Page 54 of Soul of a Psycho

“Make what easier?” He eyes me with apprehension, as he should, but it’s too late now.

“Having a dislocated jaw…” I say. “It must have made it easier for you to suck all that dick.”

The few students closest to us laugh, and I watch as Caleb’s face turns an ugly shade of red.

Got him.

“Get the fuck off me, man!” He shoves me back, and I put my hands up in defense, hoping that Mrs. Fawn is watching this.

If there’s one button all insecure guys have, it’s the one that threatens their masculinity. Press it, and they feel like they have no choice but to defend themselves. The homophobia is honestly disgusting. But just another example of why I have to make it to graduation.

“Okay. Okay.” I pretend to be shaken. “I didn’t know you were still in the closet. My bad, buddy.”

“I’m not your fucking—”

I assume he saysbuddyas his fist connects with my jaw, but I don’t hear it. I’m too disappointed at the impact. My head doesn’t even swivel. Is that all he’s got?

“Caleb Longhorn!” Mrs. Fawn shouts.

But he’s still focused on me, seething with a tantrum that’s almost comical. He’s not even aware that Iwantedhim to hit me, that it’s just a ploy to get him out of class while keeping my own hands clean. Though, I was hoping for a little more, maybe something that could garner me some sympathy from Mrs. Fawn, something she could take back to the faculty meetings in my favor.

“Come on…” I taunt him under my breath, going for two for the price of one. “You can do better than that.”

“You’re fucked up in the head,” he huffs, eyes darting over my shoulder at our approaching teacher.

I can hear her walking cane clicking rapidly, and I realize I’m running out of time.

“Awh, is that anyway to talk to your lover?” I bait him.

That does it. He swings his elbow back with poor form and then lets his fist loose at my face. There’s a sickening crunch ashis knuckles strike my jaw, and my lip splits. Blood floods my mouth, and I swear I hear Sky gasp. But she doesn’t need to worry. That wasn’t me taking an injury, that was all him.

Caleb cries out a plethora of profanities and cradles his hand to his chest, just as Ms. Lane huddles up behind me.

“You broke my fucking hand!” he yells.

“Serves you right,” Mrs. Fawn grumbles and waddles next to me.

“Let me see, Cade.” She braces her weight on the cane and reaches up to grasp my jaw.

“I’m fine.” I rear back, licking my lip and concealing the blood.

My intention is not to be sent to the infirmary, but to just get Caleb out of here without getting into trouble.

“Mhm.” She purses her lips and turns. “Well, Caleb, you know where the headmistress’s office is.”

She shoo’s a hand at him as he balks.

“I need to go to the infirmary. He broke myhand.”

“Well, whose fault is that?” she asks, and clips her cane at his ankles. “Off you go.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Sky

I’m still cringing over the wordpsychopathwhen Ms. Lane finally hobbles her way back to the front of the class after Caleb skulked out, feeling as if I was the one called a mental patient. I’ve been called a whore and a liar, among other things that I can’t bring myself to think, but none of those things were true. The utterances out of Caleb’s mouth touch on the very real things that Cade has endured, and they were thrown in his face like an insult. And words can maim more than any stick or stone, even more than a punch.

I search Cade’s face for the pain when he turns and stalks towards me, trying to find the wounds of such sharp words. I half expect the slurs to have left lacerations that need mending, but my empathy evaporates when he smirks with satisfaction.

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