Page 14 of Hate Me Like You Do

Damn. I feel rich. Or more like a poor kid playing rich but I’ll take it. Even if I only have twenty dollars to my name. Well, did have twenty dollars. Currently my wallet sits at a whopping zero dollars and zero cents.

One glance back down at my paper and I let out a small yelp as my shoulder collides with someone else. An apology already forms on my lips as I look up. But I don’t let it out. Not when I see the three tall girls snickering at me as they pass.

Cool. Totally fine. Every school has their own set of bitchy girls. Apparently, I just met them.

With my chin held high I continue to my locker. I pretend I don’t notice Knox, Landon, and Reed across the hall gathered together. Watching me.

They are still mad at me after all. They made that incredibly clear this morning when I had gotten myself ready just for them to peel out of the driveway without me.

Jokes on their pretentious asses because I’m no stranger to public transport. I needed to break in these ugly white loafers anyway. And it was nice weather. And stuff...

Today can only get better from here right?

Wrong. I’m so wrong.

The hinges whine as I open the locker door and slip off my backpack. I wish I could slip off this school’s hideous thick blazer too. Who wants to wear a jacket in the middle of the summer? No one. This school though has us in these awful navy pleated skirts and blazers all year round apparently.

Before I can settle my books into my space I notice a piece of paper, likely left behind by the previous owner, I guess. The paper is soft, as if it was fiddled with for a long time, folded over and over and over again. Gently, I open it up.

Try not to join your rotten mother in prison.

The words are written over what looks like many attempts at an insult that have been erased, written, then erased again. As if they couldn’t decide between the many bad things they wanted to say about my mother of the year.

I chuckle to myself because I’m nothing like my mom. I’m everything my mom isn’t. It’s a promise I made to myself long ago and I made sure that I never broke it. I get good grades, I’m still a virgin (not for lack of trying), I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs… you get the point.

Violet Demure is a good girl. I've put my every effort into making sure of that.

I want to crumple the note up and throw it down the hall but I find myself instead twisting to look around. To scan the room until my eyes lock on Knox, Landon, and Reed.

I swallow because my three roommates are so goddamn beautiful. How can I hate and love them so much?

They make it easy though. They make it easy to hate them. And they make it just as easy to fall in love with them.

Landon keeps piercing me with his amber eyes as he stares over his shoulder at me while the other two chat up a couple girls with their backs facing my way.

Reed is all cocky confidence. Captain of the football team will do that. He runs a hand through his short blonde hair, sporting an effortless smile. Knox looks bored next to him. Knox doesn’t need to do any of the talking when Reed always has something to say. And he always has something to say.

On my right, a blonde, all boobs and big hair, opens up the locker next to mine. She seems familiar and I pause when I meet her gaze. She gives me a polite smile then begins applying some chapstick in the mirror just inside the door.

I smile back.

See, Violet? It’s not that bad, you could make a friend yet.

In my peripheral I watch Knox glance my way and then laugh that low humming sound of amusement. I love his laughter. It's the one carefree thing about him. But not now. This laughter is a cruel, petty laugh that rumbles straight down to my anxiety filled stomach.

Knox leans down to whisper in one of the girl's ears, lips brushing close enough to make her shiver. Her long neck throws back when she giggles.

And then she heads my way.

Shit.

I pretend not to notice and quietly pull my new books from my bag and put them away.

The girl stops to whisper to the blonde next to me. My ears strain but I can’t catch what’s so funny.

“Wow,” the girl next to me says slowly, dragging out the word like it’s inflated with too many vowels. She closes her locker with a clank and turns toward me. She waves off the girl Knox sent over and extends her hand to me. This time her smile isn’t so polite. It's a sneer really. “I’m Kylie Barth.”

Shit.

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