Page 17 of Wicked Nasty

I can hear a tinge of sadness in his voice. "I know it's tough being so far away from each other. But you know how my job goes, darling."

"Yup."

"How about this... I'll put a little extra in your account the next few days? Treat yourself to something nice."

As I look around the empty parking lot, trying to keep my emotions in check, I give a half-hearted thanks. "Sounds great, Dad."

"Good! And your mom is taking care of all your rent payments... right?"

Nodding numbly, I reply, "Yeah. Of course. Hey, I gotta get moving now. I'm at school early to work on my project."

"Alright, sweetheart. You have a great day and we'll chat soon. Love you!"

"Love you too."

As soon as the call ends, tears stream down my face.

I'm not a priority. Never have been, never will be. In this world, I am truly alone, with no family or friends to rely on. The weight of reality crushes me as I realize that I was born into a lonely life and will probably die in the same way...

Chapter six

Daniel

Burning Down

AsIpullintothe school parking lot, my eyes immediately fall on Becca's car, sitting alone. I park my car next to hers and get out, knocking on her window to get her attention.

Becca startles at the sound, quickly wiping away her tears as she rolls down the window.

"What do you want?" she snaps, her voice quivering with unshed emotion.

"Why are you crying?" I ask gently, trying to hide my concern.

Her hand clenches around the steering wheel as she rolls up the window and opens the door, slamming it right into me without so much as an apology.

"Yo! What the fuck is your problem?" I exclaim, rubbing my shoulder where it collided with the door.

Becca slams the door shut and turns to glare at me, her blue eyes flashing with anger and hurt. "You. You are my fucking problem," she spits out venomously. "Do not speak to me unless it's about the project."

She storms off, leaving me standing there in confusion.

But why was she crying…?

As I peer through her car window, I notice a pile of blankets and a pillow strewn across the backseat. In the front seat, there are insulated car covers folded up on the floor. It looks like she's turned her car into a makeshift bedroom. Makeup and brushes sit in a box on the floor, and empty snack wrappers from some cheap gas station litter a plastic bag.

I shake my head in disbelief as I make my way towards the school. Who cares what Becca is doing in her car?

But deep down, I can't help but feel worried for her and wonder what could have caused such an emotional outburst from someone who usually keeps their walls up tight.

As I enter the familiar halls of the school, I spot my group of friends and make my way over to them. Kaiden greets me with a nod, his dark hair falling into his piercing blue eyes. "Sup, man?" he asks in his usual laid-back manner.

"Ya know," I reply with a shrug.

Xander's boisterous laughter cuts through the conversation. "How's working with black heart Becca been going? You fuck her yet?"

Iz shakes his head in amusement. "Nah, he's all caught up with Ashley."

Kaiden sighs and stares out into the hallway, causing us all to turn and see what has caught his attention.

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