Page 14 of Mayhem

“Hails, wait up!”

The other students are already staring, but their eyes widen when I hasten my pace to catch up to her.

She gives me a warm smile as I reach her.

“Hey, Willow. What’s up?”

“Nothing. Figured we could walk to the bus together.”

“Sure. How was the rest of your day?” she asks, making small talk as we walk.

“Uneventful. Yours?”

“Fine, other than Nate getting into an argument with me in English aboutThe Tempest. He’s such an asshole. I swear he argues just to argue with me.”

“You’re probably right. He seems like the type.”

“I just don’t get it. Why me? I was invisible until he started arguing with me. Now it’s like open season on Hailee,” she rants.

“Well, hang with me, kid. I’ll take care of that for ya.”

She chuckles but stops abruptly. “Speak of the devil,” she mumbles under her breath.

I follow her gaze and find not only Nate but also Chase standing next to a large black SUV. Nate’s back is to us, but Chase clocks us the moment we step outside the door.

His eyes lock on me, sending me a glare that would make most people shrink back.

Not me, though.

I’m not scared of Chase the way the others are. What’s the worst that he can actually do to me?

If he wanted me dead, he had the perfect opportunity to do that last night.

No, he likes to exude his power on others.

I stop walking at the end of the sidewalk, looking toward where he’s parked, and glare.

Two can play this game. Go ahead and stare at me. I’ll stare right back.

It feels like a lifetime, but is more like only minutes, but Hailee breaks the staring contest by pulling on my arm.

“The bus is getting ready to leave.”

I look to her then back to Chase, but he’s already getting into his SUV. Before he closes the door, he calls out.

“My house, eight p.m.” Then he closes his door, starting the vehicle and leaving.

Hailee pulls my arm, but I’m frozen in place.

Who the fuck does he think he is?

“Come on, Willow. The bus driver is going to leave us here.”

“Okay. Okay,” I tell her, following her onto the bus, taking the seat next to her again.

Once seated, she whispers to me, “That’s going to get the rumor mill churning.”

“Don’t remind me,” I hiss back.

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