Page 15 of Such a Bad Girl
The moment Ray stepped outside, I grabbed him by the scruff of his coat and yanked him into the alley.
‘What the fuck, man?’ he shouted, fists flying. I narrowly avoided catching one on the chin before he realised who I was.
‘Professor? What’s going on?’ Thekid looked at me like seeing a teacher in the real world was straight-up alien. ‘I need a favour.’
‘Yeah. I mean, if I can help.’ Ray shifted from one foot to the other, glancing over his shoulder. ‘You need a little pick-me-up?’
‘No. Wait, what? You’re peddling drugs?’
Ray shook his head. 'Nah, I just know a guy, you know. So what’s up?'
‘You’ve got to get me four invites to The Initiation.’
He gave an unconvincing laugh. ‘That’s an urban myth.’
‘I’ve been here longer than you have. Give me the benefit of the doubt.’
The way his shoulders dropped let me know he was caving.
‘Listen, even if it were true, what makes you think I can do anything about it?’ Ray shrugged.
‘If you want to pass this semester, you’ll find a way.’
Did I feel like a piece of shit extorting the kid? Sure. But compared to coming in one student's throat in the middle of class, what’s a little blackmail?
‘I’m acing your fucking class,’ Ray spat, his cheeks pinking with anger.
‘You were. You still can. Four invites. That’s all.’
His hand slid into the back of his hair as heshifted in discomfort. ‘Fuck, man. I’ll do what I can. But you should really hang out with people your own age. I know we say whatever goes... but having teachers watch us bang is a whole different ballpark.’
‘Well, Ray,’ I said with a grin. ‘No one needs to know except us. Do they?’
With a shake of his head, he backed out of the alley, throwing me a filthy glare over his shoulder.
Cold bricks bit into my shoulders as I leaned back against the wall, taking a steadying breath.
Rebecca Benson was going to be the death of me.
And from the way she’d twisted me around her finger with every whimper, I’d probably carve my own headstone with a smile.
CHAPTER TEN
REBECCA
Snip.
Snip.
Snip.
Edges of photographs fell away, landing on my thighs like autumn leaves. Leaves that were part of my past, and would hopefully pave my future.
I twisted the images as I removed the subject from them, creating a pile of stolen memories. Laughs meant for others. Long forgotten kisses. Fashions that fell to the wayside.
Sighing, I gathered the many faces, flicking through them while smiling softly to myself.
Carpet indented my legs where I’d knelt for too long, and the blood rushed back into my calves in a tingly flush as I stood. The hum of the fan kicked in as I opened the bathroom door. My pot of PVA glueawaited, and I spread a layer over the wall, it shining wet in the ugly yellow light.
