“You took my sister shopping for what?” Reed exclaims.
“Tampons, Reed. Tam-pons,” I deadpan.
“Why? There’s nothing wrong with what she already had!” he asks all exasperated.
“Tampons are easier and more comfortable. With what you were buying, she couldn’t go swimming during her cycle and now she can.”
“She doesn’t need to go swimming then.”
“Well, now she doesn’t have to worry about someone slapping her ass and feeling it.” I shrug.
“No one should be going near her ass,” he grinds out between clenched teeth. “And excuse me for not wanting to buy something that my sister has to stick inside her body!”
“It’s okay, Reed. You did good. But now I’m around and I got this. And just so you know, birth control is next on our list,” I tell him over my shoulder while heading to the door.
I meant what I said about him doing good, but I couldn’t help poking the bear and throwing in the little jab at the end.
“Excuse me?” he shrieks. “Get back here, Sage!”
“No thanks. Places to go, people to see. Later!”
Victoria laughs as I slide into the car, ignoring the large male barreling after me, yelling expletives.
“Let’s go. I think Reed is in a mood.”
She snorts. “That’s the understatement of the year.”
Chapter Eighteen
This morning, V convinced me to let her do my hair. It’s basically a fancy ponytail with a braid up the back of my head and a slight poof in the front. It’s simple but makes me feel awesome, especially with all the compliments I've gotten on it today.
I meet up with T and V in the hall after English and start heading towards the cafeteria.
“You guys are coming over after school, right?” Tinsley asks.
“You know it,” V replies. “And don’t worry. I grabbed both Sage’s and my suits this time, so she definitely can’t say no to getting in the hot tub.”
“Ugh. I honestly don’t see the appeal to sitting in warm water with other people.” I groan.
“I can definitely get behind seeing you in an itty-bitty yellow polka-dot bikini,” Keat teases while throwing his arms around both Victoria and me.
“Of course you would. Pig,” V spits.
“Yellow is the color of the devil. So nice try, but you’ll never catch me in it,” I respond while knocking his arm off my shoulders.
“Come on. Don’t crush my dreams,” he tells us dramatically while clutching his chest, making all three of us roll our eyes.
“If it’s the color of the devil, then it’s the color for you,” Ingram snaps from behind us. Pushing Tinsley out of the way, she steps into my space.
“Hey, watch it!” Tinsley snaps.
Ingram just rolls her eyes.
“What do you want now, Ingram?” I ask her while keeping my face blank.
“I want you out of my town, but since that won’t happen because the Davenports have decided to take in riffraff, I’ll settle for you staying away from Reed. He’s mine!” she seethes.
I can’t help but sigh.
“I don’t want him, Ingram. But in order for him to be yours, he has to want to be with you, and he clearly doesn’t. Seriously, cut your losses and find someone else,” I say sympathetically and move to walk past her, only for her to grab my ponytail and yank.
“Let go, Ingram,” I tell her calmly while looking her in the eye.
“Ingram, what the fuck!” Keaton shouts, trying to separate us.
“Stop, Keaton! You’re causing Ingram to pull Sage’s hair more!” V panics, making him take a step back. I watch Tinsley run off.
“You saw her touch me first, right?” I ask everyone surrounding us, making eye contact with several who nod.
“Obviously!” Keaton barks. “And the cameras caught it too.” He points to several cameras in the hall.
I loosen my fists at my sides. “I’m not going to tell you again, Ingram. Let. Go.”
She grabs a hold of my chin and digs her pointy fake nails into my face. I can feel her breaking skin.
“Or what, you whore?” She spits—literally spits—in my face, and my cool snaps.
I make the perfect fist like old man Williams, my old neighbor, taught me and punch Ingram in her not-so-perfect fake nose. The crunch is audible, causing some around us to cringe.
She lets go of my hair and tries to launch herself at me, but I’m faster. I grab both arms and manage to slam her body face-first into a set of lockers, pinning her hands between us while holding my forearm against the back of her neck so she can’t headbutt me.
“Should have thought about how I might react to you touching me. You know, since I’m scum and all,” I mock.
She lets lose a feral scream right when Reed busts through the crowd with the principal and Tinsley on his heels.
He stops dead in his tracks.
“What happened to your face?” he asks coldly while looking at me.
“Reed! She broke my nose,” Ingram wails while stomping her little heeled foot.
“I wasn’t asking you, Ingram.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” I tell him.
“You two, in my office now!” Principal Harris demands.
I push Ingram farther into the locker before letting go. I take a step back and sweep my arm out in front of me. “After you,” I mock her with a bow.
Ingram shrieks and tries to latch on to Reed when walking towards the office.
“No,” he tells her while stepping out of her reach.
Ingram huffs in response.
I rub my face in exhaustion and start following her only to have Reed step out in front of me. He tips my chin up to inspect my face. “You okay, Sage?”
“I’ve been better,” I mutter.
“Come on. I bet Principal Harris has already managed to call at least your aunt by now,” he tells me while tucking me into his side.
Keaton, Victoria, and Tinsley all fall into step beside us.
“Well, one thing’s for sure. I won’t be pissing Sage off anytime soon,” Keaton announces, trying to break the tension and making us all laugh.
“No kidding, right? Who knew my girl had so much power behind a punch?” V teases.
“I took note of those around when she came up to us and at what time. That way they can roll the security tapes back and can examine for themselves that Sage wasn’t the aggressor,” Tinsley tells Reed.
“Good job, Tin Tin.”
“You all know it’s going to be me who gets blamed. It won’t matter that she assaulted me first. I’m not one of you.” I shrug.
“That's bullshit. You're a Covington. Your name is just as good as any of ours,” V vehemently proclaims as we reach the office.
“One thing’s for sure, you're not going in there without us. One for all and all for one and all that jazz. Agreed?” Tinsley asks Reed and Keaton.
“Agreed,” they murmur in unison.
∞∞∞
Since V, Tins, Keaton, and Reed all refused to leave, Principal Harris set us up in a conference room. Aunt Alice and Richard arrive first.