Page 35 of Take Care, Taylor

“Bullyme?” I scoffed, standing to my feet. “Thank you for saving me from one version of hell and ushering me into another.”

I walked down the stands without another word and rushed across the gymnasium floor.

Outside, I ran toward the teachers’ parking garage on the other side of campus. Just as Taylor said, my car was parked in spot twelve by the window.

Letting out a breath, I braced myself before unlocking the back door. There were no bags on the floor or on the seats—nothing tucked into the magazine pockets.

I moved to the passenger side and opened the glove box, finding nothing but the worn pages of my auto manual and copies of my insurance card. Still, I couldn’t help checking under the seat and running my hands along the vents in the dashboard.

When I was finally convinced that my drive home would be uneventful, I climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the key. Tears pricked my eyes, practically begging to fall, but I refused to give in.

I refused to let anyone at that godforsaken academy see me cry again.

I pulled down the sun visor to make sure I looked “normal,” and a folded sheet of notebook paper fluttered into my lap.

From Taylor…

I sighed. I knew this was too good to be true. But I couldn’t help opening it.

Dear Audrey,

You may be the one person at this school that I despise more than anyone else, but no one else gets to hurt you.

Only me.

Take care,

Taylor

P.S. — I told Principal Warren what’s going on. You can have that spot, which is mine, for the rest of the year.

P.P.S. — This doesn’t mean anything else changes between us.

I still fucking hate you.

TRACK 14. IMGONNAGETYOUBACK (2:19)

AUDREY

The hatred coursed through my veins like a relentless current, dragging every trace of her downstream.

No matter how I tried to reroute the tide or build a dam to hold it back, she always found a way to spill through the cracks.

All I could do was wait—patiently, bitterly—for the day her poison found someone else’s shore.

Professor White read those words aloud from the front of ourDeep Insights and Metaphorsclass, his smile widening with every sentence.

“How beautiful isthat, ladies and gentlemen?” He held up today’s random and anonymous piece.

Everyone in the room clapped and whispered their awe—everyone except me.

Is every teacher here going to kiss Taylor Wolff’s ass?

“I’m tempted to tell the rest of you to drop out of the program now if the person in question continues to write like this.” Professor White smiled. “This is the type of writing I love to read!”

I leaned back in my chair, struggling to stay still and not lunge after Taylor for using me in his work again.

All I could do was tap my fingers against the seat.