Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Kyle took his tray of double french fries and headed to the geek table he’d always sat at, his shoulders stooped as though trying to make himself smaller. I followed Kyle to the empty table. Empty because all of his friends were waiting to give Hendrix money.
The poverty-stricken hustler in me was a little impressed that he and Wolf were making such easy money, but I was equally disgusted.
I’d almost finished eating by the time Kyle’s friends finally filtered over. Robert, a kid with a shock of red hair, sat his tray down, glancing anxiously at Kyle. “Aren’t you going to pay your donation, Kyle?”
I glared at Robert. “No, he is not.”
They all looked at me wide-eyed like I was the non-believer sitting in some cult church or something, and the devil was about to strike me down. “But. If he doesn’t pay it—”
“Then they won’t do shit!” At least not to Kyle. I wouldn’t let them.
“Tommy Beavers didn’t pay last year, and he ended up with a double ear infection from the number of swirlies he got.”
“You know what….” I pushed to my feet, rage throbbing through me with every angry step I took across the lunchroom.
I shoved through the throng of people huddled around Hendrix and Wolf before slamming my palms down on the table that separated me from the two of them.
Hendrix’s cold gaze met mine. A devastating smirk played over his lips. Grinning, Wolf held out an open palm. “Ante up, Voldermort.”
“As if I would ever give you two money.”
They both cackled, and all it did was enrage me more.
“Threatening people for money—that’s a whole new low. Even for you, Hendrix.” I’d never felt genuine disappointment toward him until then. Was this what he had become in the last two years?
A cocky grin spread across Hendrix’s face, catching his dimples. “So, what I’m hearing her say, Wolf, is that she doesn’t want to make a donation at this time?”
On a deep laugh, Wolf crammed a handful of fries into his mouth. “I think she should have to pay double.”
Hendrix laughed again, and a momentary flash of red blinded me before I forced it down.
“What are you going to do, Hendrix? Hurt me?” I leaned farther over the table, and I didn’t miss the way his gaze dropped to the loose collar of my T-shirt. “The sheep might fall in line, but Kyle isn’t paying your stupid donation. And you’re going to stay away from him.”
His attention lifted to my face, something feral flickering in his eyes, before I spun around and headed back to my table.
“Don’t put your feet on my rug, Lola Stevens!” His voice rose above the hum of conversation and clatter of trays.
I flipped him off over my shoulder. I’d put my feet all over his stupid rug if he came after Kyle.
The rest of the day was absolute crap.
A fight broke out in the hallway after fourth period, and the blood from the kid’s busted nose spattered my shoe. Of course, the restroom had no toilet paper, and when I asked a random girl if she had any tissue, she backed away from me like I had the plague. Hendrix had already worked his magic, it seemed. God knew, by then, he’d probably threatened to kill half the school if anyone talked to me.
The dismissal bell rang, and I pushed my way through the packed hallways, eager to escape this fresh hell and its crowned dickhead king. As soon as I stepped out into the hot sun, my focus strayed across the tops of the cars to Hendrix leaning against the side of Wolf’s truck. Like he had some kind of evil, magnetic pull over me.
A beat of longing thumped in my chest, and I forced myself to turn around just as Kyle squeezed through the students pouring out the exit.
“Sorry I took so long.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “I got shoved into a locker.”
“By who?”
“One of the football players. They come after anyone not on Hendrix’s safety list.”
Rage ignited within me. I didn’t give a shit about Hendrix’s stupid list. “Who was it?”
Kyle shook his head and started across the parking lot.
“I’m serious, Kyle. Tell me.”
“Just leave it, Lola. Please?”
Damn him. He was not paying that fee, and I was not letting people bully him. The second I found out, that football player would be retrieving his balls from the back of his throat. I wondered if he’d be hopping to pay Hendrix for protection from me.
I intentionally ignored my ex-boyfriend when we passed by Wolf’s truck and got into Kyle’s car. The engine cranked, warm air shooting out of the vents. “Hendrix looks at you like that guy out of American Psycho.”
Sure enough, Hendrix glared at me from the other side of the lot as we backed out. “He’s probably plotting all the ways to make me pay for what I did.”