Page 22 of King

Queen Jesus, take the wheel.

Seven

In Algebra, Lea and Georgina sit in the middle of the front row, between two other girls who look like them.

All prim and poised. All with designer cases on their desk. And they all have the same smug look on their faces as I walk in.

There’s an empty seat in the second-last row and I head straight there. That’s before I tumble right to the ground, bag slipping from my back above my head. The class erupts into laughter, Lea’s cackle the loudest.

I look back to see Lea’s foot outstretched. “Oops! Sorry!” But she doesn’t look sorry at all. No, she looks amused.

“Yeah, real fucking mature.” I push myself off the ground, rubbing the dirt on my kilt.

“Like everyone else in this school, I didn’t see you there.” She blinks, rose gold pencil under her chin.

After the events of Homeroom, I’m already exhausted. So instead of telling her where to shove it, I roll my eyes and head for the empty seat. Once I’m seated, I let out a groan as the boy and girl on either side of me scoot their desks away. The girls at the front giggle again and I roll my eyes, slinking down into my chair. Despite their lame prank, I’m happy the teacher isn’t here to see my late arrival.

“Class.” Lea gets up from her seat, turning around with a huge smile across her red lips. She plops her butt down on the teacher’s desk and I sink further into my seat. “Can anyone tell me what you get when you add an ERA uniform to a Glendale whore?”

Blondie's hand shoots up, long pink nails wiggling in the air before Lea points her way with her pencil. “Miss Georgina Dupont?”

“Trick question, Miss Huang.” Georgina looks at the class like she has a secret before her eyes land on me. “You still get a Glendale whore. You see, you added a zero to the equation. That’s you Medusa. A zero.”

My cheeks burn, jaw clenching and I’m about to snap back before the door swings open.

Allie walks in, and with a glance around the room her eyes land on me before she glares at Georgina. “Oh, am I late to a discussion about how Lea has zero class?” My heart begins to slow, though Georgina should be the one who’s thanking the gods. “Or do I have to remind you about the kiss you had with security after too much bubbly?” She looks at the boy in the desk next to me, “Do you mind switching?”

“Ew, Lea!” Georgina gags as Lea slides back in her seat.

The boy gets up without much of a fight, moving to a seat in the second row as Allie gets comfortable next to me. She reaches out and rubs my arm, mouthing, “Sorry” before she glares back at the girls.

Lea looks back at Allie and I see her stare waiver when Allie looks back. That’s when her eyes narrow before she scowls, “And where were you, Alejandra? Busy figuring out which side you really play for?” She glances at my desk, “Looks like girls this year. Watch out ladies, she’ll munch your pie and steal your boyfriend.”

I’m not sure about the history of these two girls. But I’m not going to sit back and let her shame the sexuality of one of the only people nice to me in this frigid place. So I pipe up, “Lea, from the sounds of it, it seems like you can’t keep a partner.”

Lea jerks her head back, face turning red before she yells, “And it looks like you can’t keep parents!”

Having heard way too many remarks about my parents, I’m up from my seat before I can think. Allie calls my name but I hardly hear it. My fists clench and they’re headed for Lea. She smirks and it only makes me wish I could move faster.

When I reach her desk I tower over her. “Get the fuck up.”

Her expression doesn’t change. “No.”

“Let’s deal with this.” I’m looking down at her from my nose.

She chortles, “What? You’re going to fight me?”

“Clearly you want one.” I reach for her shirt.

Pulling on the fabric, a man’s voice calls my name. “Miss Rowland?”

My heart sinks and the room becomes quiet again, my fists unclenching.

Shit. I know exactly who’s behind me and my shot at a good first impression is that. Shot.

I turn around and the teacher who I haven’t even gotten the chance to meet has his eyebrows lowered my way. He looks younger than Mr. Hill, standing in a denim jacket over a plaid shirt. He points a thumb towards the door. “We’ll have to save the greetings for later. You’re on the way to the Headmaster’s office.”

“Mr. Trout, it wasn’t Jo,” Allie pipes up from the back of the class. “She was being bullied from what I saw.”

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