Page 2 of Girl Violence

“You should have thrown them out with the rest of his shit,” says a snappy male voice that has Josette’s head spinning in its direction.

A tall boy wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, and converse high-tops also is leaning against the door with his tattooed arms folded over his broad chest, scowling at the woman.

The tennis ball-sized lump that rises in Josette’s throat is hard to swallow, especially when her heart rate spikes the closer she approaches. Because, like the woman, she knows him. Or sheusedto.

Calling Vince O’Neil aboyseems like the wrong word choice, though his appearance brings back memories of her childhood, including the last time she saw him.

The two were young; Josette was thirteen, and Vince was fifteen. He stood right where he is now, and she was standing in front of him, crying because he was leaving. He was her childhood best friend and super-secret crush before he moved away when his dad got a new job in London. The boy who promised to keep in touch with her but never did. He’s back, and very much all man now. They must have kept his old home. It always seemed odd to Josette when it never went up for sale after they moved out.

Inhaling a deep breath, she can’t believe how different he looks from a distance. Almost unrecognisable if you hadn’t memorised every inch of his face, as she had. She was a little obsessed with him. Well,a lotobsessed with him. He was always good to look at, but now—

His head turns in Josette’s direction, and her entire body freezes. Having been soaked by the rain, she’s sure she looks a mess. However, once his gaze catches hers, she forgets about the weather. She forgets about everything, including how to breathe. Who needs to do that anyway?

Because the guy she used to know is nowhot. There’s darkness in his blue eyes, making Josette bet they’re inky like a midnight sky instead of a lake at noon as they used to be. That glare of his just adds to the package, and a violent shiver rushes down her spine. The boyish spark she once cherished has been replaced by something frosty, and when his gaze lingers on hers, her chest tightens. Because it doesn’t seem like he remembers her by how blank that stare is.

When he looks away and returns to the house, the fire burning inside Josette’s chest extinguishes. As she lets out her breath, she tries to ignore the ache in her stomach that he snubbed her.

“I’ll take that,” Diane, Vince’s mother, says to the mover’s man.

Josette walks by quickly without her noticing, not ready for a reunion after Vince’s reaction. “You should get that boy of yours to help,” she hears the man grunt.

But Diane only laughs, somewhat nervously. “I prefer to choose my battles.”

After unlocking the door with her key, Josette quickly steps inside and pushes it closed. Home—she’s never been so happy to be home in all her life. Slumping against the door in shock, she closes her eyes and lets out her breath.

“Is that you, Jo?” her dad calls from his study, just past the living room.

“No. It’s Angelina Jolie.”

“Hah, I wish...”

While making her way to his office, Josette wonders if her recluse father has noticed all the commotion next door. Then again, she’s not sure whether he even realises what day it is when she enters the dark room. He looks wrecked. Like he hasn’t seen the light of day. Truth be told, he hasn’t since he started working from home more. Josette is used to having a zombie for a dad, though. The tired eyes and stress lines on his skin have become permanent fixtures. Some men drown their sorrows of a doomed marriage with bottles of liquor. He just suffocates himself with work and forgets everything else. “Nice day?”

“Thrilling,” she answers. “Miss Finn was great.”

“Josette,” he warns, picking up on her sarcasm. “Don’t be rude. Do you know what people in town think of her since she hired you? It’s not pleasant.”

She shrugs, not caring what the people of Graycott think. They’re all narrow-minded snobs. “Maybe she shouldn’t have hired me then.”

“She’s doing me a favour.”

“Which she brings up every hour. I feel like such a cherished employee.” She crosses her arms moodily, but she’s sure that has more to do with her returning neighbour than Miss Finn. “I don’t get paid. I’m literally a slave. And she’s dramatic.”

He laughs. “Sounds like someone I know.”

Josette scowls. “I’m nothing like her.”

“It’s not meant to be fun or easy, you know? You’re going to have to get on with it.” Her shoulders slump, wishing he would stop assuming she thinks everything is a joke. She knows what she did was wrong, but it’s been a year, and she’s still paying for it.

“Guess who’s back?” She changes the subject. All they ever talk about is what Josette did last summer—it’s getting old. He shrugs in reply. “The O’Neil’s. Remember them?”

“Of course. We all used to be friends,” he says as his finger clicks on his computer mouse absently. “They’re back?”

“Looks like it.”

“Huh…wonder why,” he muses as Josette nibbles on her bottom lip. Vince didn’t look happy to be back, and Diane seemed stressed. She also didn’t see David, Vince’s dad. It makes her wonder if something had happened.

“I’m going to shower.” She finally leans off the door. “What’s for dinner?”

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