Page 89 of Brutal Prince

Briar

Ican’t concentrate on a single word Kruger is saying, but I don’t need to. I’ve read the whole textbook already, and memorized most of it. I only bother paying attention when Kruger goes into detail on something, and that happens rarely. I’m not a fan of Business Studies, but I prefer learning at my own pace. That is, a month or two, not twelve.

If this were psychology, of course, I’d be paying attention. As much as I loathe Veroza, he drops nuggets of his time as a practicing psychiatrist all the time. I think it’s technically unethical, but he can never remember his patients’s names, so I guess it’s cool.

I can’t wait until I get real world experience in that field. I’m keeping my options open, but I decided a long time ago that I want to work with people. I’ll probably intern as a social worker for a while to build up my experience, and then move onto something else. I’m easily bored, so I can’t imagine myself settling down long enough to open a practice or anything like that.

With my trust fund maturing on my twenty-first birthday, I don’t have to do anything. But that would be boring as fuck. What’s the point of traveling around the world and merely existing for the sake of being alive, when there’s no one to do it with you?

A yawn cracks my jaw. I stretch into it, rocking back on my chair until it creaks. The gesture makes the note in my pocket crumple.

I snort softly to myself.

Detention.

I don’t think I’ve ever had detention. Why the fuck Denard thought my abscondence was bad enough to punish me, I can’t begin to—

My chair legs thump back onto the carpet, jarring me.

Addison.

The bitch.

No one else would have bothered to report me. But she’s got a fucking stick up her ass of late. Probably thought I was out there raping her friend. Explains why Denard was being such a cunt to Parsons. Ms. Parsons is a wallflower, but I’ve seen her standing her ground before. She obviously knew she was in the wrong, because she gobbled up Denard’s bullshit with a spoon and asked for a goddamn second helping.

I thump my fist down on the desk before I can control myself.

Kruger stops talking, and stares at me for a long moment.

Don’t come over. Don’t come over. Don’t—

My mental plea works — Kruger gives the class a haughty once over before carrying on with his lecture.

I haven’t eaten yet. Should let Marcus know we’re stopping for food somewhere before heading home.

I pull out my phone, but before I can open my messenger app, a new notification comes through.

Told you to stay away.

I’m torn between anger and disbelief. She rats me out to the teachers, and then she still has the audacity to fuck with me?

I can’t even remember how many times I told Jess that Addy wasn’t good for her. The jealous cunt always had something catty to say to me behind Jessica’s back. I didn’t mention it at first, but when Addy started getting personal — asking if I’d fucked her friend yet, or if I was stringing her along for another month — I lost my cool. I had a long talk with Jessica and laid it all out.

Jess chose Addy’s side, of course. They’d been BFF fucking pinkie friends and shit since kindergarten.

I couldn’t get it into Jessica’s head that people change. Sometimes, for the worst. No one likes to think that. We’re all real fucking precious about everyone that’s been in our lives for longer than a year or two, but it’s the goddamn truth.

People lie.

People change.

But when it’s a friend, we’re blindsided.

Think I’m bluffing? Let me show you…

I’d been so caught up in my thoughts, I hadn’t even typed out a reply. I sit back, inhaling a heavy breath as I wait.

Yeah, show me what you got, Addy. This oughta be fucking good. Wish I’d got me some popcorn.

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