Chapter 2 #3
I remembered him as a smaller kid with a mass of reddish curls obscuring his face, but now he was fully shaved, his hair color almost indiscernible in the shadows.
His eyes appeared amber or maybe green, though it was hard to tell since he didn't even glance my way.
He towered over the rest of them at over 6'4", clad in black skinny jeans and a tight white t-shirt that accentuated his surprisingly slender waist and large shoulders.
The Vipers were a group you definitely wanted to avoid. Being caught alone with one of them outside of school was a nightmare scenario. Ever since they pulled a cruel prank on me last year, my hate for them ran deep.
“I count four of them now,” I responded, but Clous scoffed.
“Careful, blondie. You might not want to make enemies of us,” Jake warned as he stepped closer. I decided to play a bluff.
“Nice work you did over there,” I said, gesturing toward the door the principal had just shut.
The tension in the air thickened, and I could see Jake’s jaw tighten.
Even Zane stood a little straighter, casting a quick glance my way.
Certainly amber eyes. “I think I need to head back to the principal and share some information.
I'm sure the police would know what to do next,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant as I turned away, a smirk masking my fear.
“You won't do that,” a deep voice warned, one I hadn't heard before.
Zane stepped out from behind Jake, moving closer to me.
His jaw was strong, and the sunlight caught the amber in his eyes, making them shine.
His lips were a striking coral, almost as if he wore lipstick, with a pronounced upper lip.
I had to lift my chin to meet his gaze, unsure of how to respond.
“And who's going to stop me?” I shot back, attempting to sound fierce, but my trembling hands betrayed me.
I turned to walk away, but Zane grabbed my wrist with a firm grip.
Ouch. His hand was massive, gripping my wrist like it was a twig.
“Maybe if you eased up on the steroids, you wouldn't break people so easily,” I snapped.
His expression remained unfazed, but he did loosen his hold.
“You won't breathe a word of this to anyone,” Zane said, slowly inching closer. His deep voice sent a cold shiver down my spine.
“Why not?” I demanded through clenched teeth, trying to pull away. Then he leaned in close to my ear.
“Because we have a little secret, you'd want to keep quiet too.” His voice was unnervingly close, causing me to flinch. I fought to regain my composure, still trapped in his grip.
“Can we skip to the point?” I tried to sound irritated, but my heart raced. Zane began to circle me, a smirk forming on his lips.
“See that guy?” he said, positioning himself behind me and leaning down to rest his head on my shoulder while pointing at Jake.
“This guy has a little video he made that would be quite embarrassing for your little friend. Wouldn't you want to prevent that?” He stepped around to face me, and the others closed in, V wrapping her arm around Zane’s.
“What video are you talking about?” My patience was wearing thin, and I wanted nothing more than to escape the Vipers.
“Long story short: your friend Emily had a little rendezvous with Mr. Jake here, and thanks to the brilliant suggestion of our lovely V, he recorded their 'summer adventure.
' We've all seen it, and let me tell you, your friend is…
well, let's just say it's quite a sight,” he said, grinning maliciously.
My jaw dropped, eyes wide with disbelief.
“I don't believe you!” I shouted, but Jake’s smug smile confirmed my worst fears.
“Secret for secret, blondie,” Jake said as the bell rang, and they sauntered off to class.
I would commit homicide; I would strangle Emily with my bare hands. Fuming, I dashed into class, my heart racing. Math was next in room 206.
As I entered, panting, my gaze darted around for Emily. Professor Baldi's eyes were fixed on me, just like the rest of my classmates. Emily’s expression was one of shock, her mouth agape. I attempted to regain my composure, smoothing down my messy hair.
“Sorry, Professor. The principal called for me.” My voice came out shaky, betraying my guilt.
“Good morning to you too. I was informed. You may take your seat,” he replied calmly. I made my way to the desk where Emily had saved a spot for me, shooting daggers at her with my glare.
“What happened to you? You look like you've seen a ghost,” she whispered as I settled in. Her words ignited the fire of my anger, but I kept my eyes forward, knowing that if I faced her, I'd erupt.
“Will. Talk. Later.” I enunciated each word, my tone laced with menace.
She continued to poke me with questions, so I shifted seats,
counting down the minutes until class ended, replaying the earlier events in my mind. When the bell finally rang, students quickly packed their bags. I seized Emily’s arm, squeezing hard enough to leave marks.
“Ouch! You're hurting me!” she protested.
“Come with me. NOW,” I insisted.
“Alright, alright, but please ease up. That really hurts,” she replied, reluctantly following me to the private bathroom on the lower levels. Thankfully, it was empty; I would have slammed the door if it weren't.
“Get in!” I ordered.
“Ouch! Stop! I didn't do anything!” she cried out.
“Did you sleep with Jake?” I shot back, my arms crossed defiantly as I fixed my gaze on her.
“What?” She looked taken aback, struggling to connect the dots between my trip to the principal and my sudden accusation.
“Answer me!” I pressed.
“How do you know about that?”
“Oh my gosh, so it's true? Emily, really? Jake?”
“What? You said he was hot!” she tried to defend herself.
“No, no, no! Not with the Vipers! They're bullies! How did you even get involved with Jake?”
“What's the fuss? It's not like I'm picking a husband. He's hot, the sex was wonderful, and it was just once. He never called me again,” she dismissed, as if it were no big deal.
“He recorded it!” I shouted, my voice echoing, hoping no one was lurking outside.
“He what? How do you know?” Panic washed over her.
“He told me—actually, Zane did—claiming they all saw the video.” I gestured animatedly.
“Oh no, no, no! This can't be happening! My parents will kill me, or worse, send me away to boarding school!” She sank to the floor, hugging her knees as tears streamed down her face. My anger dissipated, replaced with a desire to protect her.
“Listen, they're the ones who broke into the art lab. Nobody knows but me. If I keep their secret, they will keep yours too.” She looked up at me, but there was no relief in her eyes.
“What? Forever? Am I supposed to be their lapdog?”
“No, just until the end of the school year. Once we're out of here and scattered across the country, who will care? You won't be around. Hopefully, I won't be either.”
I tried to instill some hope in her. “How could he do this to me?”
“Why do you think we call them the Vipers?”
“Because they bite and can't be trusted?”
“Exactly. But you made the mistake of trusting one of them.” I spoke softly, trying not to sound accusatory.
“I know, stupid teenage hormones!” she groaned.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her frustration. “Come on, let's get out of here. We'll figure this out. You just have to steer clear of them.” She nodded in agreement.
We trudged to our next class, barely exchanging words until the final bell rang. Relief washed over us as we stepped outside, grateful that the day was finally over. But as I emerged from the school, I realized my day was far from finished—my mom was waiting for me just outside.