Page 57 of Heathens
Eight Years Ago
Sister Marietta sits me down in a chair, placing her hands on her hips and giving me a look of stern disapproval.
“Your skirt is too short.”
I arch my left eyebrow. Why does she care, anyway? The length of my skirt is none of her business. “It shrunk in the wash.“
I swear I see her face twitch with anger. “That’s a convenient excuse.”
“I swear to God.”
Now her face really contorts, and her cheeks and neck turn red. She hates it when I swear to God. “Now you’re just giving me sass. Adjust your skirt and go back to class.”
“Yes, Sister,” I mumble automatically, standing up and lumbering for the door.
Walking down the empty hall, I swing my arms and walk as slowly as possible toward class. Unlike some Catholic schools, ours is co-ed, and that in and of itself means that sometimes I’d like to wear my skirt a bit shorter on days I know I’ll see Noah Abrams.
Sister Marietta is a prude.
I’m just about to turn left toward my English class when I hear a giggle come from a broom closet. And then— “No.Stop.”
The two words send a jolt through me, and without thinking, I throw the door open.
“Evelyn?”
She looks at me with a mix of sheepishness and relief. Standing over her is Kell Thomas, golden-haired, tan-skinned, Homecoming King himself. The scene before me becomes abundantly clear. Evelyn’s skirt is hiked up around her waist, and Kell has her pinned against the shelf with one hand, and the other on her thigh.
“How’s Francesca?” I ask, crossing my arms and staring him down. His face falls.
“We broke up yesterday.” I want to smack the smug expression off of his face. Kell Thomas is what I like to call a Cockanova. A player. He thinks the ground he walks on blooms flowers and he’s been known to force himself on women. He’s been after Evelyn for years.
I open my mouth to retort, but Evelyn interrupts. “Lily...”
I pin Kell to the shelf with my eyes. “You sure do move on quickly.”
“That I do,” he says confidently, wiggling his eyebrows. “Want to join us? I know she’s your best friend. I dare you to tell me that you haven’t thought about it before.”
I bend over and fake a gag. “Thanks, but I’d rather not contract chlamydia.” Evelyn snorts, and he drops his hand from her leg at the dig. When I see her visibly sag, something hot and burning fires through me. “And if you ever pin a girl to the wall like that again”—I nod to the shelf— “after she says no, after she saysstop, I will hunt you down and pull out your fingernails one by one.AfterI cut your cock off, Lorena Bobbitt-style.” Narrowing my eyes, I snap my fingers, and he brushes past me before exiting. I swear I hear him call me a cunt.
“Are you okay?” I ask, reaching out and offering a hand to Evelyn as she steps into her boots.
“Don’t tell a soul what you just saw.”
My forehead creases. “Why? Because you’re embarrassed?” Her silence is my answer. “This wasn’t your fault in any way. You know that, right?”
“He’s a prick,” she mumbles, turning red.
“Has he done this before?” She shrugs. I turn to face her fully. Her red hair is pulled into low pigtails. She’s small—at least five inches shorter than me. I doubt she weighs more than a hundred pounds. Her elfin features always make her seem more compact, somehow.Delicate. Kell is six-three and at least two-hundred pounds. It’s an unfair advantage.
She frowns and meets my gaze. “I was walking back to class from the bathroom, and he came out of nowhere and shoved me in here.” She shrugs. “Maybe he got me confused with someone else.”
I cackle. “Right. I’m sure that’s what happened. What a pig. Also, why are you defending him?”
“I’m not,” she replies, her voice a bit louder. “I’m just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt—”
“Fuck that,” I yell, throwing my hands out to the side. Instead of flinching, Evelyn stands up taller and juts her chin out. “It’s Kell Thomas. He thinks every girl wants him, meaning he doesn’t ask for permission.”
She shakes her head and sighs. “Whatever. It’s over and done with. I have to get back to class.”
