Page 177 of The Surprise Play

Although the upstairs has been roped off, Carson jumps over the barrier and heads to the second floor, making sure the house is completely empty.

It takes fifteen minutes, but soon all we’re left with is my football crew and Nylah. She stands beside Carson, shooting him a worried frown, and I pull out my phone, trying to call Satch.

It goes straight to voicemail, and I throw my phone onto the couch with a snarl before plunking onto the cushions and glaring at the karaoke machine.

So much for making my girl’s night.

I was trying to do something special for her, and it went to complete shit.

The others start slowly cleaning up around me, and I know I should give them a hand, but I can’t move.

All I can do is sit here stewing and waiting for Sienna to get back.

CHAPTER 54

ELIZABETH

We drive back to my dorm in silence.

Well, me sniffing and whimpering, clutching Wily’s leather jacket as I vacillate from guilt at yelling at him to utter justification. He couldn’t stand there saying he got it.

He doesn’t get it.

Sienna probably doesn’t get it either.

How could they possibly?

They don’t know what it’s like to be surrounded by people yet completely alone. There’s no way they’ve been pointed at, laughed at, whispered about on a daily basis. They don’t know what it’s like to have everyone in your class conspiring against you to pull off a “hilarious” prank that’s funny for everyone but you.

Pausing at the intersection, Sienna steals a look at me. I just happen to look up at the same time, and her sad smile makes me feel like shit.

I turn to stare out the window, a fresh wave of tears taking me out as I relive that horrible moment in the denwhen I locked the door and turned to find Team Evil 2.0 all standing in there.

It was like my personal nightmare come to life.

They spotted me at the same time, their surprise at my interruption turning to narrowed glares of triumph.

The way their eyes glinted as they approached me was terrifying, and I whipped around, scrambling to unbolt the door, but Kelsey’s hand slapped against the wood while Viper Girl fisted my jacket and tried to wrench me around.

Jade got in on the action, tugging on my jacket until it was falling off my shoulders.

Kelsey cackled, leaning against the door and fisting the fabric so my hands were cuffed behind me.

“Please just let me go.” I wish my voice had been stronger, but my heart was lodged in my throat, making it impossible to be. “Just let me go,” I whimpered.

“Nice singing.” Jade’s eyes were glinting in a way that made my stomach drop down to my knees. “Everybody justlovesyou, don’t they?”

I swallowed.

“If only they knew the truth.” Her scathing glare traveled down my body then, her mocking snicker like a slap to the face. “That you’re nothing more than a fat loser whose mommy has to make her pathetic clothes because she can’t afford to buy any at a store.”

Reaching for my neckline, she scratched my skin with her red-painted talons before fisting the fabric and yanking on it.

I gasped, relieved the precious outfit Mom had made didn’t tear. It dug into my neck and really hurt, but it hadn’t actually torn. “Please just let me go.”

“Get some scissors.” Jade smirked at Viper Girl, whose look of gleeful delight made my stomach pitch.

“No!” I tried to protest, wrestling against Kelsey’s hold on me, but she used her shoulder to shove me back against the door.