Page 78 of Unbidden

“You guys are coming over after school, right?” Tinsley asks.

“You know it,” V replies. “And don’t worry. I grabbed both Sage’s and my suits this time, so she definitely can’t say no to getting in the hot tub.”

“Ugh. I honestly don’t see the appeal to sitting in warm water with other people.” I groan.

“I can definitely get behind seeing you in an itty-bitty yellow polka-dot bikini,” Keat teases while throwing his arms around both Victoria and me.

“Of course you would. Pig,” V spits.

“Yellow is the color of the devil. So nice try, but you’ll never catch me in it,” I respond while knocking his arm off my shoulders.

“Come on. Don’t crush my dreams,” he tells us dramatically while clutching his chest, making all three of us roll our eyes.

“If it’s the color of the devil, then it’s the color for you,” Ingram snaps from behind us. Pushing Tinsley out of the way, she steps into my space.

“Hey, watch it!” Tinsley snaps.

Ingram just rolls her eyes.

“What do you want now, Ingram?” I ask her while keeping my face blank.

“I want you out of my town, but since that won’t happen because the Davenports have decided to take in riffraff, I’ll settle for you staying away from Reed. He’s mine!” she seethes.

I can’t help but sigh.

“I don’t want him, Ingram. But in order for him to be yours, he has to want to be with you, and he clearly doesn’t. Seriously, cut your losses and find someone else,” I say sympathetically and move to walk past her, only for her to grab my ponytail and yank.

“Let go, Ingram,” I tell her calmly while looking her in the eye.

“Ingram, what the fuck!” Keaton shouts, trying to separate us.

“Stop, Keaton! You’re causing Ingram to pull Sage’s hair more!” V panics, making him take a step back. I watch Tinsley run off.

“You saw her touch me first, right?” I ask everyone surrounding us, making eye contact with several who nod.

“Obviously!” Keaton barks. “And the cameras caught it too.” He points to several cameras in the hall.

I loosen my fists at my sides. “I’m not going to tell you again, Ingram. Let. Go.”

She grabs a hold of my chin and digs her pointy fake nails into my face. I can feel her breaking skin.

“Or what, you whore?” She spits—literallyspits—in my face, and my cool snaps.

I make the perfect fist like old man Williams, my old neighbor, taught me and punch Ingram in her not-so-perfect fake nose. The crunch is audible, causing some around us to cringe.

She lets go of my hair and tries to launch herself at me, but I’m faster. I grab both arms and manage to slam her body face-first into a set of lockers, pinning her hands between us while holding my forearm against the back of her neck so she can’t headbutt me.

“Should have thought about how I might react to you touching me. You know, since I’m scum and all,” I mock.

She lets lose a feral scream right when Reed busts through the crowd with the principal and Tinsley on his heels.

He stops dead in his tracks.

“What happened to your face?” he asks coldly while looking at me.

“Reed! She broke my nose,” Ingram wails while stomping her little heeled foot.

“I wasn’t asking you, Ingram.”

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