Page 145 of Crew
"Bren, come on." Taz stepped to Tabatha's side.
I felt that itch to pull out my knife again. It was small, but it was there. This girl was going to weasel her way into my friend's heart.
That was her weapon of choice.
I only had one more thing to say. "If you hurt her, I will slice you."
I was willing to make an exception to my reformed ways. And I wanted Tabatha to see the truth, so I waited. One beat.
I meant it.
When her eyes widened, I added, "I'll get you in just the right spot so it won't completely heal. Every time the temperature changes, it'll ache. If it starts raining, it'll ache. When you get older, you'll throb when you wake up in the mornings. That pain will be me. You'll be haunted by me. You won't get rid of me for the rest of your life. Even when you get really old, I'll always be there. You'll have to take pills to try to erase me, but it won't last. I'll always come back. That's what I'll do, if you hurt her."
Tabatha looked at me in shock, her eyes wide and unmoving.
A pin could've dropped and be heard in that kitchen. No one made a sound.
I moved around her and walked to the front door.
She'd gotten my message. I wasn't like the rest of them.
Two days later, I was just settling back into being a student again when I heard Jordan's voice over my shoulder.
"Did you threaten that Sweets chick?"
I rounded in surprise, not from the question, but from the person asking. Jordan fell against Taz's locker next to mine.
"Tabatha Sweets?" I asked.
"Yeah."
I scowled, throwing my book inside my locker. "How's that your business?"
"I'm your crew." He folded his arms over his chest. "And it's her pussy I'd like to get into this weekend."
"Bad idea."
"You didn't answer my question."
I stepped back, my other book in hand.
Jordan reached over me to shut my locker. Then we fell in step, heading to my next class.
As usual, a path cleared for us. But since I'd gotten back to school, there'd been more looks, more whispers, more attention. Some of my teachers weren't the friendliest, but I understood that. I would've felt the same in their shoes, and I kept my promise to Channing: I was the no-attitude girl. There were court-ordered rules I had to follow. One legit said I had to cut the crap. So I had, or I was trying.
Ms. Bagirianni had gotten my participation in her charity committee approved as community service hours. And as I'd anticipated, everything got rolled together, so she was my court-ordered counselor too. The first committee meeting had been yesterday after school, which went splendidly. I said nothing. I did nothing. I just sat. I was happy with the end result, but my counseling was supposed to start tomorrow morning. That would not play out the same way. I was already prepared for another power struggle between The Badger and myself.
"You know my answer." I shook my head. "Why are you even asking?"
He groaned, looking at the ceiling. "Are you kidding me? She's not going to fuck me now that one of my crew has scared the shit out of her."
I shrugged, veering toward the classroom. "She's been wanting to fuck one of our crew for years. I doubt I scared her away. She won't discriminate against you."
"Wait." He grabbed my arm. "She wants to fuck me?"
I could see Cross coming up behind him, and as I pulled my arm free, I nodded at him. "She wants to fuck him."
"What's up?" Cross lifted his head in greeting.
