“Peachy,” I say, tossing my bag on the ground. “Where’s Eden?”
He lifts the lid off his container, exposing a sushi roll, a dollop of wasabi, and a packet of soy sauce. “She’ll be here. She takes a few extra minutes to get here because she comes from across campus, where the dorms are.”
“Does she live in the dorms?”
He shakes his head. “No, but her class is in the building next to them.”
Reaching into my backpack, I pull out the apple I tossed in this morning. Jeez, that seems like a lifetime ago.
Bryce’s hand pauses mid-air with chopsticks, a piece of sushi balancing between the sticks. “That’s all you’re eating?”
“Yeah, I’m not that hungry.” In truth, having skipped breakfast, I’m starving, but I’m in no mood to eat.
Bryce’s gaze catches on something over my shoulder. “There she is.” He moves the piece of sushi to his mouth, then stops mid-bite. “Oh shit,” he says. Poor kid can’t catch a break to eat his fancy lunch.
I assume he’s talking about Eden until I turn to see who has him fumbling with his chopsticks. Brielle is on a direct path to us, accompanied by two other girls. One is Peyton from my art class. The other, I assume, is the girl with the eyelash issue, since they’re almost an inch long and look as though they may help her take flight any second. Mikayla, I think her name is.
“Of course, she’s sitting with the fucking nerds. Suits her well, don’t you think?” She stops a few feet away from us. “So, trash girl, this is your new friend?” Brielle looks around. “No doubt the blue freak will be joining you. What a crew the three of you make.” She props her hands on her narrow waist. “You guys are a joke.”
Who the hell does this bitch think she is? “Don’t you have anything better to do, beast, like blow some asshole in the janitor’s closet or something?”
Bryce’s sushi slips from the vice of his chopsticks. His mouth goes slack before slowly easing into a smile. “This is going to be good,” he whispers.
“Look, you skank whore, if you think you can just walk right into the viper’s den and?—”
I hold up my hand. “Don’t. You sound ridiculous, and you’re starting to whine.”
Blue hair catches my attention in my peripheral vision. Eden pauses, watching my exchange with the three girls before chancing it and walking into a possible fight.
I stand and face off with Monarch’s self-elected bitch. Her face is tight with fury. “The only thing you need to know about me is I don’t back down to anyone. And trust me, I know my place. So, if this is the lesson you think I need, consider it given.”
“You’re digging your own grave,” she warns.
“So you’ve said. Now, if you’re done, you better hurry along. Wouldn’t want those spike heels getting stuck in the dirt.” I swish my wrist toward them, dismissing the trio. I turn my back on her, finished with the conversation—if one could even call it that.
“This isn’t the end,” she spits.
Still not facing her, I sit down. “Yeah, yeah, I can’t wait.” I fold my hand in a wave over my shoulder. “Bye now.”
She rants out a slew of profanities as she turns, her friends following in her wake as they make their way back to the cafeteria.
Eden steps out of the shadows. “What was that about?”
Bryce is huffing out gasps of breath mixed with laughter. Pointing at me, he says, “This chick has balls the size of Jupiter. Seriously, I mean—shit.” He grabs a handful of his hair. “I can’t believe it… This is awesome! You’re like the golden egg on Easter morning.”
Eden doesn’t look so impressed. “Simmer down, Bryce. If she keeps it up, she’s going to get her ass kicked and take us down with her.”
“I don’t care. I’m all in. This is way too fun to pass up.”
Eden’s eyes pop open, and she studies her best friend as if she just watched him grow another head. “Who are you?”
He sets down his container of food. “Eden, this year could be epic. We could watch Kinsley tear down the hierarchy of this forsaken institution. And being her new besties, we get front-row seats and maybe even a little recognition.”
Besties?If he keeps on with that, he’s going to get another smack in the head from Eden.
She leans toward him and tilts her head, studying his eyes. “You said you were going to lay off the weed.”
He holds up his hands. “I did. I swear!”
