had changed the story up of her being in Marshall’s car.
It had gone from him offering her a ride to her
begging for his attention so much it had been sick to see. She walked into the
girls’ toilet and stared at her reflection. One side of her face was still
badly bruised, and there was no way of hiding it. When Marshall looked at her,
she forgot about the bruise. The moment his gaze was on her, it was like it
didn’t exist. Marshall had started to see more to her than the bruise.
Get a grip, Scarlett, you’re thinking crazy thoughts.
The door opened, and Cheryl walked in. She was alone,
and Scarlett turned to look at the other girl.
“You’re seeing if you’re still fat and ugly?” Cheryl sneered the words at her.
Scarlett didn’t say a word. She learned if she didn’t
say anything then they tended to leave her alone. Sometimes it didn’t work.
“Do you really think you’re better than us?”
Shaking her head, she hiked her bag higher on her
shoulder. She started to walk toward the door, but Cheryl pushed her away from
the door. “Don’t fucking think of ignoring me, you fat bitch.”
Tucking some hair behind her ear, Scarlett waited for
Cheryl to finish saying whatever she was going to say so that she could go for
lunch.
“Marshall is playing you. Trey’s playing you, and so
is Jack. You’re a fucking idiot to think it’s anything but them playing with
you. They hate you, despise you. You’re fat and ugly.”
Tears filled her eyes as Cheryl’s words hit her hard.
“That’s right, cry, snivel .
You make me sick. Remember, when they’re looking at you, they only pity you.”
Cheryl walked into a toilet, laughing, and Scarlett
made her retreat. She didn’t wait around for anyone or go to her usual safety
tree. Scarlett walked to the bleachers where the football team was working out.
She pulled her lunch out of her bag along with her book. Sitting in the far
corner away from everyone she allowed the tears to finally fall. It wasn’t the
first time she’d been reduced to tears. The only time she allowed the tears to
fall was when she was alone.
She shouldn’t let Cheryl’s words affect her, but they
did. The words blurred on the page, and she shoved the book back into her bag.
“There you are,” Marshall said.
Staring down at her lap, she tried to wipe the tears
away. They were her tears and no one else’s.
“Shit, are you crying?” he asked.
“What do you want?” When she wiped the last of her
tears away, she looked up at him. He was already walking up to where she sat.
Marshall crouched down in front of her, taking hold of her chin. He turned her
face left and right.
“Who made you fucking cry?”
Shaking her head, she tried to pull out his hold, but
he wouldn’t let her go.
“Please,” she said.
“No. I’m not letting you go until you tell me who made
you cry. I’ll hurt them, Scarlett.”
“Don’t. It’s nothing. Please, just ignore me.” He
wouldn’t release her, and his thumb caressed over her cheek.
“This is not acceptable.”
A low growl released from his lips, and Scarlett
stared at him. His eyes flashed amber. It was such a fleeting flash that she
didn’t know if she saw it or not.
He moved to sit beside her, putting his arm around her
shoulder.
“It’s lunch. Shouldn’t you be in the lunchroom?” she
asked.
“I was. I sat waiting for you. Trey was there, and I
expected you to join us.”
“I never eat in the lunchroom.”
“And that’s why I came hunting for you.”
She noticed he said hunting rather than looking. Why
was he hunting for her? He said things that surprised her.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”
“You’re sitting on your own. You’re not even by your
tree, and you’re crying. You’re not fine, Scarlett. What made you cry?”
Biting her lip, she dropped her cheese sandwich back
into the lunch box. Her appetite was gone.
He let out an annoyed sigh. “You’re really not going
to tell
It had gone from him offering her a ride to her
begging for his attention so much it had been sick to see. She walked into the
girls’ toilet and stared at her reflection. One side of her face was still
badly bruised, and there was no way of hiding it. When Marshall looked at her,
she forgot about the bruise. The moment his gaze was on her, it was like it
didn’t exist. Marshall had started to see more to her than the bruise.
Get a grip, Scarlett, you’re thinking crazy thoughts.
The door opened, and Cheryl walked in. She was alone,
and Scarlett turned to look at the other girl.
“You’re seeing if you’re still fat and ugly?” Cheryl sneered the words at her.
Scarlett didn’t say a word. She learned if she didn’t
say anything then they tended to leave her alone. Sometimes it didn’t work.
“Do you really think you’re better than us?”
Shaking her head, she hiked her bag higher on her
shoulder. She started to walk toward the door, but Cheryl pushed her away from
the door. “Don’t fucking think of ignoring me, you fat bitch.”
Tucking some hair behind her ear, Scarlett waited for
Cheryl to finish saying whatever she was going to say so that she could go for
lunch.
“Marshall is playing you. Trey’s playing you, and so
is Jack. You’re a fucking idiot to think it’s anything but them playing with
you. They hate you, despise you. You’re fat and ugly.”
Tears filled her eyes as Cheryl’s words hit her hard.
“That’s right, cry, snivel .
You make me sick. Remember, when they’re looking at you, they only pity you.”
Cheryl walked into a toilet, laughing, and Scarlett
made her retreat. She didn’t wait around for anyone or go to her usual safety
tree. Scarlett walked to the bleachers where the football team was working out.
She pulled her lunch out of her bag along with her book. Sitting in the far
corner away from everyone she allowed the tears to finally fall. It wasn’t the
first time she’d been reduced to tears. The only time she allowed the tears to
fall was when she was alone.
She shouldn’t let Cheryl’s words affect her, but they
did. The words blurred on the page, and she shoved the book back into her bag.
“There you are,” Marshall said.
Staring down at her lap, she tried to wipe the tears
away. They were her tears and no one else’s.
“Shit, are you crying?” he asked.
“What do you want?” When she wiped the last of her
tears away, she looked up at him. He was already walking up to where she sat.
Marshall crouched down in front of her, taking hold of her chin. He turned her
face left and right.
“Who made you fucking cry?”
Shaking her head, she tried to pull out his hold, but
he wouldn’t let her go.
“Please,” she said.
“No. I’m not letting you go until you tell me who made
you cry. I’ll hurt them, Scarlett.”
“Don’t. It’s nothing. Please, just ignore me.” He
wouldn’t release her, and his thumb caressed over her cheek.
“This is not acceptable.”
A low growl released from his lips, and Scarlett
stared at him. His eyes flashed amber. It was such a fleeting flash that she
didn’t know if she saw it or not.
He moved to sit beside her, putting his arm around her
shoulder.
“It’s lunch. Shouldn’t you be in the lunchroom?” she
asked.
“I was. I sat waiting for you. Trey was there, and I
expected you to join us.”
“I never eat in the lunchroom.”
“And that’s why I came hunting for you.”
She noticed he said hunting rather than looking. Why
was he hunting for her? He said things that surprised her.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”
“You’re sitting on your own. You’re not even by your
tree, and you’re crying. You’re not fine, Scarlett. What made you cry?”
Biting her lip, she dropped her cheese sandwich back
into the lunch box. Her appetite was gone.
He let out an annoyed sigh. “You’re really not going
to tell
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