“You're not going to talk to me,” Bronx said, sadness filling his eyes yet again.
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying anything else. I jumped down from the porch and hugged him. He wrapped his warmth around me, cocooning me in his scent and comfort.
"Not about this. Not right now.”
He squeezed tighter and the bruises all over my upper body screamed at the pressure. I winced and he released me, looking at the mark on my face.
Reynolds hit me so hard across the face that my cheek was had turned a light purple color. There were marks on my neck from when he squeezed me, my arms from Pete yanking me down the hallway, and some on my breasts. I couldn't even look at my body when I got dressed earlier. Knowing Reynolds' hands were all over me, hurting me, made me want to scream.
West stomped down the porch, gaining the attention of both Bronx and me. I hadn't seen him since Friday at school. He seethed with anger, yet I was drawn to him. I was fucking mad at him, but I wanted to take out my anger on his body.
His black t-shirt was stretched tight across his muscular chest. His messy brown hair was hidden beneath a backwards baseball hat. He glanced at Bronx for a moment and then back to his car, bypassing me entirely as if I were invisible. As if I didn't mean a damn thing to him.
And it fuckinghurt.
"Let's go Bronx, or I'll leave your ass here," West warned as he got in his car and slammed the door.
"Is he really mad at me after what he did?"
"He says he didn't do anything. We got into a fight about it yesterday. He says the picture with Kendra was set up," Bronx said, holding up a finger to West to indicate he would be a minute. West flipped him off.
"The hot tub was a setup too, right? Or him being a complete asshole to me the last few days? He can fuck right off with his attitude. Feel free to tell him I said so," I said as I sidestepped Bronx and went to Mom's car.
"Ash, he doesn't know anything about last night. Maybe if you talk to him–"
"Don't say a fucking word to him about me. Okay? He doesn't need to know anything. He can kiss my fucking ass if he's got a problem with me.” I slammed the car door and turned the key. It started right up and purred.Thank you, Beck.
I put the car in reverse and took off for school, not giving West a glance. If I looked at him, I'd be forced to let the tears fall.
SchoolwentasIexpected.
People talked and laughed at my expense, but I held my head up high. I was a fucking warrior. I wasn't going to be Reynolds' victim.
When I met up with Gabby at her locker, the shock on her face made me cringe. The bruise on my face was becoming more noticeable even though I'd tried to hide it with foundation and concealer.
"Before you ask, I don't want to talk about it," I said to her shocked face. She changed her hair to a light violet that complimented her amber eyes, and she was wearing bright pink pants and a white t-shirt.
"Were you in a fight?" She shoved her backpack into her locker and shut it, taking a few tries because it was crammed full.
"Yeah, something like that.” I didn't want to lie to my best friend, but I wasn't ready to talk yet. I had plans for Reynolds and they didn't involve settling our issues the traditional way through police or principals. None of them would believe me anyway.
A force shoved me from behind, pushing me toward Gabby. I steadied myself and turned to see Kendra wearing a smug look and twelve pounds of makeup. She wore her usual club attire–a tight black dress with straps across the front. I had a similar dress I wore to Aces a few times.
"Hey, whore. How was your weekend?" She asked, her smile never faltering. She was flanked by two clones and they smiled like her. "Mine wasgreat. Especially Saturday night. My pussy's still sore from West pounding me so hard. He knows how to use that piercing, doesn't he?"
Internally I was dying, but I put on a smirk to match hers. "Kendra...Kendra…you know who I am right?" I stepped closer to her. "I'm south side, through and through. My dad's an enforcer for a fuckinggang. Do you understand what that means?"
She swallowed slowly, her smile falling off her face. She backed up another step, her back to the lockers.
"Let me explain it to you in terms you'll understand. I have extensive experience with weapons. Fists, chains, knives, guns. If you fuck with me, if youtouch meagain, you will regret it. This is your last warning.” I took another step. We were toe to toe, eye to eye. She shifted in her five-inch heels. Her putrid perfume was enough to make me pass out, but I steeled myself, giving the harshest look I could muster.
Her green eyes were glazed with fear and they bounced around behind me, probably looking for backup. Her little robots would be of no help, they were cowering far behind us.
"Please. You won't touch me." Kendra flipped her blonde ponytail. The bitch wasn't fooling me, she was shitting her pants. "West won't let anything happen to me."
“Oh really, where is West right now?” I grabbed her ponytail, yanked, and she screeched the most awful sound. I gripped the back of her head and pushed her into a locker, her nose taking the brunt of the force and gushing blood.
"Oh my god! My nose!" She cried, her hand covered in blood.Whoops.