Page 410 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

I figured out what I was going to do last night, while I was jerking off in bed with Harper’s panties wrapped around my fist.

Harper leans into Marissa, giggling. My mouth quirks up at the side, a thrill coursing through me.

After this, she’ll be desperate to end the war.

When she’s on her knees, begging for mercy, I’ll keep her there untilI’msatisfied.

Chapter 27

Harper

My stomach turns itself inside out as I stare at the big red F slashed onto the top of my science paper.

I failed.

I’m not surprised, but some optimistic, idealistic, starry-eyed part of me thought everything would just…turn out okay. Even though I walked into class on Wednesday without having studied a single page of Marissa’s notes.

“There’s a make-up test next Friday after school,” Mr. Monroe says in a tone of voice that makes it sound like he couldn’t actually give a fuck if I pass or fail. He’s an old, wrinkly man who smells like an ashtray and has the yellow teeth and fingertips to go with his nicotine addiction. I bet he gets his kicks out of watching dumb asses like me fail his class every semester.

God, this is killing my buzz.

“Thanks,” I mumble.

But he’s already moving onto the kid behind me. I hear a murmured, “Congratulations, Greg. Another A.”

I slump into my arms, inhaling the scent of my deodorant mingling with the desk and the paper.

If I don’t pass science, they’ll hold me back another year, and I’m already behind after all the shit I went through with Mom. I mean, there were six months back when I was thirteen when we stayed in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. How the hell was I supposed to get to school?

Shoving into a sit, I force my eyes wide and take a look around the room. There are only a handful of gloomy faces, and one girl in the far back is crying silently into the sleeve of her blazer.

Marissa sits in the front of the class, but she happens to look back and catch my eye. Her grin fades when all I can muster up is a dreary smile in return. She shrugs, shakes her head. I roll my eyes and prop my cheek on my hand. She faces forward again.

Okay, enough wallowing. I need to take action.

I nod decisively and gather up my things, shoving them into my backpack. I’m going to go home, crack open this textbook, and read it cover-to-cover. I’ll use Marissa’s notes when I get stuck. Maybe even invite her over this weekend if I need more help.

But immediately my mind goes to the attic. It took me a while, but I eventually figured out where Jude had hidden the pool house cache. I kept telling myself the hunt was just a game me and him were playing, a silent version of hide and seek. I didn’t need booze at home, because Talia sold me enough at school to keep me buzzing the whole day. But then I found the boxes of alcohol in the attic, and I had to celebrate my victory.

Shit. Ican’tstudy at home. I don’t dare. I wouldn’t be able to withstand the temptation.

Wait. Thelibrary. It’s perfect.

I rummage around in my backpack and grab out my water bottle. It’s a cute pink one with the words “you got this” in glitter. I glance around casually and take a quick sip, then another. Alast gulp before I stash the bottle back in my backpack, and then I pop a strip of gum into my mouth.

It’s good for my teeth because it’s sugar-free.

I’m so excited about my plan of action, that I sneak out the bottle a moment later and take another gulp.

Jude must be bipolar or something. He doesn’t even make a fuss when I ask him to take me to the library. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the days he’s a psychotic asshole or the ones where he’s a tolerable stepbrother.

“What time should I pick you up?” he asks.

I spin around and have to grab onto the SUV’s mirror so I don’t fall on my ass. My sense of balance is non-existent these days. Maybe I’ve got an ear infection or something.

“Uhm…” I stare into the distance. I’m a lot more tired than I thought I’d be. And I think there was something wrong with the cafeteria’s chicken nuggets because my stomach is feeling all kinds of twisted up. I open the door and climb back inside. “You know what, I’ll go tomorrow.”

I’m sure I can still get some studying done this afternoon. I’ll go sit in the dining room. I’ll gettonsdone.

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