Page 27 of Vicious Little Snakes

Grey:I don’t want to talk about her anymore. Can we just not for a while? It hurts too much, Liam.

Liam: Yeah.

Grey:Yeah.

Liam:But we won’t stop missing her.

Grey:Never.

* * *

“Mr. McCallister, please sit down.”

Aw shit. Here we go. I grip the front of my desk, pulling myself forward onto my forearms as I look up to where Grey is standing in the middle of the aisle. He’s so mad—madder than Mr. Green for sure.

“No. Put it back where it goes,” Grey grits out, stabbing his finger to where Donovan’s desk used to be. His voice cracks a little, but he doesn’t care.

I get it. I felt the same way. The minute I walked into the room, and saw the empty space where her desk used to be. It hurt so badly.

“Mr. McCallister, sit down.”

Grey shakes his head. “No. Put it back where it belongs, and then you can teach.”

Mr. Green’s hand slams down on his large oak desk, making the girl’s shoulders in front of me jump. I feel nervous, not scared but amped up as my eyes switch between Grey and our teacher.

“Mr. McCallister, you will be seated, or you’ll see the headmaster and be suspended. Your choice, boy.”

The room is dead silent, watching the stand-off, but I already know what Grey’ll choose.

“Just sit, Grey. It’s not worth being suspended,” some girl whispers.

I can see Grey’s hands balled into fists, and I know there’s no coming back. If they don’t put that damn desk where it belongs, he’ll go crazy. There’s no way Grey will sit in this room for hours with the reminder that we lost her. He’s not like me. He can’t compromise, sacrifice, or accept defeat.

Right now, for Grey, it’s about the desk—because it was hers and she’s ours. And they can’t just erase her.

Paul, a dumbass new kid that’s seated across from Grey, whispers, “McCallister, just sit down. Who cares about Donovan Kennedy. She’s gone. Get over it. There are plenty of other girls for you to obsess over. This is dumb.”

Instinctively I reach forward for Grey, but I’m bound by my desk. Doesn’t matter because he’s already on top of that dumbass, slamming his fist into Paul’s face. Fuck that kid. He deserves it. The room breaks out in pandemonium. Books falling to the floor, and girls squealing as boys begin to chant,“fight, fight.”

More clamoring happens when Paul tries to swing back. Kids beginstanding on their chairs to watch the beatdown from a better vantage point, but I’ve already scrambled out of my desk, closing the distance, and wrap my arms around Grey before I strain to pull him backward.

“Dude. Chill.”

Grey struggles back toward Paul, spit flying from his mouth as he groans so hard his voice breaks again, but I yell in his ear.

“Quit it, Grey. Enough dude. Enough.”

Paul’s bloody nose invades my vision, the rich red color smeared over his face mixing with the darkening eye that will eventually turn purple. He’s already muttering about telling his father while trying to wipe his tears. Pussy. I should let Grey go and watch as he makes the other eye black. But I don’t. I keep tugging backward, giving enough distance for Grey to chill out.

Mr. Green’s voice is loud, cutting through the adrenaline buzzing in my ears, reprimanding the students before directing his words at Grey and me, “You two are a disgrace to this school. Grey McCallister. You’re out. For good. Get out now, or I’ll happily throw you out.”

He steps forward angrily as Grey shoves me off, but I insert myself in between them, holding up my hands. I don’t even know what I’m doing, but it’s an instinct. I can’t leave him alone in this.

“One more step, and I’ll call my father.”

My chest rises and falls too fast as I try to catch my breath. I’m willing myself to look brave, worried I’m failing.

Mr. Green’s reddened face glares down at me like a bull. My insides are shaking underneath all my contrived confidence because I’ve never spoken to a teacher this way. That’s Grey’s job. I’m the “good” one.