The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

I saw Stephanie turn the corner up ahead, along with her mini-Stephanie-wanna-be friends tagging behind: Jackie, Slappy, and Curlie. Of course those weren’t their real names, that’s just what I called them. They were little anorexic bubbles with air inside. They had no personalities and their only mission in life was to get popular. Stephanie was their first rung on the ladder so that’s where they started.

Stephanie wasn’t quite where my sister was in the social status, but she was almost there.

Mandy saw her at the same time I did. She immediately veered off in her direction.

I couldn’t stop a faint grin. Stephanie was about to be knocked down from whatever standing she had achieved and it was all because of me. I’m such a bitch, but the thing is, I had a reason to sic my sister on Stephanie.

Yeah. I had lied. Stephanie hadn’t hooked up with Devon. I have no idea who she had hooked up with, but there was without a doubt something—note that I said something, not someone, she was just that nasty. I smiled knowing she was about to be knocked down; she deserved it. The first week of school—my new life in place with my new resolutions firmly in place—she spread a rumor that I stole our biology exam. She only spread that rumor because her boyfriend hit on me.

Yeah, it might’ve been something that I’d have done in the past, but this time I was innocent. All of my history had been pulled up, making me look guilty as hell and didn’t help my innocence in the situation. They couldn’t prove it was me, but it didn’t matter.

Instead of being suspended, I received detention for two months. But Stephanie had tarnished my name and all my intents and purposes to be a ‘good’ kid had gone down the drain.

So I served my sentence, got pretty close with Mr. Hollings, the unlucky teacher who had pulled the detention straw, and I set about trying to reclaim my ‘good’ name again.

After that incident, I declared war on Stephanie, but for the past few months things have been quiet…guess that’s over now.

I could still hear Mandy’s screech as I ducked inside my classroom. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

*

Glancing up from my lunch tray, I saw Tray Evans drop into the seat opposite mine. Grinning, so self-assured, he drawled, “Your sis preaches about some of your skills.”

“Skills that are firmly stocked and locked. Go away,” I said coolly. I didn’t care who he was, I wasn’t going back to my old habits. No way in hell.

“Come on. Why are you so hard-pressed? A girl like you could get laid, easily.”

I fixed him with a steely glare. I knew who he was. He was the resident god of the school. Captain of the soccer team. Heartiest partier. He had his own personal supply of kegs, and, if you were really nice and kissed his ass, he’d even rent a few out to you. Tray Evans was the kind of kid that I hated the most—one of the God blessed. He had the family, the looks, the personality, and the money.

He could charm his way anywhere and he did. He was so goddamned lucky because he had everything, but he took it for granted. He chose to spend his days optimizing his level of fun.

He was lazy. Pure and simple.

I hate anyone who’s advantaged and takes it for granted—Mandy now excluded because she’s my sister.

“A girl like me? And who do you think I am?” I asked coolly.

There was a flicker of alarm in his hazel eyes. Yeah, he was back-pedaling a little now. “Chill. Didn’t mean anything by it—it’s just that…any guy would be with you. That’s it. Didn’t mean anything derogatory.”

“Right.” It didn’t set right, the guy was lying. “What do you want?”

Yeah, he was firmly reassessing me. I knew this wasn’t the girl that he had been told about. I hadn’t pulled out my confrontational bitchiness—yet. I’d played in the background, doing passive aggressive stunts (like with Stephanie), but right now…that wouldn’t fly. Not with Tray Evans. He ate those girls for breakfast and came back for seconds.

“Taryn!” Mandy cheerfully greeted, landing in the seat next to mine. “Tray, hey!”

“Matthews,” he greeted smoothly.

“Is it true?” Mandy asked. “Is the party at your place?”

“Thinking about it.”

Catching me studying her intently, Mandy asked warily, “What?”

“Why are you here?” I asked pointedly. She didn’t ever sit by me at lunch. I sat alone. It was my rule.

She sighed. “Come on, Taryn. We need your help.”

“That’s what this is about? Both of you coming to double-team me?”