Page 6 of Wicked Nasty

Frustration evident on his face, Kaiden hits his fist against the locker above my head. "Then make me understand! Help me understand what's going through your messed up mind!"

The rest of the Elite Five approach us, concern etched on their faces as they gather around. Kaiden takes a step back, breathing heavily.

"What happened to our promise? No more secrets? No more bullshit?"

I sink down against the lockers, feeling defeated. "Yeah, until my sister tried to hurt you guys and Cat had to kill her. I told you, Kaiden, you just can't comprehend what's going on in my messed up head right now."

He joins me on the floor as X kneels down beside us. "I get it. I really do. Daisy was like a sister to me, Danny. I... I'm sorry."

I nod, tears pricking at my eyes. "Exactly. There are just too many emotions, and I can't handle them anymore."

Iz pats my back, taking a seat beside me. "Call my mom. She can help Danny. But you need to talk to us. You need to talk to someone."

Shaking my head, I stand up. "I can't. This is all my fault. It was my sister. I let Reece into our house. I feel guilty, angry... there are just too many fucking emotions."

X stands and grasps my shoulders firmly. "Dude, if anyone understands what you're going through, it's me. But here's the thing; it's not your fault. Do you know whose fault it is? Daisy and Reece's. They chose to sell drugs, to use them, to put us all in danger and make those shitty decisions. Not us."

"Thanks," I mutter.

"It's okay," Ryan says with a reassuring nod. "We're here for you and we'll get through this together."

The bell rings and students start filing down the hallway, pushing past us to get to their classes. Kaiden pats me on the back.

"Together, man."

The guys all head towards their respective classes, while I lag behind and make my way to mine. As usual, I take a seat in the back of the room, wanting to blend in with the walls. The teacher walks in, tapping her pointer against the chalkboard to get our attention.

"Good morning, class!" she exclaims. "Please stand, as I am now assigning seating for the rest of the year. Push your desks together with the person next to you."

With a heavy sigh, we all stand and gather in front of our desks as she points to each of us individually and then directs us to our new seats.

"You'll be sitting with... Miss Rebecca Carney," she announces. "Now that everyone has their seats, please take some time to get to know your partner. You will be working together on a community project for the remainder of the year."

I turn to face my new desk mate, Becca, who sits across from me with a bored expression on her face. We remain silent until our teacher clears her throat, prompting us to share five things about ourselves with our partner.

"I'm Danny," I introduce myself reluctantly. "I play lacrosse, I have a twin sister… had, I have no interest in this class, and I don't date, so don’t get attached. Oh, and I love going to the beach."

Becca rolls her eyes and pops a bright pink bubble of gum. "I'm Becca," she states matter-of-factly. "I couldn't care less about you, so don't worry about getting attached. My only goal is to pass this class, so please don't mess it up for me. Also, I happen to be fluent in Russian and I like skateboarding just to piss off my mom. And yeah, I hate the beach."

Despite her nonchalant attitude, Becca radiates a fiery energy that inexplicably turns me on. I can’t help but smile and lean back in my chair, silently longing for a cigarette to replace the craving in my mouth.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road.”

Chapter three

Rebecca

Lilith

Dannywaslikeawalking embodiment of everything I despised about this school, this town, and the surrounding community. As soon as the teacher assigns us partners for our project, I raise my hand.

“Can we switch partners?”

But Danny's reaction is all too predictable.

"Are you fuckin' serious?" He scoffs at me.

The teacher shoots him a stern look. "Daniel, language," she scolds before turning to me with her own disapproving gaze. "And no, you cannot switch partners. This project is meant to challenge you to work with someone who is your complete opposite. That's how it works in the real world."

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