Page 7 of Betraying Bexley

Bex pushed into the cafeteria and went straight to the lunch line. The school’s food was basic, but good. It beat eating ramen every night or cups of noodles. Since her ‘nanny’ disappeared, her money situation had grown tighter. Even her guards weren’t buying her groceries like they used to. She suspected in the last couple of months, she’d lost about ten pounds and went to bed hungry more than once. Didn’t she sound like a sad sack? Breakfast and lunch were her only meals... She should be grateful she got anything. She should be happy she was still alive.

Yet, she wasn’t.

Bex wanted to die.

Her life was a living hell. No, worse than that. It was Dante’s Inferno.

She grabbed the burger, fries, cup of applesauce and made her way to the drink case to snatch an iced coffee out of the cooler. After entering her number into the touchscreen, she headed for the empty table at the back of the room, away from everyone else. While some schools had 'never eat alone,' programs, Princess Anne didn't have rules when it came to lunch. It was the one time during the day when they were free to be themselves.

“You guys have a shitty Principal,” Bronx said, startling Bex as she opened her coffee.

“Uh?” Bex shoved her hands into her lap and lowered her head.

“You pissed I caused a scene? Cause, I didn’t do it for you. That twat needed to be put in her place.” Bronx threw her bag up onto the table next to her lunch tray.

“N-no. N-not p-pissed.” She swallowed hard. “You s-shouldn’t s-sit with me.”

“Oh? Really? Is it that bitch from English?”

Bex rolled her shoulder.

“So it is. Okay. Well, she can get fucked by a spiny cactus for all I care.” Bronx tore into her burger. “Woah, okay, not what I was expecting. This is good.” She took another bite, then tapped Bex’s tray. “You going to eat?”

She was starving. Bex grabbed her burger and took a bite. “You like S-Shakespeare?”

“Yes!” She tipped Bex’s chin up and a zing of electricity shot through her. “I like it better when you look at me when we talk. I can connect that way.”

Bex cut her eyes toward the windows overlooking the school. “W-why?”

“Why what?”

“S-Shakespeare.” She took another bite of her burger and felt the pangs of hunger dissipate.

“Ah, now you’re prying.” Bronx smiled. “I’ll only tell you if you keep talking to me.”

She sighed. What the heck was the girl’s deal? She’d never seen someone like Bronx before. Everyone in Bex’s life had been content to allow her to be by herself. This girl, however, came in and demolished everything with a kind smile and a hyper vibe about her. “F-fine.”

“You don’t talk much because of your stutter, huh?” Bronx frowned.

Heat filled Bex’s cheeks. She grabbed her tray and went to stand. She didn’t need someone else making fun of her because of her speech impediment. Nor did she want the girl’s pity either. She was doing just fine, stutter and all.

“Wait.” Bronx touched her arm, stopping Bex. Her features softened and a bit of embarrassment colored her cheeks. “I didn’t mean it that way. Sometimes my brain to mouth coordination is off.”

“I d-don’t want p-pity.”

“Nah, you don’t.” The girl grinned at her, patting the table. “Wouldn’t give none anyway. I’m missing the ability to pity gene.”

The corner of Bex’s lips twitched.

“Ah! That was almost a smile. Amazing.” Bronx motioned to the chair. “Sit, eat your lunch. You could put on a little weight.”

Bex grew self-conscious at Bronx’s astuteness. If she could see it, everyone could, which meant, again, because of her father, no one would help her. “S-Shakespeare.”

"Right. Shakespeare." Bronx popped a fry into her mouth and moaned. "My God, the food. I thought this would be a shit cafeteria, for real." She rubbed her hands together. "Anyway, when I was younger my Pops, between reading me repair manuals for different types of vehicles, would read me, Shakespeare. He said if I wanted a well-rounded education, I should learn to be sophisticated while also picking up a trade. The Sonnets were my favorites of Shakespeare's works. Followed by Midsummer's Night Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. Hamlet's in the top whatever too, but—" She shrugged. "I can also rebuild a '67 Camaro, a '71 Mustang, and a '73 Maverick with a blindfold on."

Bex blinked. “What?” The girl was going a mile a minute causing her head to spin with the information overload.

Bronx’s grin illuminated her features in such a way, it stole Bex’s ability to breathe. She hadn’t felt that twinge of pleasure or whatever the chemical reaction was called. It started in her heart and settled low within her. “I have one of those eidetic memories. So, all I have to do is see something once and I recall it all from memory.”

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