Page 31 of Drifting

A girl with bleached blonde hair sits on Cam’s lap.

As he wraps one arm around her waist, it takes everything in me not to storm over there and rip his arm off her. It doesn’t belong there. I turn my head sharply away from them to stare at the ground.

Hannah and a dirty-blond girl slowly stroll up. I don’t see what’s coming until it’s too late as Hannah fake-trips and spills her beer all over me.

I jump up and shake the beer off. Great, now my cast is going to smell like beer.

“Oops, sorry. I tripped.” Hannah puts her hand over her mouth, and her friends try not to laugh.

“Well, at least it’s a familiar smell. Should you even be drinking?” the bleached-blond girl taunts.

“Back off, Jenna, that’s uncalled for,” Luke retorts.

“Isn’t alcoholism hereditary?” Jenna says, ignoring him. “Everyone should be aware not to give her any alcohol.”

Hannah smirks. “Just trying to be a good stepsister.”

“Her mother’s not an alcoholic,” Nick seethes at his sister.

Luke stands and takes two steps toward me while taking off his shirt. He hands it to me. “Try to soak up some of the beer.”

The shirt feels expensive. There’s no way I’m about to use an eighty-dollar shirt to soak up the beer.

I hand it back. “I don’t want to use your shirt. I’ll be okay.”

“Told you she likes the smell.” Jenna smiles. “She doesn’t even want to wipe it off.”

I give her a dirty look. “No, you dumb bimbo, I don’t want to use an eighty-dollar shirt to wipe it off.”

“Don’t worry about it, Luke.” Hannah smiles sweetly at him. “The smell should remind her of home.”

“What’s she wearing, anyway? Where did she get those clothes? From a second-hand store?” Jenna, still on Cam’s lap, snickers.

“Yeah, I did.” I glare. “What’s your point?”

“Eww, you’re wearing someone else’s clothes.” Jenna cringes.

Spoiled, rich girls. There’s nothing wrong with buying clothes at a second-hand store. Some even had the tag still on them.

“She looks like she belongs on the street,” another girl says.

“She’s all busted up.” The girl with light-brown hair curls her lip. “Did your pimp daddy beat you up for not bringing in enough money?”

“Look at her one knee.” The dirty-blond points. “It’s all scarred up. She must like giving blow jobs.”

Jeanna chuckles. “Who would pay to screw her?”

“I bet, if you get her drunk enough, she’d be willing to do anything,” Hannah says smugly. “She’s a low life and doesn’t belong here. My dad needs to pack her and Patty up and throw them back where he found them. It’s only a matter of time before I make him see that.”

I’ve kept my mouth shut long enough. The whole time Hannah and her friends ridiculed me, I hoped the guys would jump in and make them stop, but they didn’t. I understand, but I’m not going to stand here and let them belittle me.

I get right in Hannah’s face, and she scrunches her nose from the smell of the beer. “If you’re going to taunt me, at least use the correct information. Patty’s not an alcoholic, she’s a drug addict. And everything you and your friends have been taunting me with is old news. I’ve heard it a thousand times over, and I don’t care anymore. Patty and I aren’t going anywhere, sister. I’m going to stay right here just to make your life miserable. And if you keep this shit up, I’ll teach you what a trashy city girl like me can do.” I shove my chest against hers.

When Hannah goes to shove me back, I react on instincts, pulling my arm back, my hand curled into a fist.

Luke catches my wrist, stopping me from hitting Hannah. He frowns, but his eyes show sympathy.

I rip my arm out of his hold. Dammit, I can’t believe I lost my cool. I could have really hurt her.

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