“Rent is paid up until the first of the month. You’re eighteen years old. If you can get a job and keep paying the rent, the place is yours. I’d help you out, but with your uncle gone, I can barely make ends meet for myself.”
I give her a subtle nod. “Ok, I can do that. How hard can it be to get a job?” This is nothing new. A job will be a first, but life has always been a struggle for me. As long as I’m making it from one day to the next, I’m good. Aunt Nikki and Uncle Jay took me in when things got really bad with my dad and I’ve been here for over a year now. Dad went to jail for a couple months for assault after he hit me over the head with a lamp and I had to get a row of stitches in the back of my head. He got out and swore he’d get clean, but I don’t believe a word he says. Haven’t talked to him since then, don’t plan to either.
Aunt Nikki pulls me in for a hug. “You’re going to be just fine. We both are.”
She’s right. We will be fine. Eventually, they will fix their marriage. Until then, I’ll work and rent out the house—keeping it for them when they’re ready to come back to it. This is the only family I have, and I’ll be damned if some little slut is going to rip it apart.
Breaking the hold she has on me, I take a step back. “You’re right. It will be.” I snatch my keys back off the kitchen counter. “I’ve gotta run an errand. I’ll be back.”
“You just got here,” her voice raises as I walk out the door, “where are you going?”
Without a response, I let the door close behind me. The clouds threaten rain and as I’m jogging over to my car, a thunderous boom ripples through the sky.
I overheard Nadia talking to her English Lit teacher in the hall and I know for a fact that she stayed after school today to get caught up.
I back out of the driveway then slam the gear into drive. My tires kick up gravel behind me as I burn out and fly down the road at high speed. I need to get to the parking lot before she leaves. She needs to know that I’m onto this little facade she’s putting on for everyone.
She’s not a nice girl; she’s a fucking nightmare. And it just so happens that she’s in my territory now and it’s time that I make that clear to her.
Minutes later, I’m pulling up to where her car sits empty in the parking lot. I shift into park right in front of hers, blocking her in. Jumping out the driver’s side door, I slam it shut and position my ass right on the hood, arms crossed over my chest, and wait.
One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I check them time. 3:32 p.m. Damn, how long does it take to get a couple months of missing school work?
Just as I drop my phone back into the pocket of my jeans, the main doors to the school open. Straightening my back, I get a better look. Sure enough, here she comes.
A devious smirk spreads across my face. I was kind to the girl earlier. Not sure if it was for show or because I felt sorry for her because she was stepping into senior year as the new girl. Whatever the reason for my momentary lapse of judgment, it’s passed.
“Zaaack?” She draws out my name with a raise of her brow. “What are you doing here?” her finger shakes toward my car. “And why are you parked like that?” Her backpack slides down her tan and flawless shoulder as she comes closer.
“Hey there, Blue Jay. Nice to see you, too.” My fingers drum against the hot hood of the car behind me. “Thought maybe we could have a little talk about your place in this school.”
Stalking past me with a scowl, she huffs, “I think you made that pretty obvious in the cafeteria today. In fact,” she spins around, “I can still feel the dampness on the back of my shirt.”
Smiling inwardly, I take a few steps toward her. “Lacey has a thing for theatrics. She’s harmless...unless you piss her off, which I advise against.”
With her hand on the door handle, she pops her hip up. “Well, I must’ve pissed her off then. Now, if you don’t mind moving your car, I’d like to go home.”
“Actually, I do mind.” I take a few more steps until I’m directly in front of her. Pressing my side against her door, I stop her from being able to open it. “What scares you, Nadia? More than anything? What instills fear inside of that precious little heart of yours.”
“Oh, so now I’m Nadia?”
“Answer the question.”
Her shoulders raise and she scoffs, “I don’t know. It’s a dumb question. What scares me?” She pauses for a beat. “Spiders.”
I let out an airy laugh. “So of all the terrible people in this world, all the bad things that can happen, and a spider scares you the most?”
“Sure. Can I go now?” She tugs on the handle, but I press my hip harder against the door.
“Not yet.” I glare at her with so much rage in my stare, hoping that she can feel it and it gives her the inclination that she messed with the wrong family—even if she has no idea that she did. “Ask me.”
“Ask you what you’re scared of?” I nod in response, so she asks, “What scares you, Zack?” I can tell she’s growing tired of this little game and just wants to go home, but I’m not finished with her yet.
“Nothing. Wanna know why?”
“Not really, but I assume you plan on telling me, anyways?” she says it as a question, and she’s right, I do.
Placing a hand over her shoulder, I turn her body and press her back against the car door then cage her in with my other hand. Looking down at her as I speak, her doe eyes look up at mine. “Because I have nothing to lose. Your whorish acts took everything from me.”
Her eyes pop wide open, and it’s like the bells have sounded and she finally gets it, even though she still doesn’t. She won’t know what she took from me until I’m ready to tell her. “What the hell did you just say to me?”
“Was it worth it?”
“You’re crazy.” Her hand plants against my chest and she tries to push me away. “Move now or I’ll scream.”
“You can run to a new school, but your past always follows.” I drop my hands and take a step back, watching her as she climbs into the fancy little car. Rich-entitled bitch that she is.
She starts the engine, but I stare her down a few seconds more before I get back in my car and let her leave.
“Fly away, Blue Jay. But I will find you. Always,” I mutter under my breath.
4
Nadia
Dropping onto my back on the soft down comforter, I hold my phone in front of my face and tap Amanda.
Before I can even say hello, she begins drilling me. “How was it? I need all the dirty details.”
Laughing, I ignore her question. “Hello to you, too.”
“Hey. Details. Now!”
With my shirt rolled up past my waist, I twirl my belly button ring around. “Typical first day at a public school. Hot guys, mean girls, and one person who befriends you and makes it all a little less awkward.”
“You made a friend?” She beams with excitement. As if I’m incapable of making friends.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I happen to be very likable. She was sort of a saving grace today. There was this guy—”