Chapter 158
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT
MADDIE
“Hey, boys!” Mrs. Dawson shouted, waggling her fingers at a couple of freshmen the next school day.
I had been in and out of it since I had woken up this morning, my mind hazy and my heart still so sad over Piper’s passing.
Mrs. Dawson wasn’t even looking at me, but I shivered in disgust from the look she gave the kids. The freshmen shifted uncomfortably by their lockers, ignoring her outward flirtatious remarks, and continued talking to each other.
Mrs. Dawson strolled across the hall to them and twirled her finger around a strand of the junior varsity athlete’s hair, her perfume so strong that I could smell it all the way down the hall. “Hey, handsome. You starting in the game tonight?”
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Um, I don’t know yet.”
After playfully smacking his chest, she giggled, the sound like a shrill. “I bet you are! I’ll be there, cheering you and your cute butt on, Holliday.” She leaned in so close that her lips almost met his ear and whispered something that made him turn red and recoil.
“What the hell is she—” I started, storming toward her.
Vera grabbed my hand. “Maddie, I don’t know if …”
Before she could finish her sentence, I yanked my hand out of hers and rushed down the hall toward the bitch herself. My hands were balled into tight fists, and I had to physically hold myself back from hurling one at her.
“Get away from him,” I snarled, pulling the freshman boy, who stood a foot taller and wider than me, behind me. I glared at Mrs. Dawson. “Stop being a perv and flirt with men your own age.”
Mrs. Dawson laughed like this was some joke. “Don’t be jealous, dear.”
“I’m not jealous,” I said through my teeth. “Can’t you see he’s uncomfortable?”
“Nonsense,” she said, smiling at him again. “I’m just being friendly.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Maddie, are you sure this isn’t about Spence—”
“Get back to your classroom!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the dead-silent halls.
She paused for a moment, then looked around at the students recording this interaction on their phones, ready to post whatever was going to exit her mouth next. Probably something predatory. But then everyone would know how fucking weird she was.
After smoothing out her neon-green pants, she marched down the hall toward her classroom, her heels clacking against the tiles. Once she shut the door, the athlete behind me sighed a breath of relief.
I swallowed some bile in my throat and grimaced at the nasty woman’s classroom. She reminded me of Alec’s mom. They seemed like they’d be best friends if they knew each other, could go to all the proms and hockey games to see some underage boys.
Disgusting.
“Thanks,” he said from behind me.
“It’s fine.”
The lunch bell rang, and I walked to the cafeteria with Vera. I looped my arm around hers and headed to the table we normally sat at with Imani, Allie, Nicole, the guys, and sometimes Sakura. Usually though, she had lunch in Mr. Avery’s room.
Students buzzed with chatter. A group of guys passed around a phone with a girl’s tits plastered right in the center. I scrunched my nose at how disgusting they were sometimes and continued through the crowd, still pissed about Mrs. Dawson.
Poison, Allie, and Imani sat at our table, giggling and sharing a bag of Ruffles chips.
“Kai said that it happened,” Imani said.
“Really?” Allie said, her gaze and mind seemingly far away from the conversation.
“What happened?” Vera asked.
“Remember that one teacher who hacked into her students’ parents’ bank accounts last year?” Imani said, chomping on another chip. “Well, she was just released from jail, and that woman is back at it again. Can’t catch a break.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled, picking at my food.
Between that crazy and Mrs. Dawson, nobody could catch a break, huh?
“I feel like the only nice teacher at Redwood is Mr. Barnes,” Imani said, nudging Allie. “What about you?”
“Huh?” Allie said, glancing over at Imani. “Oh, yeah.”
“Girl, what is wrong with you today?” Imani exclaimed. “Stepbro didn’t dick you down—”
“Have you heard from Nicole?” she finally asked.
Nobody at the table said a word.
“She was supposed to talk to her dad,” Allie whispered, readjusting her glasses and chewing on the inside of her cheek. She placed her burger down on her tray. “And she didn’t show up for school today.”
Imani turned toward Jo?o.
“No,” Jo?o said before Imani could ask for a favor. “We have shit to do.”
“But—” Imani turned toward Landon. “Will you help me?”
“Sorry.” Landon shrugged. “We have something to take care of tonight, Imani.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“None of your business. Don’t worry about it,” Jo?o growled, grabbing his tray and standing. “Let’s go before she asks any more questions and starts sticking her nose into other people’s shit.”
Jo?o, Landon, and Kai all headed out of the cafeteria while Imani followed them with her gaze, brow arched hard.
She mumbled something incoherent underneath her breath and whipped out her phone. “If they don’t want to help us, then we can do it ourselves.”
“Do it ourselves?” Vera repeated.
“Let’s go to Nicole’s house,” Imani said.
“And skip?” Vera exclaimed, glancing nervously over her shoulder at the deans.
“Make it less obvious, Vera!” I whispered.
“But—”
“We’re just skipping for a period. Nobody will know,” I said.
Imani threw her arm around Vera’s shoulders and pulled her to her feet. “We’ll be in and out in no time. Don’t worry about it.” Imani glanced down at Allie. “Is that okay with you? We’ll just make sure Nicole’s okay?”
Allie smiled softly at her best friend and nodded.
While Vera was a pack of nerves, I pulled her along to the exit of the cafeteria, where the deans stood. They had let Poison saunter right out of the room without question, but stood in front of the doors to block us.
“Where are you girls going?”
“Just to the library.” Imani smiled.
“To finish up a bit of studying before our test in Bio today,” I added.
After sharing a glance, they smiled and stepped out of the doorway.
“Honestly, you girls are some of the best students I’ve seen come through Redwood,” the dean said. “I wished those Poison boys would take some notes, learn how to be studious like you. Have fun. And I’d say make Redwood proud, but you already do.”