Page 32

“Locker 407. Out this door and go to your left. Down the hall and then make another left. Go all the way to the end till you see the lockers.” She slaps the note on top of the counter in front of me. I grab it and turn without even muttering a thank you. Screw the bitch. Her job is to help us when we need it, not act like I’m a problem child and interrupting some big things she’s working on.
Following her instructions, I push past some of the students that are standing around in the middle of the hallway, as I work my way down towards my locker. I look up at the numbers until I come across mine. Locker 407. I enter the code on the lock, opening the door and being hit with an intense rotting smell inside.
I turn my head and start to gag from the smell that’s invading my nose. Backing away, I take a moment to try and keep myself from dry heaving. When I look up at my locker, I notice rotten food and garbage sitting inside of it.
Are you fucking kidding me?
“What is that smell?” I instantly freeze at the sound of her voice.
Bianca. I turn and look at her, my right hand clenched at my side and teeth grinding together.
“Oh, it’s just the trash they let walk in here. Stay there, slut. I don’t want to get any of your STDs from you being too close to me.”
Sounds of laughter start to echo through the hall, and red is starting to cloud my vision. Turning, I take a deep breath and try to calm myself. I reach down and pick up the bag that I dropped when I opened the locker. Screw this, I will just carry my shit.
“Wow, what the hell is that smell?” Mason’s voice bellows through the hall as he makes his way over to where Bianca is standing with the other Barbies. Yeah, that’s exactly what they are. Fake ass plastic bitches.
“Someone wanted to give the new girl a welcome present. Seems they thought that trash would be fitting since she’s used to living in it.” Bianca places a hand on Mason’s arm and rubs it.
Mason laughs and suddenly I am no longer mad, but more embarrassed. He’s looking at me the same way that Bianca is. Disgusted.
“Man, and now I have to sit next to her in class.” He shakes his head and holds his nose. Everyone around us is now laughing, and I’m frozen in the spot where I stand. I have no idea what just happened. Mason went from wanting to get in my pants to humiliating me along with everyone else in this school.
I turn and sprint away from the crowd around my now dumpster locker. How the hell did they even know it was mine? I didn’t even know it was mine. Who knows how long that garbage had been rotting inside that locker? It could have been there since Monday.
I head out to the courtyard and people are staring at me, pointing at me. I hear some snickering and talk about my locker, and I steel my face and emotions. This is what they want. They want to break me, make me look weak. I close my eyes for a moment and think of my mom and dad.
A happier time when we were together, when we were a family. When everyone was alive and full of love.
I let out a long sigh. Opening my eyes, I start my trek to the Emerson building. A shiver goes up my spine just thinking about that name. I fucking hate Daxon Emerson.
Reaching my classroom, I take a deep breath and pray that Mason isn’t a complete dick to me like he was in the hallway. My hope quickly evaporates when I see that the desks around my desk have been shifted so that there is a huge gap around me. I walk in and make my way to my desk with murmurs and whispers floating in the air.
I drop my bag on the floor and fall into my chair. I stare at the top of my desk, not wanting to look around. I can feel their eyes on me.
The air shifts, and I know Mason has walked into the classroom. The chatter dies down as everyone is waiting to see what he does. The minute I look up, I regret that decision.
He walks over to his desk that is pushed farther away from mine than it should be, as he holds his nose and scrunches his face.
I scoff and shake my head at him. “Real mature.”
“Seriously, maybe use the shower in your dorm room, Trailer Trash.” He fake gags as he slides into his seat.
My chest tightens over the fact that he didn’t call me his usual nickname, Red. While it wasn’t my favorite nickname, I would take it over the new one. While I can’t stand any of them, his flirty ways were better that what he’s doing now. He’s being cruel. I expect that from Daxon, not him. “Seriously, Mason?” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Yeah, you seriously need to take a shower.”
I can feel my cheeks heat and I’m about to say something when the teacher walks in.
“Miss Hayes, the Headmaster would like to see you now, please,” Mr. Patterson says as he walks into the classroom.
Rolling my eyes, I gather my things and walk out the classroom door, actually happy for the slight distraction. I take a win where I can get one. Right now, not being in that classroom being made fun of, total win.
As I stroll back into the office, Ms. Hodgens narrows her eyes at me and taps her pen on her desk. “Headmaster Lockhart wanted to see me?”
She nods. “Go ahead back there.”
I slowly walk back to his office, knocking on the door. “Come in,” comes from behind it, so I turn the handle and push the door open to find him behind his desk typing furiously on his keyboard. He looks up from his screen and points to the seat in front of him. I saunter over and take a seat.