Page 3 of Tricky Girls

He pulls me around, hard enough for something to pop. I cradle my arm, peering up into his dark, angry eyes. Angry at me? He has no right, but it’s just like him to deflect his mistakes onto me. He’ll be spewing some shit soon, spinning all this so it’s my fault.

‘Touch me again and I’ll kill you.’

He scoffs at that, a slimy smile on his face. ‘Fuck off, Tilda. Jesus, you can be a bitch.’ He throws up his arms. ‘You don’t evenlikeme!’

Well, he has a point but… ‘If you don’t get away from me, Ryan, I am going to fucking scream.’

‘Go ahead.’ He folds his arms, eyes goading. ‘We’re in a haunted maze. Everyone’s fucking screaming.’

As if on command, a group of students shriek in the next tunnel, one of them shouting aboutThe Purge.

Those LED mask wielders, probably.

Wish they’d come round here, so I could take their glow sticks and shove them up Ryan’s—

‘Let’s get out so we can talk. And we should probably find Tash and make sure…’

He looks over his shoulder to where Natasha had left, her name on his lips spurring me on to keep walking. I turn one corner and then another. This fucking maze. Where the hell’s the exit?

Ryan growls behind me, once again grabbing my arm. It’s throbbing from his earlier yank and the pain angers me even more than their kiss.

‘Get off! Stop’—I push at his chest—‘fucking’—and again—‘touching me!’

He’s too strong to be moved though, even with my teeth gritted and giving it my all. The momentum bounces me backwards, right into another immovable body. I look up into a lit, grinning face, black gloved hands steadying me at my waist.

I step away. For a moment there’s nothing but silence. Then Ryan tosses up his arms. ‘Do you fucking mind?’

‘Nope,’ one of the purgers says easily, voice muffled behind their mask. ‘But she clearly does.’

‘That’s my girlfriend.’

When I scoff, the purger looks at me. ‘That true?’

‘Dunno.’ I glare at Ryan. ‘Would he still be your boyfriend if you caught him kissing your best friend?’

The purger chuckles. ‘Oh, mate.’ They poke me in the side with their glow stick. ‘Want him gone?’

‘Yeah.’ I fold my arms decisively. ‘I do.’

It’s an odd moment, the four of us standing around like this. Ryan shakes his head, face screwed up at the incredulity.

When he makes no move to leave, the other purger steps forward. ‘Want me to punch him in the face?’

‘What—?’

There’s no time to answer before they’re flying their gloved fist into his face. He keels over, moaning. It was a good shot, the crunch of it still ringing in the air.

The purger pushes me down the tunnel. ‘Time to bounce, baby.’

I look back to Ryan once but it’s dizzying craning my head whilst running at full pelt with two purgers by my side. I blow out a laugh, the wind drying the tears on my cheeks. What’s even happening right now?

Purger One, the one who punched Ryan, lets out a whoop, leaping up into the air as it becomes opaque with dry ice. We exit the maze easily and I hope to God Ryan is still lost in there somewhere, preferably with his eyes blackening from a broken nose.

I can’t see Natasha anywhere. I wonder if she’s gone back to the dorm, or maybe to the nurse. Either way I can’t bear the thought of going back home. Ignoring the two purgers still plastered to my side, garnering thirsty looks, I make for a stall and order another triple vodka.

A gloved hand slams onto the bar when I take out my card, Purger Two pushing into me from behind. ‘I’ll get this, babe. You look like you’ve had a rough night.’

I let them go ahead, dwelling on their voice. Not only is itnotmale, it’s also somewhat familiar.

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