Page 38 of The Darkest Note

She has no idea. I wasn’t being ‘escorted’ like an important guest of honor. I was being kidnapped.

And the invite to their super-secret private room was just so they could threaten me.

Who’s making this stuff up?

Her smile is curious. “And today, Dutch almost kissed you.”

“Whoa. That isnotwhat happened,” I snap. “I’d knee him in the nuts before I let him kiss me.”

She laughs. “Eh, don’t let the brainless princess zombies at this school hear that. They’d start gathering their pitchforks.” She stuffs the rest of the banana in her mouth and talks through the food. “Being seen with one of those guys is the pinnacle of popularity around here. And talking to them?” She rolls her eyes. “A pipe dream.”

They sure had a lot to say to me yesterday. I rip the plastic covering my sandwich apart. “Trust me. The rumors are false. There’s nothing going on between me and those monsters.”

“Hm.” She lifts her knee on the table, showing off the ripped jeans under her plaid skirt. “Is that why Dutch and his brothers are sitting at the table directly across from us?”

“What?” I glance up quickly. Like a ghost summoned after calling its name three times, Dutch rises in the distance, flocked by his brothers and a pack of giggling cheerleaders.

I dig my fingers into my sandwich until the cream center globs out of it.

“Whoa. Need a napkin?” Serena asks, opening her bag and rustling through it.

No, what I need is for Dutch to get out of my sight. It’s taking everything inside me to stay seated. I owe that bastard a flying kick to the face and it’s looking really appealing right now.

Deep breaths barely calm my heart rate. Mr. Mulliez reminded me about the consequences of losing my scholarship. I don’t have the money to pay back Redwood Prep, so I have to keep my cool.

Dutch sees us watching. He arches an eyebrow in my direction and offers up a toast with his bottle of water.

His smugness makes my blood boil. It’s like he’sawareof how close I am to kicking his butt and he wants to push me over the edge.

I clutch the table in front of me, jerking my gaze away before I give in to my impulses. The best thing I can do right now is pretend that he’s not getting to me. I won’t give him the satisfaction of getting under my skin.

“You still expect me to think that nothing’s going on?” Serena’s finger volleys between our table and Dutch’s. “After all that eye-flirting?”

It’s more like eye-gouging if you ask me. But we’re each entitled to our opinions.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” I say, picking up my tray.

She grabs my arm. “Wait. Are you going to throw this away? Because you might as well give me rather than waste it.”

“Uh, sure.” I give her a funny look and set the tray back on the table.

Serena tears into what’s left of my sandwich like she hasn’t eaten for days.

I sling my bag over my shoulder. “Enjoy your lunch.”

“Oh, I am,” she says with her mouth full. Despite my throbbing urge to punch Dutch in the face right now, Serena makes me smile. There’s something real about her. A total lack of pretension that makes being around her appealing. Just to see what crazy thing she’ll do next.

But it’s clear she’s a loner and since I am too, I don’t see us hanging out too much.

I fling one leg away from the bench and feel a prickling sensation on my back. When I turn around, I see that Dutch’s entire table is staring at me.

Dutch, Zane and Finn are wearing hard expressions. But the most ferocious scowls are coming from the cheerleaders. The blonde from the showcase looks at me like she wants to stab me repeatedly.

I’m starting to wonder if she’s the one who left the word ‘slut’ on my locker?

So the kids at Redwood are more offended that I ‘might’ be dating one of The Kings than that I might be involved with a teacher?

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.