Page 31 of The Venom We Bleed

My insides tremble with barely repressed rage. Looking up into the fuckwad’s face, I drop his phone to the floor and as his eyes widen, I lift my foot and crush it under my boot.

“Hey!” He reaches for my arm, but I react instinctively, punching him in the face as I bring my foot down a second time and hear the crack of his phone screen. The asshole stumbles back, holding his hand over his now bleeding nose.

I don’t bother to offer any more of a response. I just lift my foot away from his phone and walk around him. I get about three feet when he shouts after me. “You can’t do that!” he yells. “You broke my fucking phone!”

I pause and look back. “You were the one stupid enough to believe that ad,” I tell him. “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. You’re lucky I didn’t crush your balls as well.”

I stomp away from him and the cafeteria, sensing the burn of all eyes on the back of my head and the sides of my face. I’ll never get used to it—being a beacon of interest. Sometimes, I wish I’d been born into a moderate life. Boring. Plain. Invisible. Maybe then these types of things wouldn’t get to me. Because worse than the actual post and ad, I saw one of the names that reshared the post. Even if she hadn’t made it herself, it still stung that Avery would share it. I inhale hard and hold my breath as I keep walking.

It doesn’t matter,I tell myself.You cut her off months ago.

Still, the open wound she caused on the same night I lost the rest of my previous life stings as if it’s fresh.

No one else says a word to me the rest of the day about the obviously fake advertisement. It’s clear that the creator meant for it to be used to humiliate me. I’m not humiliated. I’m not even embarrassed. What I am is fucking pissed. It’s like anger is the only emotion I even know anymore. Despite that, when I spot Roquel in class, I don’t avoid her this time. I take my seat alongside her and offer her a smile. It’s been a shit day, but at least there’s one bright spot—I have a job and that’s all thanks to her.

“Hey, um, I went to that place you talked about last week,” I tell her, working my anger into the back of my mind as I do what I know I should—acknowledging that she’s the only one, other than Cory and Principal Long, who’s actually tried to help me since my life fell to shit.

Roquel leans to the side and grins at me. “And?” she prods.

She already knows what happened. I can see it in her eyes. “I got the job,” I tell her anyway. “Thanks for suggesting it.”

Roquel sits back in her seat and her grin morphs into a smirk. “I’m glad it worked out,” she confesses. “Aunt Ma-Ri needs more waitresses because everyone wants to be a host, but I figured you’d prefer that.”

“Yeah, you could’ve warned me what kind of place it was though,” I say. “I thought I was walking into a strip club.”

The tinkling sound of Roquel’s laugh makes a few people turn their heads at the front of the class, but we don’t pay them any mind. “Totally not a strip club,” she says. “Host clubs are a big thing in Asia. Auntie Ma-Ri used to be a big deal at one of the best ones in Seoul before she immigrated. Besides, I figured it’d be easier and better for her to explain the setup or for you to figure it out yourself.”

“Yeah, well, regardless…” I lift my head as the teacher strides into the classroom, rolling a heavy-looking cart with a box TV towards the front of the class. “I’m still thankful. I appreciate it.” More than she’ll ever know.

For the first time, it feels like I’m actually going to make it through this school year. Fuck all of the bully tactics and high school bullshit. So long as I’m not in danger of starving or being homeless, things are good. Actually, better than that, they’re looking up. I have a job. I have freedom.

The student chatter turns to excitement as the teacher explains that we’re watching an old 90s version of Romeo and Juliet. She could’ve said we were going to watch reruns of old commercials and I think everyone would’ve still been ecstatic.

A movie day this early in the semester? I don’t care if that means the teacher is a lazy fuck, I could kiss her for it. I’ve seen this version of Romeo and Juliet at least half a dozen times before, which means I might be able to catch a quick nap to make up for the shit sleep I got the night before.

Things are definitely looking up.

14

JULIET

My head continues to pound from several long nights and lack of sleep, but that doesn’t stop me from hitting up Cory’s gym after I finish my final shift of the week at The Dionysus Lounge. It feels like an eternity has passed since I’ve set foot in the dingy, cement room that makes up the majority of Cory’s building. There’s no need for me to change since I swapped clothes after I got off the bus and my warm-up had been the thirty-minute walk over.

Instead of heading straight for the locker rooms like normal, I go in search of the gym’s owner, hoping to gain some insight into his relationship with Principal Long and possibly get a good spar in while I’m at it. As I move through the space, diving around big bulky men in workout gear, I frown. Normally, I avoid the gym during their busiest hours, but with school now in session and my new job, I don’t have much of a choice but to come when I can.

I’d hoped that a Friday afternoon meant this place would be nearly empty, but as I catch sight of a familiar dark head and make a beeline toward Cory, the sounds of masculine grunts and dumbbells dropping onto padded floors make me rethinkthat assumption. Friday afternoons, it appears, makes Cory’s gym a hopping place to be.

I keep walking, ignoring the stares I get until I reach the sparring ring towards the back of the big room. That’s where Cory comes completely into view, leaning against the wall as he watches two fighters circle each other in the ring. I don’t even spare the guys a glance, and instead, round the big roped-off section until I’m at his side.

“Hey, girl,” he greets casually. “Ain’t seen much of you ‘round here since school started.”

“Yeah.” I recline against the wall at his side. “Been busy. Got a job.”

“You did?” My lips twitch when his head swivels in my direction. I don’t blame him for being surprised. The fact that anyone would be willing to hire Silverwood’s number one pariah is shocking to me too. “Congrats.”

“Thanks.” A grunt sounds within the ring and I catch sight of one of the opponents as he stumbles into ropes across from us. His partner stands tall and firm with both feet spread apart and his back to me.

“So, funny thing,” I start again, looking back at Cory. “I got into a bit of trouble my first day and ended up meeting the principal.”

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