Page 80 of Broken By the Bad Boy

The whispers start during lunch.Ben and I do our best to ignore it while heading for the cafeteria, but once we step inside, the place falls quiet. Different pairs of eyes are on us, and I almost miss my steps.

They are full-on staring.

My hand slips into Ben’s. We stop at the end of the line, and everyone scampers like we have a plague. Ben tries to brush off the attitude, but I note the worry in his gaze as he nudges me forward.

We get our meals and head to our table. Ben’s friends don’t call out to us like they usually do. Everyone is staring. It might be my imagination, but I feel like they are staring at only me. Why? What did I do this time?

“Do you want to get out of here?” Ben asks.

I nod without hesitation. “Yeah.”

Throwing our backpacks over his shoulders, he offers me his hand. I don’t take it because my phone rings.

Maria.

The first thing she says is, “Check BGC. There’s a new post. A video.”

I glance at my screen to be sure she’s the caller. Ben looks at me for an explanation, but I hold a finger up. BGC should have been the first place I checked, but I’ve forgotten about its existence.

What did Maria see to make her call me? Is it about me? Sweat breaks out on my forehead, and Ben lowers our backpacks to the bench. He’s beside me in a minute, looking over my shoulder while I flip through tabs. My phone rings again. It’s Maria. Ben and I share a glance. I swallow.

I might look okay, but I am freaking out. My best friend is freaking me out. If she’s this worried, the post must be about me. I answer the call. My heart pounds so loud I miss her words and have to ask her to repeat them. Ben slides his hand into mine to give me strength from the eyes fixated on me in silent judgment. I glance at the jocks’ table and notice two things. They are watching us, and Olivia is absent. This is because of her. I have no evidence, but I’m strongly convinced.

“Have you seen it?” Maria asks. Her voice is small. She sounds like she has been jogging. I tell her no, and she sighs. A long pause follows, and my phone buzzes. “I just sent it to you. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

The call ends, and my hands tremble. It can’t be that bad. Who am I kidding? It is fucking bad if Maria had to call me during school hours. Ben says something. I don’t hear him, and I don’t ask.

Nothing is as important as watching the video.

I hit play on the video, and everything stops. It’s a video of me from Halloween night. My heart slows to a painful stop as the scenes play out before me. It starts when I am on the floor with them emptying that stinky water on me. I shudder from the memory, and my jaw clenches when the scene changes.

The video has no audio. But it’s clear.

I am in the restroom trying to get rid of my outfit, half-naked, and my back is to the camera. The angle changes to show my boobs. My vitiligo is also on display for anyone who cares to see it.

At that moment, all that mattered was getting out of the costume. I didn’t care then. Maybe I should have and done more to protect my decency. The entire school just saw my body without my permission.

The caption reads:Looks like she’s covering her zebra skin under all that clothing.

Tears cloud my vision. I don’t realize I’m sobbing silently until tears drop to my hands. I shoot to my feet. Only one person uses that description. Only one person thinks vitiligo is zebra skin.

I will find her. I will kill her.

Ben snatches the phone from me. He grabs my shoulders to make me look at him. But I can’t see him. I look through him. I am here, but I’m not very present. My mind is on all the places Olivia could be.

“Gracie, look at me.” Ben’s fingers brush my cheeks, and I shove him. I don’t want him touching me. I don’t want him acting like me or my body is perfect. It’s not. I have an ugly skin. His voice sounds so far, but he is right in front of me. I wipe the snot running down my nose. “Gracie, please.”

Ben is still talking when I rush out of the cafeteria. My first stop is the art room. Empty. I storm to the restroom. Empty. Anger runs through my veins as I march to the parking lot. She came to school. I know this because I saw her. That miserable girl who derives joy from hurting others.

My thoughts center on Olivia. I want to hurt her. I wipe the tears falling down my cheeks. Being the good, peace-loving girl started this bullshit. But I’m done. Her car is still in the parking lot, but she’s not.

Where can she be?

Fate must be on my side. Olivia is the first person I see as soon as I step inside. She stops in her tracks when she sees me. I wait for her to say something. Apologize. Explain the video. I don’t know. Anything. For God’s sake, I have done nothing to her. I even drove her to Ben’s house.

When does this silly beef end?

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