Chapter 25 #2
“Get to class,” he says, opening the door.
I quickly turn and leave, walking fast down the hall. When I turn back, I see Kristen leaving the office. So it was definitely her. I can’t believe she raised her voice like that with the principal.
My morning classes are boring, and my mind keeps wandering to Jackson and what he did to me this morning.
I can’t wait to see him tonight. Shayla had me worried about him with that talk we had earlier but I’m over that now.
If he were as bad as she described, I wouldn’t feel so good when I’m around him.
I’d sense something was wrong. But I don’t feel that way at all. I feel great when I’m with him.
At the end of the day, I go outside to wait for Trystan to drive me home. He’s always one of the last people to leave. I don’t know what takes him so long.
“Rumor.” Kristen walks up to me with a big smile on her face. “Could we talk?”
“Um, yeah, okay,” I say, wondering if Jackson texted her and told her to invite me to the game. I hope he didn’t. I really don’t want to go with her.
“Let’s get away from the door.” She motions me to follow her.
We go off to the side, under a large shade tree.
“What is it?” I ask, hoisting my backpack higher up on my shoulder.
“I feel the need to make something clear.”
“Yeah? What?”
Her eyes lock on mine. “Jackson is off limits.”
“Says who?”
“Who do you think?” she spits out.
“You said you two aren’t dating.”
“He’s still mine. And only mine.”
“I think Jackson would disagree. He said whatever he had going on with you is over.”
“He lied.” She smirks. “Do you really think a millionaire bad boy that’s hot as sin and could have any girl he wants would choose some nobody who just showed up here?”
“I think he’d choose a girl he likes, no matter where she came from.”
Kristen cocks her head. “You really think he’d stay with you when he could have me? I’m a Reynolds. Do you have any idea what that means?”
“That you’re rich? Big deal.”
She smiles. “Money comes with power. The power to have whatever I want.” She gets in my face. “And I want Jackson.”
“You’re not getting him,” I say, not backing away. “And you’re not telling me what to do.”
“Go home to New York, you trashy little orphan.”
I don’t know if it’s because I’m tired from a long week, or still upset about Axl, or angry at my mom for dying and leaving me, but at this moment, I can’t hold back. I don’t have it in me right now. I’ve played the good little girl all week. The real me is dying to come out.
Dropping my backpack, I yank my arm back, make a fist, and punch Kristen, right in the middle of her pretty little face.
She screams and starts flailing her skinny arms.
“You don’t fucking tell me what to do,” I say, shoving her back.
“You bitch!” She tries to swing at me but misses.
“Stop it!” a man yells. “Stop it right now!”
He grabs my arms and yanks them behind me. I turn and see it’s Mr. Piedmont. Right behind him is Principal Edwards.
Shit.
“What’s going on here?” Principal Edwards asks, going over to Kristen.
“She hit me!” Kristen cries. “I was just standing here talking to her and she hit me!”
“That’s not what happened,” I say, glaring at her.
“She hit me!” Kristen cups her nose, which isn’t even bleeding. I didn’t hit her that hard. I shoved her chest harder than I hit her nose.
Principal Edwards pulls Kristen into a hug, patting her back. “It’s okay, honey. We’ll take you to the doctor. Make sure everything’s okay.”
Honey? Why is he babying her so much? He wouldn’t be that way with anyone else at school. She really does have everyone fooled. They all think she’s a perfect little princess. Even Jackson is fooled.
“Punish her!” Kristen yells, pointing at me. “Call the police! I’m charging with her with assault!”
“Honey, you know your mother doesn’t want any more bad press,” Principal Edwards says.
“I don’t give a shit about my mother! Call the police or I will!”
People have gathered around us, and I notice Trystan coming up beside me.
“What the hell happened?”
“Don’t ask,” I say.
“She punched Kristen,” a guy behind me says.
“No shit?” Trystan says, looking at me like he’s secretly impressed.
“Let’s go, sweetie,” Principal Edwards says, taking Kristen away. He stops right beside me. “I’ll be calling your uncle in for a special meeting.”
I just nod and wait for him to leave.
“You can let me go now,” I say to Mr. Piedmont.
“I expected better from you.” He lets go of my arms and walks away.
The people who had gathered around me also go, leaving just Trystan and me.
“What the fuck?” he says in a low voice. “You really hit Kristen?”
“Yeah, but she deserved it. She called me trash.”
“That’s it? She just called you a name?”
“There was other stuff too. I don’t want to get into it.”
He shakes his head, smiling. “Wait until Braden finds out about this. He’s not gonna believe it. We knew you were tough, but shit.”
“Why is everyone making this such a big deal? I punched her, but it wasn’t that hard. She wasn’t even bleeding.”
“It isn’t about what you did. It’s about who you did it to.”
“People need to stop seeing Kristen as this perfect little princess. Just because she’s richer than everyone else doesn’t mean she gets to do and say whatever she wants and get away with it.”
“Yeah, actually it kinda does.”
“Why? Everyone here is rich. She’s just richer. It shouldn’t matter.”
“It isn’t about her money. It’s about her dad.”
“What about him?”
He laughs. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Her dad is Principal Edwards.”