Page 33 of King

Does Cindy know more about me than I realize? And why? Or how much?

“Jo?” He leans over to catch my eyesight before I realize I’ve been staring at nothing. “Oh fuck, wait, I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“No, it's fine.” I shake my head. There’s a hint of red on Christian’s cheeks and I pull my eyes away. My fingers flick at the strap of my watch. “It was a long time ago.”

“Well, let me take this chance and say I’m sorry about last night.” He scratches the back of his neck. The other hand sits on the top of the stick. He gives a weak smile, and that’s when I notice a scratch on the side of his left cheek. “Classic Damien.”

My jaw clenches at his name. So do my thighs. How does anyone let Damien get away with his antics? “What happened?” Touching my cheek I inch closer to get a better look.

Christian backs away, turning his head. “Hockey practice.”

Something tells me that’s a lie. Something also tells me a drunken Damien had something to do with it.

“Is it okay that you’re talking to me? I’m ‘blacklisted’ and all.” Rolling my eyes, I use two fingers as air quotes.

Christian’s knuckles go white around his stick. “Yeah but he doesn’t own me, Rowland.” His voice is a snip. He gives me another up and down before he swivels around. “Anyway, see you in there.”

I’m not too far behind, my kilt and grey knee-highs no match for the chilly pre-autumn air. Taking a deep breath I make my way through the open door to find Lea and her crew in front of the tree.

“Well, if it isn’t Trashy from the Block.” Lea smiles in yellow tights and a matching headband.

I want to ask her what her parents know about mine, but not in front of her squad. I’m not getting any answers when she’s got something to prove. So I turn to my right, ignoring her to get to my locker. I won’t let them push me out of this school. Not without a high school diploma and at the very least, not without some answers.

“Oops!” I bump into one of the young girls from yesterday, her arm reaching up to my hair. “I didn’t see you there.”

Lea and her Trust Fund Trolls giggle and something tells me she definitely saw me there. When I reach for the right side of my head there's something cold. Almost liquidy but it’s too thick. My fingers nudge something plastic and a yogurt container falls to the ground with a clunk.

“Oh no! Looks like little Jenny got her yogurt cup all over your hair!” Lea’s yelling but not because she’s alarmed. That’s all fake. She’s yelling because she wants everyone’s attention on me. “Too bad it isn’t yogurt.”

Georgina puts her hand to her mouth in fake awe as I bring my fingers to my nose. The odour is strong and potent. Like a skunk.

“I didn’t know people could go bald so young!” Another girl has her hands on her cheeks like Kevin in Home Alone.

When I reach up to touch the goop again, strands of hair come with it.

Nair.

These bitches dumped hair depilatory cream on my head.

I pull at my strands again and more comes out. Lea cackles, a chorus of laughter erupting around me. We’ve drawn a crowd. Damien’s at the top of the stairs, a smirk on his face and I know who orchestrated this.

My chest tightens, last night flashing in my mind. I knew it. Kissing Damien was a bad idea.

“Oh no...” Allie pushes through the crowd, Nate not far behind her. I’m too in awe to speak, my anger keeping me tongue-tied. Nate puts his hands on my shoulders and starts leading me away while people whisper around me.

“Bald slut.”

“Stupid whore.”

“This is childish Lea,” Allie yells. “Grow the fuck up.”

Looking back to see Lea’s expression, her smug face falls. The girl next to her picks up her slack, “Might want to take your new girlfriend to a barbershop.”

Ten

“Don’t worry girl, I got you.” Nate presses his shoulder against the girl's bathroom door. “Emergency!”

A girl in front of the mirror curses when she sees Nate leading me to the mirror. “Fuck, Nate, you can’t be in here!”

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