Page 27 of Forged in Rain

Silently I agree. Fuck indeed before heading to my class, leaving the gorgeous asshat and his bevy of chicks behind.

I’m given newfound freedom when Jig doesn’t appear to walk me to my next class, and I’m appropriately suspicious. Was he warned off? Or do they not care?

Between classes, I stop off in the bathroom and do my business before washing my hands. I’m staring at my sad reflection in the mirror when the door swings open behind me. Absently, I glance up before dropping my gaze, only to fly back around when five girls appear, three of whom I recognize as Cyn’s bitches.

And the one standing front and center staring at me with contempt in her eyes is none other than the girl I ousted our first day back.

She looks at me with a smirk before crossing her arms over her chest and sneering, “It’s time for a little payback, bitch.”

“Is that right?” I ask calmly, drying my hands on a paper towel and dropping it in the trash.

“That’s right,” she says before stepping in and popping me in the jaw.

As punches go, it could be worse, but it still stings, which I have no time to process because the next twatwaffle in line joins the first, and my head is wrenched around by my hair.

Shoving my elbow into the first, I head butt the second, and she pulls back with a gasp. But despite my best efforts, soon they’re all wailing on me, and I’m fighting off multiple fists. I have no time to catalog the pain and I flail to get in a few good hits, noting absently when a new voice joins the fray.

“Hey! What’s going on?”

The voice is ignored, and to my surprise, I see a tiny form appear over the shoulder of one of them before she’s on her back and clinging like a monkey. The chick shrieks and steps back, shoving her against the wall, and she slides off with an oomph before the bell rings for class, and we all pause.

They fall back, the ringleader straightening her shirt and smoothing back her hair as she says, “That was a warning.”

I don’t comment and only sag against the counter when they’re gone. One on one, hell two on one, and I could’ve held my own, but five?

Shaking my head, I turn to my companion, who’s straightening her clothes and hair with a grimace. She’s tiny, with pale blonde hair pulled back in twin buns on the back of her head. She’s wearing combat boots and a bright shirt with a wicked cat eye and bright red lipstick. She’s a goth siren, and she’s adorable.

“Are you all right?” I ask, and she glances at me, her pale blue eyes blinking in the light.

“Fine,” she huffs, running her hand under the water.

I turn to the mirror and assess the damage. My ribs are on fire, one of my fingers aches like a wanker, and I have a fat lip and a purpling eye.

With a sigh, I wipe down the blood from my lip before smoothing back my hair. I’m not sure if I should be annoyed or flattered that those bitches were jealous, so I settle on both as I turn to her.

She’s wiping away a deep scratch on her hand, and I shake my head before saying quietly, “Thanks.”

She glances up, wrinkling her brow, before nodding. “Yeah, I gotta go. My brother’s already gonna kill me.”

With that, she’s out the door, and I follow, earning detention for my lateness.

In fourth period, my aches have become downright pain, and I drop into my seat grimly, suppressing a groan. Jig turns to me from some girl with a smirk, which drops to a frown when he sees my face.

“What the fuck?” he whispers.

“Huh?” I play dumb, arching a brow when he pulls my head around.

“What happened?”

“Just a little misunderstanding,” I say dryly.

“What?” he says, brushing my cheek.

Sighing, I pull away. “Don’t worry about it.”

He huffs but gives in when I glare at him in warning, but I can feel his speculative stare throughout the lesson, and I’m unsurprised when he pulls me from my seat after the bell rings.

He doesn’t speak as he leads me down the hall, and I stare at the doors to the cafeteria with dread. I’m pretty sure Cyn will have to make a show of being angry since I’m supposedly his, whatever that means, but will it all be a lie?

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