Page 110 of Science Project

NICOLE

Heart pounding in my ears, I stood in a dimly lit room and stared at the blood dripping off Akio’s fist. Tension hung heavily in the air, and the poisoned scent of piss and fear clung to every wall of this huge room.

In the center of the warehouse, a man who I was sure had touched me at some point—there had been so many men that I could barely keep it straight anymore—was tied to a chair, his face swollen from the punches Akio had already thrown.

Blood dripped onto the floor from Akio’s fist, and I listened to it splatter on the concrete. Akio, the scrawny kid who was just supposed to be my science project partner, stood over the man with ferocious eyes.

Never before had I seen him like this, and, God … I thought I loved it.

Consumed by anger, Akio hurled another punch to the man’s jaw. The thud echoed throughout the room, and a pained cry left the man’s mouth. My lips twitched into a small smile as adrenaline rushed through me.

My breaths came in shallow gasps, but it wasn’t from fear. No. Not at all this time.

I physically couldn’t peel my gaze away. Every punch, every scream—it was music to my ears because the last time he had seen me, I had been the one screaming in pain and in agony, begging for him to stop.

“I’ll give you anything you want!” he cried. “Just stop!”

“Anything I want, huh?” Akio taunted, slamming another fist into his mouth.

The man in the chair groaned in pain, and a giggle left my lips, one that I couldn’t stop. One that I didn’t want to stop. Akio glanced over at me, his eyes filled with excitement and his lips curled into a wider smirk.

“Nicole,” Akio said, his voice gruff, “do you want to try?”

The room fell silent, and the man shook his head at me in horror, breathing raggedly. Akio stood over our captive, chest heaving and knuckles beyond bloodied. I was waiting for him to take it back, to snap out of this trance.

Because this wasn’t him.

But he stepped back from the man and pulled a knife out of his back pocket, extending his arm for me to take the weapon. My eyes grew wider, and my heart pumped so loudly that I could hear it all around me.

“Yes,” I whispered, “I do want a try.”

“Here,” Akio whispered, placing the knife in my hand and wrapping my fingers around it. “Hurt him.”

I gripped the knife tightly and walked closer to the man who had hurt me, relishing in the fear evident in his eyes. He shook wildly and screamed at the top of his lungs for me to stop. But like my screams had driven those men to rape me, his screams only made me want to hurt him more.

With a deep breath, I smirked softly at the man, and then in one swoop, I slashed the blade across his face, happiness washing over me.

CHAPTER

SIXTY-SEVEN

NICOLE

Halfway through lunch, I walked into the Redwood Academy cafeteria and stared at all the students chatting busily with each other. Nobody peered my way, and I wasn’t sure where I was accepted anymore.

Not with the cheerleaders. They hated me.

There weren’t any seats left with the jocks. Plus, all they wanted was to fuck anyway.

My gaze traveled to an empty table in the front of the cafeteria, near the deans and teachers who oversaw lunchtime. I blew out a breath and really wished that Akio had come to school today, but his wounds were really acting up.

I tightened my grasp on my backpack and headed to the empty table. Well, I guess?—

“Nicole!” someone shouted from my left.

Standing at a lunch table, Allie waved both her hands in the air. Imani looked over her shoulder at me and smiled softly, nodding me over too. Warmth spread through me, and I … I couldn’t explain the feeling inside my chest.

They sat with Vera, Maddie, and Sakura Sato, who I think had a thing for one of the teachers here. I slowly walked over to them, unsure if they actually wanted me to be here with them, but none of them gave me any sour expression.

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