Page 103 of Until We Burn
Then I enter the Howler newsroom and see Andrea and Simon Valdis in my office.
My hands tighten around the box in my arms.
Andrea turns at the sound of my footsteps. Her smile hardly reaches the disdain in her eyes. “Oh, hey.”
I look around the newly decorated office. My glass and gilded decor have been piled into a corner and replaced by fairy lights and neutrals. A row of LED marquee letters spell out “Andrea’s Place” behind the desk.
“I see you wasted no time in getting your things in.”
Andrea shrugs and smiles at me. “Well, I figured: new editor, new decor, right?”
Rage trembles through my hands. It doesn’t help when a slimy smile stretches across Simon’s face as he looks me up and down.
“So, you’re the chick that Andrea is always going on about.”
I look at him, smiling acerbically with my head cocked.
And you’re the asshole I want to eviscerate.
Rather than looking like the son of a respected former NHL captain, he looks like a SoundCloud rapper who failed to reach stardom in his baggy shirt, basketball shorts, and ill-fitting cap that makes his blond hair stick out like mottled dryer lint.
“And you are?”
Simon’s smile falls and spite fouls his face even more. I’ve met too many boys like him in the newsroom: boys who use their privilege like a crutch and suppress anyone who challenges it.
Before I can give into the urge to throttle Simon, I charge towards the pile Andrea left behind.
“I don’t have time to dawdle. I’m going to grab my things and go.”
“Fine,” Andrea dismisses.
She and Simon go back to decorating. At one point, Simon curses and throws a tassel at the wall.
“I can’t fucking reach this high, Andrea!”
I snort as I pack away my lucky buddha. Suddenly, I feel Simon’s attention seer into me.
“What’s so funny?”
I turn around with my box fully packed. “I’m sorry. Am I not allowed to laugh?”
“You think this is funny, huh?” His mocking smile twists into a hateful sneer. “I’m surprised you’re still laughing after losing basically everything.”
Rage explodes like a scorching, blinding fire that burns away my manners.
Bàba once taught me how to win an argument.Don’t waste time defending yourself. Know your enemies’ weaknesses and bring them down to their knees.
“It’s called having some dignity,” I spat. “An attribute you have yet to embody.”
“Diana,”Andrea snaps. “Stop it.”
She turns towards Simon and tugs at his shirt. “Come on, Si, let’s just?—”
He shrugs her off and jabs a finger at my face.
“You know, it’s always you people who think that now you’re allowed to take over, you can do whatever the hell you want. Don’t forget who gave you permission to be here in the first place.”
“This scene is starting to ring some bells…” I arch my brow. “Is this the part where you threaten to tell your father about this?”
