Page 446 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

Letting myself in as quietly as possible, I sneak up the stairs to my room. I just want to wash my face, change into my bulkiest, comfiest clothes, and sleep for a week. My last class of the day was with Marissa, and because she sits in the front of the class, I had no choice but to stare at the back of her head for like an hour.

I stagger at the top of the stairs when I take a step that isn’t there, and giggle into my blazer’s sleeve at how stupid I am.

“I see you’re drinking again.”

The hair on my arm stands up straight at the sound of Jude’s voice so close to me. I spin around, knocking his chest by accident and plucking my hand away like it burns. This time of day we’re usually still at school. But since Jude isn’t at practice, I’m home earlier. Is Rosie here?

It’s not just the thought that I’m alone with Jude that makes me run. It’s the dark smile on his face, the intense slit of his eyes, the way the muscles in his neck cord as if he’s getting ready to snatch me.

I bounce off the wall, barely keeping my balance, and try to turn my bedroom door’s handle. Jude grabs the back of my neck and shoves me against the wood before I get it right.

“Know what I did today, Harper?” he asks, leaning so close that every word paints my face with his warm breath.

“Let go!” I push the words out through a grimace, desperate not to show him how much he’s hurting me.

“Nothing. I did absolutely fuckingnothing.” He bangs a fist into the wood beside my head, and my eyes squeeze closed on instinct. “And I hated every fucking second of it.”

He pulls me away, hand still clamped tight. God, how I wish I hadn’t had so much vodka. I’m a complete fucking mess right now. Nothing calm or collected about me. But how the hell else was I supposed to get through the day?

What I saw on the bathroom door wasn’t the last of it. When I was leaving Cinderhart High, heading for my Uber, I walked past a group of juniors. Usually, they wouldn’t dare say anything to a senior, but all three of the girls started panting, their tongues stuck out and their eyes crossed like lunatics.

I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Now this?

I try to tear Jude’s fingers off my neck, but he’s got such a good grip it’s impossible especially since I’m still trembling from the shock of him coming up behind me, from the vodka, from fucking everything.

Why do I even bother?

I go limp and let him haul me down the stairs. Right then I don’t even care where we’re going. I just want it to end.

He takes me to the kitchen and drags me in front of a cabinet. “Make us some popcorn,” he commands. When I don’t move, he slaps my ass so hard that I gasp. I can’t even turn my head to throw him a glare.

I go through the motions—taking out a bag of popcorn, unfolding it, putting it in the microwave, waiting for it to pop. The whole time, Jude teases me with his free hand. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, grazing his knuckles down my cheek, caressing the curve of my ass.

A few days ago, his touch would have sent me into a frenzy. But now I barely feel anything. It’s like I disassociated the moment he crushed me against my bedroom door.

“Movie time!” he announces as soon as I’ve shaken the popcorn into a serving bowl. He grabs it from the counter, spilling kernels all over the floor as he swings it in a wide arc.

Something’s wrong. He’s acting wild like he’s out of his fucking mind. And he’s taking me back to the place where he sodomized me...I’m guessing so he can do it again. Or maybe this time he’ll take my virginity. If I told him he’d be my first, would he reconsider? I doubt it. It would probably turn him on.

The screening room is dark, and he doesn’t bother turning on the lights. He puts the popcorn down on the large daybed and sits, pulling me into his lap before I can escape. Slinging an arm around my waist, he keeps me pinned as he pushes a piece of popcorn against my lips.

“Open,” he murmurs.

But I don’t. Because fuck him.

He chuckles darkly as he eats the popcorn. “Thought we could watch a skin flick, what do you say? I found a real gem...thought you’d appreciate it. It’s soyou.I’ve jerked off about six times to it already.”

I’m still wearing my school blazer, but he shoves the popcorn bowl aside and takes it off me, tossing it onto the nearestrecliner. I expect him to keep undressing me, but all he does is graze his hands over my breasts before taking up the remote and pressing play.

Cheesy porn music blares through the stereo system. I grab his wrist, trying to drag his arm away from my middle. He just holds me tighter and nuzzles his head into my neck.

“Oh, you’re gonna want to see this, Sis. It’sreallygood.”

“Just do it,” I mutter, punching his arm. “Do whatever the fuck you want to me so I can go to bed.”

And never wake up.

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