Page 108 of Fire Fight

Safety,my brain helpfully reminds me and isn’t that an ironic joke.

“This is the second time you’ve made an unsubstantiated accusation. Does your mother know you’re out here, risking a libel suit every time you open your stupid gob?”

“Better to be in court than be the school bike or a fucking pyro.” He shakes his head. “I’ve half a mind to report your behaviour to the principal.”

Drake sniggers. “Half a mind is right.”

But my outrage fires.“Youwant to reportme?You must be having a laugh.”

“Only at your expense. You’re the one whose nude photos are on everyone’s phone.”

Mynude photos?

Hudson saunters away like he won the battle.

“Oh, no. You fucking don’t.” I stalk after him, grabbing his shirt sleeve and spinning him to face me. My forefinger pokes his chest as punctuation. “You want the truth? You’re a pathetic loser. It’s no wonder the only way you’ve ever seen a girl naked is by spying on them through your hidden camera.”

“Sure,I’mpathetic,” he scoffs. “Except if your stepbrother hadn’t vandalised my car, I’d have won my bet a few weeks ago. You were following me around with your tongue hanging out, you were that desperate.”

“Desperate for what?” I scan him slowly from head to toe, letting my expression do the talking. “I was being polite, you stupid arsehole. But if you want the truth instead, here it is. You can’t kiss.”

I take a step closer to him, alight with satisfaction when he falls back an equal distance.

“Your mouth is a slobbery mess.”

Another step, another retreat.

“When you touched me, it ranged from feeling nothing to making my skin crawl.”

Hudson’s cheeks turn redder with every second, clashing with his strawberry blond hair. “Just because you get off fucking a pyromaniac doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me.”

“No. It’s the filming girls in secret that means there’s something wrong with you. It’s the betting on whether you can get some girl to take pity on you long enough to let you fuck her.”

I put my hands on my hips, chest heaving from exertion as I vent everything I’ve held back for too long.

“And tell me, Hudson. Did you win that bet?”

A boy near the window chokes out a laugh and I don’t need to turn to know it’s Viliami.

“Don’t know what you find so funny, twin two,” I say, whirling on him while Salesi barks out a surprised laugh. “You played and lost at the same game.”

“Hey!” Viliami holds up his hands, still chuckling. “I was just trying to make a quick buck for my amusement. No need to attack me for that.”

“As if that makes it better,” Rox says, snarling when his smile remains intact. “Is there anyone here who hasn’t been offered a ride on the twin express?” She tosses her head. “You’re all as disgusting as each other.”

“Careful,” Hudson says with a sneer. “You don’t want to upset her highness by forming your own opinion.”

“Don’t worry,” Gretchen calls out, marching to stand beside me in solidarity. Arms folded. Eyes glaring.

I don’t know who among us is more shocked.

“When it comes to a bottom feeder who thinks filming teenage girls without their knowledge is fun, that’s an opinion the entire senior year shares.”

Their unexpected support makes my pulse beat faster.

She takes out her phone, swiping to a screen that she flashes at Hudson. “This is the one, isn’t it? The top secret, everybodymust take it to their grave website where you organise these stupid games?”

His widening eyes are the only answer but they’re enough.

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