Page 3 of Hush Little Martyr, Don't You Scream
I only had one year left in this house and then I could get away from it all. I just needed to stay strong for a little while longer. I could do that. Right?
***
My best friend slung an arm around my shoulders in greeting when she caught me walking down the hallway. Voices echoed through the school, the chatter of students amplifying due to the lockers on either side.
“Feix is throwing a party tomorrow night if you wanna crash.” She tightened her hold around me in a hopeful gesture, a grin splitting her face.
A scowl tugged at my lips due to the mere thought. “Pass,” I replied bitterly.
There was no way in Hell I was going to a party with a bunch of preps and jocks. Not when all they did was make my life more miserable than it already was.
Fuck that.
Lizzie released a loaded sigh. “Come on, Ember. It could be fun. Chances are, they’ll be too drunk to even want to fuck with you.”
I shrugged her arm off me when we reached our lockers and started to fumble with my combination. “Or they’ll be even more diabolical.” I shook my head. “I’m not taking any chances. I see enough of those bitches at school.”
She pouted in response, doing her best to make her brown eyes appear larger as if that would magically change my mind. She could give me the puppy dog look all she wanted; it wasn’t happening.
Just as I managed to get my locker door open, it slammed shut again. Frustration tore through me, followed by annoyance when I realized who’s manicured hand had done it. There was only one bitch basic enough to continue to get the French tip acrylics over and over again.
Whirling around, my eyes locked with Juliett’s blue ones. A vile smirk twisted the edges of her pink glossed lips, malice swimming through her expression.
“Can I help you?” I snapped, elbowing the Queen B out of the way to put more space between us.
These lockers were a pain in the ass, and it took a shit ton of effort just to get it open the first time. At this point, I was going to have blisters on my fingers.
“Sorry,” she said innocently, batting her thick, long lashes. “I just couldn’t help but overhear…” Her gaze drifted over to Lizzie before bouncing back to rest on me.
“Don’t worry, Queen of Muff. I have no intention of crashing your pathetic little party.” I rolled my eyes, turning back to my locker to mess with the combination again.
A girly giggle bubbled up from her throat, one that didn’t even sound all that malicious, just condescending. “Oh, on the contrary.” She smirked. “I think youshouldcome.”
My hands faltered on the lock, unease slithering down my spine. “Why the fuck would I do that?” I countered.
Ignoring me, Juliett turned to my friend. “You’ll be there, won’t you?”
Lizzie opened and closed her mouth a few times, her gaze drifting over to me for assistance. But I couldn’t help her. If she wanted to go, she could go. That didn’t mean I had to.
“I don’t know,” Lizzie mumbled nervously. “I mean maybe. Probably?” She blew out a frustrated breath. “Yeah. I’ll be there.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat, her eyes dropping to the tiled floor.
Leave it to Lizette to cave under pressure. I knew she’d only go if I did—well … normally. She didn’t want to be stuck partying alone, which I couldn’t blame her for. Especially when Juliett and the rest of her pose would be attending.
“Great.” Juliett smiled. “Make sure this one comes, too.” She glanced over at me one final time before turning on her heels and stalking back to her group of friends on the other side of the hallway.
“That was weird,” Lizzie muttered under her breath.
I nodded in agreement. It was definitely fucking weird. “They’re up to something.”
“You don’t know that,” she defended. “I mean … yeah. They’re mean as hell, but that doesn’t mean they’re planning anything.”
I shot her a pointed look as I worked to get locker unlocked. Finally, it clicked open again. Switching out my books for my next class, I turned to my friend again. She knew how far these bitches would go just to make people suffer. Hell, I wasn’t even their only target. That was how much time they spent bullying people who they deemed inferior.
“I just think it’s a stretch.” She shrugged. “It’s a party. Why would anyone waste their time when they could be hooking up or getting plastered?”
She did have a point.
If there was one thing those people liked more than hurting others, it was getting fucked and wasted.
