Page 27 of Surge

"I can't believe they're targeting you. They're a bunch of assholes." Piper had been the most excited to see us eat in the cafeteria after we had avoided it all week. She wasn't a stranger to being bullied herself and went through a rough patch in junior high.

"Hot assholes." Santina looked over her shoulder at their table. "I'm missing my daily eye-candy today."

I laughed because Santina was a lesbian. She swore it was because penises looked like they had the eye of Mordor.

"I've got some eye-candy right here." Alex elbowed her. "I don't see why they are so popular. They don't do anything except swim."

Ivy began ticking reasons off on her fingers. "They're rich, mysterious, have amazing bodies, and I hear they are amazing lovers."

A chip went down the wrong way and I coughed, tears springing to my eyes. All eyes were on me as I took a swig of Sprite and shook my head. "How can high schoolers possibly know what good sex is?" This wasn't a romance novel.

"If you have enough of it." Aiden looked to their table and put his cheek on his fist. "I bet Miles is an amazing lover."

"I do not need to hear about your sexual conquests." Alex laughed. "You're really thinking about going after him?"

"He asked me out." Aiden grinned and did a little finger wave to Miles, who was looking in our direction. "If he wants to test the waters and explore his sexuality with me, I'm fine with that."

I missed the lunch crew we ate with. It was yet another thing that had been missing from my life over the past few days. I needed to find normal again, or as close to normal as possible.

I'd never felt like I needed to hide away and never come out again, but the last several days it had been temping to just stop caring.

My day was really starting to look up, but then the three of them walked into the cafeteria and headed straight for our table.

"Fuck." Ivy stood and put herself between them and the table. My best friend was badass to her core.

"Move out of the way, Ariel-reject." Morgan glared around her at me. "Unless you want to be next."

If I could have seen her face, I'm sure she would have rolled her eyes. "Listen, fish boys, I don't know who you think you are-"

In the next second, Jax was around her and pulling me to my feet. "Come with us. Now." I didn't want my arm pulled off, so I stood.

The entire cafeteria had gone silent. Where the hell were the SROs? They should have been in the cafeteria doing their job. There were usually two during lunch that kept the peace.

"She isn't going anywhere with you." Aiden stood and pulled me away from Jax and put me behind him. "Go pick on someone else."

Jax narrowed his eyes. For a second, I thought a fight was going to break out, but then Jax backed up a step. "You'll regret this."

"I can't wait," Aiden deadpanned as they walked out of the cafeteria.

As soon as they were gone, the noise reached deafening levels, and I wanted to bury my head in the sand.

I sat back down and stared at my half-eaten food. "Thanks, guys. That was pretty-"

"Murderer. Murderer. Murderer." The chanting started from the far side of the cafeteria where the Tritons crew sat and got louder and louder.

My face was probably as red as Ivy's hair as I ran for the nearest exit. I'd rather run than have them see my cry.

I ran right into a brick wall of a body and almost fell back. "Officer Thomas. They-"

He laughed and shoved past me just before Ivy and Aiden came out of the cafeteria. I stood gaping as he walked into the cafeteria, the chanting filtering out and then cutting off as the door shut.

I shut my eyes and held up a hand as Aiden started to talk. "I need to get out of here."

"We'll come with you." Ivy's voice was shaking.

"Alone."

I walked as fast as I could to the nearest bathroom and shut and locked the main door. I didn't hear anyone inside and a sob escaped me.

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