Page 34 of Ruin

I had to be in the wrong place at the wrong fucking time.

My hands shake. My pulse races. I try to keep myself calm, but it’s not working.

Oh my God, what is happening? Why is this happening to me?

I feel Declan’s fingers on my cheek, wiping my tears away.

His breath is hot against my ear.

“Don’t you look like a pretty doll in this picture? My dick looks good in your mouth.”

I slap his hand away from me and turn to him.

Did you do this?

My question makes him laugh. “How could I take a picture of you sucking my dick? Wasn’t me. Had nothing to do with it. Didn’t even tell anyone to take a picture.”

It’s fucked up, but I don’t think he’s lying.

He leans back in the chair while I sit there, staring at my phone.

How long before Robert sees this?

He doesn’t know anyone from the school, so I might get lucky.

Please God, don’t let him see this picture.

But if it wasn’t Declan, then who the fuck took the picture?

Then it hits me.

There is only one person who hates me more than Declan.

Stephanie.

That bitch.

I close my eyes to shut off the voices around me.

The names they’re calling me are nothing new to me.

Slut. Whore.

Robert calls me worse every night.

They think their names will hurt me.

I tell myself they won’t.

I tell myself they can’t.

But then I see her.

Stephanie.

And I snap.

I grab Stephanie’s hair and slam her face into the desk. Once. Twice.

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