Page 63 of Ramsay

“What? No!!” A shudder cascades through her slight form but I’m given no time to respond before she stands abruptly and mutters as she walks away, “Whatever, it was just a question.”

My heart sinks as I stare after her, hoping the revulsion I saw behind her eyes doesn’t mean what I think it does.

Matt shifts beside me, and I glance at him questioningly, but he flushes under my gaze and turns away.

“I don’t know exactly what happened,” he says, “but—“

“Matt,” Bone interjects from where he’s seated across the way.

I rear back when Matt’s eyes flash angrily because he’s always been so quiet and sweet that it’s an emotion I wasn’t expecting.

“See ya,” he says, standing with a scowl and walking away.

“Was it something I said?” I ask.

I’m clearly not in the fold if Bone is warning Matt off from me. This is not the best of news, but I’ll have to adapt and revise.

It’s the only choice I have.

Bone chuckles and bends his knee, resting his hand along his leg, as he asks, “You think you’re too good for us? Don’t want the shit?”

Raising a brow, I look him in the eyes and say coldly, “You know why, Bone.”

Chuckling, he dips his chin. “How do you know Jagger?”

Now it’s my turn to avoid prying eyes and I fumble with the zipper of my jacket uneasily, as I say, “The biggest mistake of them all.”

“He’s been asking about you.”

“About what?”

Fuck me, but Jagger will not quit. Fucking freak.

“Where you live. Who you’re fucking. Who’s your dealer,” he says casually, but the intensity behind his eyes belies the affectation.

“And you said?”

Shrugging, he says, “Nothing. I don’t know who you’re fucking or where you live.”

“And my dealer,” I ask through clenched teeth.

He raises his arms and holds out his palms. “Not me.”

“Jagger’s bad news,” I warn, and rise to my feet, thoroughly annoyed.

“No shit,” he exclaims.

Waving, I walk away, deep in thought. Dixie’s got a secret I’m gonna have to mine from her and Bone’s still suspicious of my motives. Matt’s got a few angry thoughts of his own and dealing with all this shit is mentally fucking exhausting.

Since lunch is almost over, I head back to the building, suddenly bone tired from all the bullshit piling up around me. This place is like a fucking teenage drama, except without the moral lesson and happy ending.

Chapter Fourteen

Willow

Thanksgiving is a grim affair. I’m allowed to avoid my school problems for the week following but only so my sister’s funeral can be arranged.

Which is excruciating, and I battle my inner demons with every flower decided upon and every article of clothing passed over because the grim reality that we’re burying her head seems to be something only I consider as the days trudge along.

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