go away. All of you.”
“I was trying to help.” Tate frowned as Kate followed after her friends.
“You’re not.”
For a second, the two former best friends stared at each for a second before Tate’s shoulders dropped. Her head lowered an inch and she lifted one shoulder in a halfhearted motion. “Fine.” She was swallowed up by the crowd that remained behind her. They were all still watching and as I scanned them, a sense of déjà vu came over me. It was like my last semester at my old school, but I didn’t know these people. I hadn’t gone to school with them since kindergarten. I didn’t know the embarrassing stories from middle school or all the cliques.
