Page 40 of Pay for Your Lies

We’ve finished covering last night’s argument and eventual makeup sex between Bellamy and Rogue, and I throw it over to Sixtine.

“Come on Six, I believe you’re next on the list.”

“About Phoenix?” She asks.

The three of us nod vigorously.

“There’s really not much to tell.”

“Then why does he hate you?”

“I’ve known the three of them for more than half my life now. I met Phoenix first, when I was nine. We became friends, close friends.” She pauses, looking thoughtfully off into the distance. “He blames me for something that happened when we were younger. His brother–”

“Hello, girls.” Rhys’ deep voice comes from behind me as he walks into the room.

Sixtine’s mouth clamps shut and she blanches a little when she sees him come in. I know that she won’t tell us what happened now.

Her story will have to wait for another time.

The girls all say hi to him, but I don’t turn around or speak to him in any way, pouring myself a glass of orange juice instead.

I hear him walk up behind me and stop, but I take a sip and set my glass down without acknowledging him.

A sharp tug at my ponytail makes my head jerk backwards until it’s parallel with the ground.

Rhys has his hand wrapped around my hair and uses the hold to keep me pinned in this position.

“Ignoring me, love?” He asks me, his face right above mine.

“Let me go.”

He wraps my ponytail even more tightly around his hand, pulling me further back so that my feet and chair tilt off the ground. He puts a knee against the back of the chair to keep it steady so I don’t fall.

“Is it because of what I said last night?” He asks with a taunting smile.

“You fucking wish.” I hiss.

He lets the chair drop back down to the ground and releases me. I sit upright and come face to face with my friends’ facial expressions, ranging in tone from enthralled and baffled to fascinated and delighted.

“Good luck keeping this charade up at practice.” He says, before looking at the other girls. “Enjoy your lunch.”

He walks out and Bellamy turns towards me, questioningly.

“What practice do you have today?”

Ah, fuck. I haven’t told them about my daily practices with Rhys yet.

I clear my throat. “Remember I told you guys I needed help developing my skills further? Well, Mackley’s helping me. I have private sessions with him every day.”

We sit for a couple seconds in bemused – and for some of them, amused – silence before Nera breaks it.

“God damnit.”

She gets up and picks her purse off the counter, before digging around in it for a bit and coming up with her wallet.

She takes out a crisp twenty euro bill and walks back to the table where she slaps it into Bellamy’s waiting open palm.

B cheers with an evil little clap and laugh before pocketing her money.

---