Page 28 of My Worst Pucking Enemy

Another hits Pax.

My sister stands there with her hands on her hips.

“Clean it up,” she orders us, and we obey.

I bump into him while I’m scrubbing the counter and glare at him. “Sorry,” I snap.

“Whatever.”

“Pax, what exactly is your problem with me?” I demand.

“Believe it or not, Ruby, you are not the center of my world and I have better things to worry about than you.” He throws the towel down and stalks out.

8

RUBY

“Penny for your thoughts,” Clair says to me, as I scowl at my Uno cards. She and our friend Kennedy are hanging out in our dorm room. We’re all here together for the summer, which is nice.

“My grandmother says that,” Kennedy says with amusement, tucking her shiny black hair behind her ear. She’s like the mirror opposite of Clair, five foot ten, with raven tresses that always feature one colorful streak. Today it’s purple. Her earrings are little wire birdcages that she made herself.

“So it’s a classic,” Clair smirks.

“Okay, boomer.”

Clair slaps a card down. “Draw four, baby.”

“Argh, you monster,” Kennedy pouts, but draws four cards.

“I’m just in la-la land; ignore me,” I sigh. Yes, it’s been three days since I got my grade and I’m still stewing about that A-minus, even though my overall GPA is 4.2. It’s just the principle of the matter.

I’m mostly mad at myself for ever falling for Professor Nass-hole, if I’m being honest. Now that some time has passed and I can see clearly, he is turning out to be such a tool that it’s embarrassing. After he dumped me, I started noticing the way that other girls looked at him, and I also saw him looking back. Only if they were the kind of girl that he likes, though. He’s got a type. Slender blondes with athletic bodies.

When we were together, he swore to me up and down that I was the only student he’d ever been with, and that he knew it was wrong but his feelings for me were just too strong to resist.

Now I’m wondering if that’s true. I’ve seen his eyes rove up and down girls’ bodies, seen the smiles he’s exchanged with them.

Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it’s not true.

He’s been with other students. Before me, and probably after me.

“Your turn, Ruby. Earth to Ruby, Earth to Ruby,” Clair says. She looks at Kennedy with a smirk. “Don’t tell me, your grandmother says that too?”

“Yes, she does.”

I’m about to slap down a Skip card when there’s a pounding on the door that sounds somehow ominous. Before any of us can get up, the door swings open and two uniformed police officers walk in.

“Excuse you?” Kennedy snaps at them. “Where’s your warrant?”

“Which one of you is Ruby?” a guy with a mustache asks. His name tag says he is Officer Davenport.

“I am,” Kennedy gives him a defiant look.

“No, I am,” Clair chimes in.

I sigh. “Actually, I am. Why are you here?” I know there’s nothing wrong with my sister, which would normally be my first worry, but she texted me fifteen minutes ago, so that’s not why they are in here.

“I’m serious. Which one of you is it?”

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