Page 6 of Spiteful Lies

Pierce tosses his school blazer onto the floor, rolls up his shirtsleeves, and his eyes narrow with a glint. “Okay, we walk out of here. If anyone tries to stop us, we just walk over them. Let’s move.”

A few kids eagerly watch what’s about to happen. They watch as we march as a unit of determination toward the stairwell door leading down and out. Hastily, Pamela jumps in beside me and looks at me with wide eyes. That move took guts. The girl must be desperate.

“Astrid, I know we’re not friends,” she says, “but I’m going to lose my shit if I don’t study for chem.”

I grab her hand. “Stay close and keep up.”

Soon other kids are joining our pack as close as they can. But others stare in amazement at our disregard for authority and discuss how wrong we are in low whispers. We’re breaking the rules, but they’ll never question Stonehaven’s actions. They don’t know how soon our lives are about to change.

Moving toward the doors, Shapley eyes us as we walk down the stairs toward the outside door. He places his hands on his narrow hips, and his face expresses hatred at being challenged. He picks out a cocky Pierce and watches him move toward him. Shapley reaches out a hand to grab hold of Pierce’s shoulder, but Pierce knocks his hand away with an angry glare and keeps moving. That’s when the yelling really starts.

Shapley steps in front of Pierce. “Excuse me, but where do you think you’re going?”

It’s a fast move, and the teacher is shoved against the wall. “Don’t interfere,” cautions Pierce, “This has nothing to do with you.”

Shapley shoves Pierce away. “It’s my job to make sure you don’t leave.”

“It’s not your job to get hurt,” replies Pierce harshly, “If you knew what was about to happen, you’d find another gig quick.”

Shapley steps back and stares. His brain hears the warning and tries to piece it together. A frightened teacher scurries away from the door as the crush of bodies moves through it like an avalanche that can’t be halted with a stern reprimand. The kids behind us start running for the open door as hell turns into something worse.

Dr. Rawlins immediately spots us from across the campus, and kids start running for the dorms. Shapley tries again and grabs for Justin, holding his arm tightly.

Justin struggles to shake the man off as kids swirl past them like a windstorm, leaving a struggling Justin behind. I stop and fight to get back to him. I push against the surge of kids dragging me away as Rawlins and her men quickly approach us.

“I’m warning you to get off me,” snarls Justin.

“Get back into that building!” shouts Shapley.

The move is quicker than a flash in the sky that you’re not even sure happened. Justin punches Shapley in the gut, and the man stumbles back as Justin lifts his fist again. I race forward to stop him from striking again. His ever-present expression of serenity leaves his face as his lips twist into a snarl. Shapley isn’t the true target of his anger. It’s his father, and Justin can’t beat up a teacher in his place. I grab Justin’s arm, stopping him. Shapley falls backward hard onto the path as more screaming kids appear and race down it toward the dorms. Some shout, others laugh as the small group surges forward, unaware of the man in pain on the ground.

“You don’t touch me!” Justin shouts at Shapley, “You don’t ever touch me again.”

“Come on, leave him alone,” I say hurriedly, “We’ve got to go.”

I grip Shapley’s hand and haul him up off the ground before he’s trampled by running kids. Shapley yanks his hand out of my grasp, and his icy look radiates hatred. I tried to help, but he hates us now. Shapley looks me up and down with an evil look before heading back to the building.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rawlins is barreling down on us as Pierce, Wyatt, and Bryce double back, rushing toward us at top speed. I take hold of Justin’s arm. We can hide in the basement, but we’ve got to start moving now. But instead, Pierce steps in front of us, Wyatt behind me, and Bryce to my right. Justin takes his place by my other side.

Rawlins takes measured steps toward the boys and me while her men keep step with her. Her red coat picks up in the wind as her blonde hair flutters across her face. Smoothly, she lifts her gloved hand and guides the strands off her face. Rawlins glares at me as we stand still, facing off with our men surrounding us. I stand in front of her in my navy blazer, willing my body not to shiver in the freezing cold.

Rawlins speaks to a man with an earpiece beside her. “Have two of your men assist these students back to their dorms.”

“Yes, Dr. Rawlins,” he replies. He motions toward two men who step out from the others and start to lead my small pack away.

“Thank you,” I say through clenched teeth.

Rawlins eyes me a moment longer. And I can’t read her true feelings.Does she know it’s me? Don’t be paranoid. It’ll make you fuck up royally. Without another word, Rawlins turns on her red high heels and struts away as the men obediently trail after her.

Chapter 6

Astrid

As soon as we hit my dorm, I have the key out, and we slip into the basement room. It was idiotic trying to run away from Rawlins unless we plan to keep on running out the stone gates. We fall onto the couch and the floor, breathing heavily as if we had been running for our lives. I look down at my hand, and it’s shaking. But I don’t care. At least I’m away from that building. So many things went wrong today. I just want some peace.

“I did something stupid,” I say out loud, sitting on the floor against the wall.

Bryce waves my comment away as he slumps further down on the couch. “Astrid, this is not your fault.”

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