Vicious Read Free Page B

Connie,” I cut in sharply. “ That justifies everything. We’re survivors.” I kept my eyes trained on Damon Lucas.
    “Survivors,” she repeated softly, but she didn’t look convinced. I stood and grabbed my apple.
    “I’ll see you later. Remember to find out about the party.” I exited the cafeteria, the noise and the smells were unbearable. But as I headed down the corridor toward my locker, I stopped short.  The word WHORE was written in bold black ink on my locker. “What the fuck?” I whispered, then I noticed movement to the side, and I turned, my heart starting to pound when I saw who it was. I hadn’t known that he was back at school yet.
    Leon was a skin ny kid, the type that got pushed around, and I had always thought he was sweet. I knew he had a crush on me that went beyond the sisterly one that it should have been. But right now he was looking at me with hatred, his face was white, lips colorless and thin. He gripped the marker in his fist so hard that his knuckles were white as well, and it would not have been unexpected if the plastic shattered into shards and skewered us both.
    He was shaking, and for a moment I thought that he might hit me. He let the marker drop , and it bounced and rolled on the linoleum floor, the sound echoing. “You killed him,” he sounded like he might cry. “You killed my Dad.” The voice was cracking.
    “Leon, I didn’t mean—“
    “Shut up! Go to hell, Violet.” Those words were said with rage, then that façade collapsed, and I saw a broken boy. My heart had stopped pounding, but now it was hurting like the word GUILT was stomping up and down on it to try and make it burst.
    “You’re a whore.” He wiped at his face. “You’re a fucking whore .” The last word was a hoarse whisper like there was no energy for anything else, and he turned away and disappeared around the corner. I stared after him until I remembered myself and checked that no one else had just witnessed what had happened. I turned back to my defaced locker.
    “Fuck,” I whispered.
    I tried to think of other things for the rest of the day. I tried to think of my plan, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought it sounded like such a stupid farfetched idea that would never work. Connie told me about a party they were going to, and I was considering not going. But then Ewan walked in on me as I was getting out of the shower that night. He grabbed my towel, holding it out of my reach while his eyes raked up and down my body. “Nice rack for a skinny bitch,” he hissed.
    I stayed still, not knowing what my next play would be and feeling anxiety rise in me, scared it would turn to panic. I hated people seeing me naked, and just when I considered launching myself at him with my claws out, we both heard the front door shut. Someone was home. Ewan let the towel drop into a pool of water and backed out, that leer never dropping from his ugly face. I grabbed for that towel, panting and holding it against me as a rage slowly built within me.
    I could’ve told Diana and Glynn. But there was no guarantee that it would be Ewan that got moved and not me. And I had to stay at this school and do well if I ever had a hope of getting any kind of scholarship to college. Plus, that social worker was gunning for my blood. No doubt she would try and stick me in the next available hell hole if possible as penance. I had to try my plan; I had to do something.
    I dressed sex ily for the party. My jeans were skin tight, and my top had a generous scoop neck that showed off my cleavage. I hid that cleavage under my jacket as I told Diana that I was going out, just in case she started spewing vitriol about what a whore I was again. But she didn’t bother to look up from her magazine. “You know the rule. Doors lock at ten. If you’re not in, you sleep outside.”
    “Sure thing.”
    I went to wait on the corner for my ride. I could hear Raymond’s car coming from a mile away, and the music was so loud