Page 44 of King

The rest of the night, we gossip about the Supreme Squad and throw on more comedic classics. By two in the morning, Willow's asleep at my side.

With a smile on my face, I curl up beside her. I plan on basking in every bit of this weekend because before I know it, I’ll be back at the academy. In the devil’s domain.

Henry pulls up to the school on Monday and it’s like deja vu. The kids in the front yard whisper and Willow takes off with her new pals, leaving me alone to face the music.

With my mind on my silver linings, I head to find Nate and Allie, but when I get inside, everything changes.

Colourful flyers line the walls and lockers with an image in the middle. Some students walk by with the same flyer in their hands. They giggle and point at it before giggling and pointing at me.

Tilting my head to the side I start making out the image.

No.

Grabbing it from one of their hands, I hear a “Whore," but I'm too enraged to bite back. Flyer in hand, I confirm what I'm seeing.

It's me.

I'm in my bra and panties, the same ones from gym class. In the photo, my face is a copy of what it must be now. Angry and confused.

Looking around, the Stupid Squad is nowhere in sight. Storming down the hall, I'm tearing the flyers off walls and lockers as I go by. If Damien’s behind this I’m going to find him. And when I do, he’s going to pay.

He's not hiding far. I’m in front of the office when I hear his voice, “Dad? What are you doing here? Again?”

“Mind your business, Damien.” I turn around to see Sebastien King and Cindy Huang walking towards the office. I’m mortified that they’re seeing this scandal unfold.

“You’re in my school, this is my business,” Damien calls back. “You’re here every fucking day doing what the fuck ever but you have no time to listen to my plans?”

“Damien, now’s not the time.”

“Bullshit,” Damien spits. “It’s never the time.”

Sebastien says something to Cindy and she continues down the hall. There are only a few kids in sight but they scurry by when they see the Kings in the hallway.

Cindy sees me staring and looks me up and down, her hand on the office door. “Looks like you have some cleaning up to do. And I don’t mean the cafe.” She straightens her posture and walks inside the office in time for me to see Damien’s dad look over his shoulder and pull him down a hallway.

I follow them because I must be an idiot but the way his dad is hauling him looks pretty fucking aggressive. Now I see where Damien gets it from.

When I get closer to them I hear a SMACK!

“You want to embarrass our name in our own halls? You know the long line of family history that’s here. You won’t ruin it with your outlandish bullshit!”

“That’s all you care about isn’t it?” When I peek around the corner Damien is holding his face. “Business and bullshit appearances.”

“I care about you!” Sebastien glances down the hall but I pull my head back before he sees me. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Damien starts walking away, his uniform dishevelled, cheek red.

“Don’t you walk away from me!”

Pulling back as he gets around the corner, I’m too late. His shoulder hits mine and when he sees me his eyes narrow. Teeth clenched.

I speak first, “Looks like the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”

His whole body tenses, lean muscles outlined in his shirt. “What the fuck do you want, Medusa?” As usual, he doesn’t hesitate to get in my face but this time his voice is more strained, tighter. The side of his cheek is as red as a lobster and something inside me urges me to touch it, but I don’t.

Instead, I get to business. “This is not okay.” I push the flyer featuring yours truly at his hard chest. “Call off your twisted kingdom of flying monkeys. I don’t deserve this.”

He grabs the flyer out of my hand, voice tired, “You’re right, this is my twisted kingdom and you’re mine too.” Eyes wandering around the photo, his lips sweep into a smirk. “Didn’t take you for the virgin panties kinda girl.”

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