She hasn’t even looked in my direction.
On the other side of the room, Elodie Stillwater frowns at the redhead, too. Obviously, she’s noticed the change in her friend as well and is just as confused as I am.
I bore twin holes into the back of Chase’s head, willing her to turn around and look at me so I can mouth a series of obscenities at her. She faces the front, unpacking a notepad and a selection of pens from her bag, as if she can’t feel the furious heat that’s burning into her skull.
My mind races away from me. Could she seriously not have noticed me just now? Can she have transferred to my Econ class by accident?
No. Highly unlikely.
No, she’s fucking with me.
This is what I get for saving a girl’s life, not to mention those two bone rattling orgasms? Fucking unbelievable. Professor Radley begins today’s lesson, droning on about aggregate demand, and the whole time Chase studiously takes notes. She listens intently to every word that comes out of the fucker’s mouth. Halfway through class, she even puts her hand up and answers one of Radley’s questions. She smiles a tiny, secret smile to herself, bowing her head when he tells her that her answer was not only correct but insightful.
I am literally dumbfounded by her presence here.
What sane person stalks the person who resuscitated them and enrolls in all of their classes? I mean…that’s just weird, right? It occurs to me that she might not be sane, though. After all, what person in their right mind slashes their wrists up and tries to kill themselves that emphatically? In the very least, she must be all kinds of depressed to have done what she did. I should have thought about that before I fucked her brains out.
But sitting there, scribbling her notes down in her notebook, so alert and fixed on what Professor Radley is saying, Chase doesn’t seem depressed. She seems quite content to have invaded my little bubble and doesn’t appear to be suffering any ill consequence from the amount of hate I’m sending her way.
“Mr. Davis? Mr. Davis, why are you holding your hand up? I haven’t asked a question.”
“Where did she come from?” I demand.
“I’m sorry? What?”
“Chase.” I point a finger at her, where she’s sitting in the chair two feet away from me.
Professor Radley rolls his eyes. All of the other students, including Presley, turn to face me. She looks a little startled now, but her expression’s off. She doesn’t look worried that I’m about to tell everyone that she’s stalking me. She looks like she’s embarrassed and doesn’t want any attention drawn to her. Well tough luck, bitch. You don’t get to play games with me and expect me not to play right fucking back. That is not how this shit works.
“What do you mean?” the treacherous little witch whispers.
“Don’t you think this is a little desperate? Don’t you think I know what you’re doing? Why don’t you go back to whichever class you’re supposed to be—”
“Mr. Davis, I’m aware that you aren’t Wolf Hall’s friendliest student, but this behavior’s unacceptable. Give Presley a break. She only walked through the door fifteen minutes ago and you’re already making life difficult. Jesus.” Professor Radley folds his arms over his chest, shaking his head. I have no particular feelings about the man, one way or another. He’s never given me any shit, and I’ve been mostly silent during his classes in return. But this comment from him has me rethinking my whole attitude toward Econ and him in general.
I stare at him murderously. “She’s not supposed to be here. She’s got no interest in economics.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Radley looks at me like I’m crazy. “Presley’s been in this class a hell of a lot longer than you. And her grades are considerably better. The last time I spoke with Presley, she told me that she has a very real interest in majoring in Econ at college. Is that still the plan, Presley?”
Last semester, she would have wilted like a hot house flower left out in a snowstorm. She barely even pales under Professor Radley’s attention today. Her eyes dart from me to Radley. “Yeah. Well, I’m considering majoring in Econ and English, but…”
She’s always been in this class?
She wants to major in Econ and English? Both of which are my subjects?
How can I not have noticed her here before?
It’s not true. This is some mass conspiracy. It has to be. “I really don’t think she’s—”
Professor Radley cuts me off. “Enough, Pax. I don’t know what kind of diversionary tactics you’re trying to pull right now, or why you’d even bother, but this nonsense stops now. You can either sit quietly, pay attention and let me finish the lesson, or I’ll drag you over to Principal Harcourt’s office and you can spend the remainder of the period with her. It’s totally up to you.”
Hah! I’d pay good money to see him try and force me out of this classroom. The man’s as thin as a reed and can’t weigh more than a buck forty soaking wet. If he so much as thinks about laying a finger on me, I’ll have his face smashed into his precious whiteboard and his shoulder out of its joint before he can say, ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry, I don’t know what the hell came over me!’’
Professor Radley’s face turns an off, grey shade, like he can picture the scene I’m painting in my head with vivid clarity. He looks like he’s already rethinking his threat. Still. I go easy on the guy. This is his first infraction. “I’ll stay,” I growl. Not an agreement that I’ll behave myself. More of a fact. Ahead of me, Chase clears her throat, her attention returning to her textbook like nothing even happened. Four chairs over, sitting by the door, Elodie Stillwater glowers at me with the ferocity of a thousand burning suns. She shakes her head, and I know I’m going to hear about this later. I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t fucking care what she thinks.
The rest of the class drags by; every second feels like a minute, every minute an hour. I refrain from looking at Chase again, though it takes a monumental effort not to jump out of my seat, grab her and drag her out of here so I can find out what the fuck she’s playing at.
As soon as the deep tolling of Wolf Hall’s bell reverberates through the hallway, I grab my shit, sling it all in my bag, and I head calmly from the room. Chase stays. Chase waits. She’s waiting for me to disappear and move on to my next class, but I’m not going anywhere. I slip around the corner and post up against the wall, waiting for her.
Elodie finds me first, and she’s as mad as a cat on a hot tin roof. “What the fuck is wrong with you, dude? Why do you have to be so vile to everyone you cross paths with? It must be exhausting.”
I stare over the top of her head, watching the door to Econ like a hawk. “You have no idea.”
“Can’t you just be nice for once? Can’t you just allow one person some peace, without targeting them in some vicious game?”
I make eye contact with Wren’s girl. I flare my nostrils, eyes blazing. “I’m not the one playing games. I’m not targeting her for shit. She’s the one messing with me. Just…fuck off and mind your business.”
Elodie’s eyes flash. She prods me, hard, in the center of my chest. “You’re acting crazy. Presley isn’t ‘messing with you.’ She’s scared shitless of you—”