Page 10 of I Despise You
Chapter 4
WITH ALL THE CLASSESand the counseling session I have to go to, I don’t have time to search for Chase too. I’m relieved that we don’t have any other classes together, but I also want my photo back.
I can only hope that Chase hasn’t destroyed it or thrown it away already. It’s a shame I don’t know anything about him, and I don’t know if reporting him would get me in trouble rather than him.
I’ve never dealt with a guy like Chase before. At my old school, straight-As students don’t mess with other students, and bad boys usually have a reputation with the teachers and the school administration too.
Chase confuses me. I don’t know if he’s everyone’s golden boy or if he’s reached his academic status with cheating, bribery, or something else. But maybe I’m totally wrong about him, and he just doesn’t like me because I’m his competition for the scholarship.
By the time I reach the cafeteria, my stomach is growling with fury. The food smells amazing, and it looks like it too.
I pick up a tray and then choose what I like from the vast choice of food. There’s also a menu for students who want to order something special.
Vanessa waves at me from one of the tables, and I’m glad I don’t have to search for my own table. Judging by my luck at this school so far, I’d have probably ended up sitting in someone’s spot and causing a scandal.
“Hey.” Vanessa smiles as I settle in the chair across from her.
Our table is for four people. Some students with a bigger group of friends have connected their tables so they can all sit together. I don’t know if Vanessa has any friends, but if she does, they’re not here at the moment.
“Hey,” I say with a sigh.
“How’s your first day?”
“Fin—” My voice cuts off when my gaze finds Chase just across the room.
He’s sitting with a group of guys, a wide smile on his face.
“Give me a sec,” I say as I get to my feet.
Chase is here, and I’m not going to miss the chance to get my photo back.
“Whoa, where are you going?” Vanessa catches my arm and pulls me back before I can take more than a few steps.
“Chase took something from me. A photo of my family. I want it back.” I expect that to be enough for Vanessa to let me go, but her grip is firm.
“Just sit down. Please. It’s not worth the trouble. You don’t want to start anything here. Trust me.”
I want to argue, but the begging look in her eyes makes me pause. She knows Chase way better than I do, so I sit back down.
“Forget about that photo and stay away from him.” Vanessa leans forward. “Tell your family to send you a new one, or they can email it to you and you can print it out. It doesn’t matter. But whatever you do, don’t go anywhere near Chase.”
“Why?”
“Hey, Liliana,” Brittany says as she shows up practically out of nowhere and plops in the chair next to Vanessa. “How do you like Richerville Prep so far? And yes, if you’re wondering, I was told to ask you that question, so you better give me an answer.” She bats her eyelashes at me before popping a piece of carrot into her mouth.
“Um, it’s fine.” My counselor asked me the same question like a billion times, but I guess he expects me to lie to him and tell Brittany the truth.
“Wonderful,” Brittany says, looking around the room. “Now I just have three people left to catch and ask that same question.”
A shout draws everyone’s attention to the other side of the room.
“Apologize right now,” Chase says, his voice like thunder as he gets to his feet and stalks toward a tall and lanky dark-haired guy.
Chase’s friends rise too, and they surround the guy like hungry sharks.
The guy stammers something I can’t hear, and Chase laughs, shoving the guy back. The guy stumbles, his face getting red, his lower lip trembling.
“Are you crying?” Chase yells, mocking him.
