Page 1 of Vicious Little Snakes

Liam—The Red Oak Race.

“Loser.”

“Where the fuck have you been? We won. By a lot.” I huff at Caroline’s smug expression.

The crowd is up the hill by the bonfire, but I’m still trying to get my legs to work. Grey definitely carried us over the finish line because I think I died a click back.

“No, I mean your little competition with Grey. It just became a forfeit on Donovan’s part. So…” She shrugs with a smirk. “Loser.”

Caroline stands in front of me, wallowing in my expected misery as she pushes to her tiptoes to boop my nose.

My head draws back from her hand as I stare down and shrug. “What the fuck are you talking about? Grey’s in the boat. I’m not in the mood for your little games.”

A quick laugh shoots from her lips. “Look for yourself.”

She turns, pointing, and my eyes lift over her head to see Van straddling Grey in the boat, obviously having just kissed him. Son of a bitch. Honestly, I’m surprised it took them this long.

My gaze narrows back to Caroline.

“I wouldn’t count me out just yet.”

“It’s pathetic you ever thought she counted you in, Brooks.”

I tuck my hands under Caroline’s armpits, enjoying her squeal as I curl her, bringing us eye level.

“You’re a mean little bitch, aren’t you?”

She scowls. I can feel her nails dig into my shoulders, but I don’t give a fuck.

“Doesn’t matter. Because now I’m going to kiss that girl stupid. Just to irritate the fuck out of you. My mouth will be covered in cherry.”

I almost wince, feeling her claws dig deeper.

“And why would you think that mattered to me?”

“I don’t know. And I don’t care. It’s enough that I piss you off, Carebear.”

I drop her without warning, letting her almost fall on her ass.

“Make sure you get a good seat.”

Caroline— Last Thursday

Ihate her. That’s all I can think of while standing in the middle of the empty school hallway. Donovan stares back at me, hand on hip, chain Chanel bag across her body, shining almost as much as the highlight on her face. God, I hate her so much I could cry. In theory only. In real life, I never cry.

You have to feel to do that, and I swore that shit off a long fucking time ago.

Donovan’s giving me that look, the one with the smugness she reserves for when she thinks she’s won. It’s bad enough my plan in the cafeteria didn’t work, but now that the crowned Prince of Hillcrest and his Princess are back together, I’m checkmated.

“I said, get, bitches,” she snaps.

Nice line. More me than her.But this is Donovan’s shining moment—the one where she tells me who’s boss. Puts me in my place, like in a mediocre mean girl movie where one of us is a morally high grounded virgin.Whoopsies, Donovan, all these bitches are sycophants and whores, kitten.

Feet scurry around me, jumping into high gear, leaving Laura and me alone with Queen D. The nickname makes me smile. She is the queen of D, considering what a little prossie she was in Spain. Donovan’s overly shiny blonde hair sways with the tilt of her head, and those boho bracelets—Jesus, they make me want to weep for fashion’s sake.

“Laura, I was going to speak to Caroline about you, since you don’t seem to have a mind of your own, but I think you should hear this firsthand. Stop allowing yourself to be used by boys…”

Her voice turns into one of the parents from Charlie Brown, causing me to drift off until her red-hued lips lift into a smile. “…I want you to ask yourself one question, Laura. Who’s my queen afraid of?”