Page 42 of Brutal Days

I rolled my eyes then flopped onto her bed. “Yay, you did it. You got invited. Nowhere on there does it say we have togoto the Ring.”

“Your sarcasm is duly noted and rejected.” She grinned over her shoulder then went back to applying her mascara. “We’re going.”

I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my mouth. The web I’d spun twisted around me in an intricately dangerous design, where I felt like the prey rather than the engineer.

“I’m pretty sure I’m his girlfriend now.” Gia fluffed her blond hair. She hadn’t straightened it, and her natural curls gave her a different look than how Mom had styled it.

“How so?” I frowned. Though I was happy for her, my stomach tightened uncomfortably at the thought. “Did he ask you to be his girlfriend?”

“Well, no.” She pursed her lips. “But I’ve been sitting with him at his table during lunch, and he hasn’t allowed that horrible Jessica girl to cling to him. That says something right there.”

My focus sharpened, and everything in me hardened. “Has Jessica or Tracey said anything mean to you?”

Gia only shrugged, refusing to meet my eyes in the mirror. Red stained her cheeks, which was confirmation enough. It looked like I would have to stick to Gia like glue on Monday and smack Jessica down several pegs. I looked forward to it, which was much better than worrying that my plan to help her was imploding.

“Are we driving to the fight together?” I didn’t bother asking where it was because I already knew from friends who liked to go. And I’d gone with Trent once before.

Unlike most of his friends, Trent was a student council member who liked living on the edge. I enjoyed having friends from different cliques, and it helped to get information for articles.

“Gia. How are we getting there?”

She stared dreamily off into space and snapped back to reality at my sharp tone. Alarm bells blared in my head.

“Oh, I thought we could Uber to it.”

“Fine.” I knew why she wanted to go that route. She hoped to get a lift from Damon after. Not me. I would catch an Uber home, too, unless I could get someone I knew to take me, which was preferable to spending money on a ride.

She messed with her phone then looked at me for probably the first time that night.

“We have five minutes until our ride’s here. Is that what you’re wearing?”

I grinned. “I don’t have anyone to impress. Besides, nothing’s wrong with my outfit.”

She snorted. Whatever. I was comfortable in my ripped jeans and faded black T-shirt with distressed white stars scattered over it.

Getting out of the house proved a challenge, but Gia overcame it by telling her parents a friend had invited a few girls over to her house, including us. Such a little liar, but it took one to know one. My gut churned again with that last thought.

When we got to the obscure warehouse in a sketchy area of town, we stuck close then joined another group waiting by the entrance. Two big wrestlers manned the doors, and they waved us through without a problem when it was our turn. I repressed a shiver, thinking I would never get over the dark and dangerous feel of underground fights.

We pushed through the crowd for a better position, and when we glimpsed the ring, we staked our claim on that spot. I didn’t get it. For all the rich boys taking their aggressions out on one another, they sure as hell hadn’t picked a posh place for it.

I nudged Gia then nodded toward a group of girls passing around a flask. “I didn’t realize this was bring your own beverage.”

Gia grinned, but her attention was immediately diverted. She grabbed my arm in a death grip.

“Ow.” I peeled her fingers off me. That would bruise.

“There he is. Oh my God. Look at him without a shirt. He’s perfection, and I want to lose my v-card tonight.” She thumped my shoulder with her open palm.

“Is this how tonight’s going to go?” I smacked her hand away. “The fight’s over there. It’s not about beating my poor arm until I’m black and blue.”

She had the decency to look sheepish, but it didn’t last. “I see Phoenix and Shane.”

“And Tracey.” I couldn’t let her forget about the bitch squad.

Jessica had to be close by, along with whatever new minions had filled the open spots in their group from Piper and Brooke graduating.

“I don’t care. I’m going to go stand by them to support Damon better.”

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