Page 30 of Vicious Little Snakes

Me:Calm down with the shouty caps. Go away. I have class. You’re a pest.

No sooner do I hit send does the door handle squeak. Oh my fucking God. If he walks in here, Mrs. Pearson will have both our heads. My arm shoots up as I cough into my fist for attention, putting on my most miserable face.

“Mrs. Pearson. Excuse me.”

She looks over her shoulder midsentence. “Let me guess, Miss Whitmore. You don’t feel well. Again.”

I lower my hand and nod, trying to ignore the theatrics happening on the other side of the door. Kai’s flicking his tongue and being obscene, pretending to kiss someone imaginary. I hate him.

“Truly. I don’t. I think it’s best that I go and maybe call our family doctor. God knows what I could have. I could be contagious.”

She frowns, but I’m already gathering my bag and my book in my hands. “I’ll make sure to make up any work.”

I’m trying to leave as if I’m feeling pitiful, but she glares at me and snaps her fingers as I walk past. My head swings over my shoulder, eyebrows raised.Did she actually fucking snap her boney, unmanicured finger at me?

“This time, I want a note back, Caroline. No excuse equals no grade for today. Am I clear?”

Fantastic. I’m going to kill Kai.

“Absolutely.”

I pull the door open, my eyes wide as I jerk my head for Kai to stay invisible. He ducks under the glass window as I close the door, grabbing my waist and pushing me forward.

“What the hell?” I rush out, swatting at him.

“Shh. No time to waste.”

He’s laughing, and it’s so quiet that he seems maniacal. He is. We move another few feet from the door before he stands up to his regular sixish foot height and wags his eyebrows.

“I could kill you, Kai. Now she wants a nurse’s note.”

He shrugs. “That’s it? Piece of cake.”

Kai grabs my hand, pulling me down the hall, the opposite way from the entrance, and I look back over my shoulder, confused. “Where the hell are we going? The exit is back that way.”

He doesn’t answer, dragging me behind him. We come to a door labeled Boy’s Locker Room, and I jerk my hand from his.

“Are you crazy? I’m not going in there. I can only imagine the smell.”

Kai chuckles, looking around the hall, and holds a finger to his mouth.

“You aren’t going in. I am. Be quiet and stay put. I’ll be right back.”

A whispered, “What the fuck,” is ignored as he blows me a kiss and slips behind the metal door. Oh my God. What am I doing out here, alone? My head shifts from side to side as a smile graces my face. Nobody’s here to see me, so I let it bloom. He’s crazy.

I cross my legs, shoving my hands inside my blazer pockets, and look down. I hope I don’t get caught out here while he does God knows what in there. That’s all I need—getting suspended doesn’t screamdebutante. Then again, the committee’s busy with crabs and unplanned legacies.

Still, my head swings back to the door. “Come the fuck on already, Kai.” I stare for seconds longer, feeling like minutes before I cave. Screw this. I’m leaving and going back to class.

I take a step forward when my ass is bumped by someone exiting the locker room. It sends me stumbling a few steps and almost hitting the ground. A strong arm hooks around my waist, saving me.

“Trouble standing?”

I right myself and wiggle free, recognizing the familiar voice. “You almost killed me. Who walks through a door so aggressively?”

Grey laughs, “Shut up. What are you doing out here? Trolling around the Boy’s Locker Room? Don’t you have class?”

“Don’t you?” I counter.