Dulce

16

“Ihave no idea where you put it all,” Scott says with a laugh as I finish the last of my pasta and rub my tiny food baby. I don’t tell him that sex burns off a lot of calories because that leads to way too many questions.

“If I ate like you, I’d be the size of a house,” Sarah adds, wistfully looking down at her salad.

“I don’t care if you’re teeny tiny or the size of a trailer. I’d love you no matter how big your ass is.”

I look at Casey and cock my head. Scott and Sarah do the same before Sarah looks at me with confusion.

“I think it was supposed to be a compliment, right?”

“I think that’s what he was going for. Ten out of ten for effort, maybe a three out of ten for delivery?”

Sarah laughs as Casey pouts.

“You guys suck. I just meant that you’re my girl. I love you for what’s on the inside, not the outside. I mean, I love a nice rack and a tight pussy as much as the next guy, but even without that, you’re still a catch.”

He frowns at that. “Wait, that didn’t come out right. What I mean is—”

Sarah places her hand over his mouth and rolls her eyes. “We’ve got it, hot stuff.”

I snort and turn my head into Scott’s shoulder to hide my laughter, but his whole body is shaking, so I don’t think he’s faring any better than me.

“Still slumming it, I see, Everly.”

I turn at the familiar voice and see Cain smirking at me. Since the night we slept together, he’s avoided me, except for the cold callous remarks he fires my way.

His arm is wrapped around some girl who is oblivious of me as she stares up at him with something akin to hero worship.

I almost laugh at her, but I don’t want to be the person who shatters her illusions. Cain and Abe might be the big men on campus, but in the big old world outside here, they are just little fish. Boys who will never grow up as long as they ride their parents’ coattails and spend cash they never earned.

“Ah, it’s sweet that you’re so concerned about my social standing, Cain, but I’d focus on yourself if I were you.”

He throws his head back and laughs as if I just told the funniest joke.

Newsflash—I’m more stabby than funny, so his reaction is way over the top and clearly for the growing audience. Fuck me, but I hate drama llama attention whores.

“I don’t think it’s me that needs to worry about my reputation.”

I know I shouldn’t let this asshole get to me, but I can’t help it. A few weeks ago, I’d wake up to him playing with a strand of my hair, and now he looks at me like I’m shit on his shoe.

“Oh, I don’t know. As soon as your harem all get their results back from the clinic and see the only common denominator between them and an STD is you, I think they’ll brush you off faster than you can say itchy and flaky.”

People around us burst out laughing, which causes a muscle in Cain’s jaw to tick. The girl with him looks decidedly uncomfortable, but she doesn’t walk away. It’s kind of hard to feel sympathetic toward someone willing to put up with a burning va-jay-jay just to be seen on the arm of one of the Eveson brothers.

“Project much? I heard the whole football team had to get tested after spending an hour with you at their afterparty.”

More snickers. People are looking back and forth between us like it’s some kind of tennis match.

I roll my eyes and stand up, gathering my books. I know I need to head to class in five minutes, so I may as well make a grand exit.

“Hey, what you and your harem gave to those poor boys is between you and them. I merely told them to get tested. Before you open your mouth and little lies come pouring out, implying I was on my knees servicing the team, try to remember that it would be impossible for me to be in two places at once. But please do enlighten us all how I could have been sucking off the varsity team when I was blowing your granddaddy in your grandmother’s bed?”

And the room explodes in chaos. I take that as my cue to leave, especially when Cain’s face goes an alarming shade of purple.

I know I’m going to pay for each of those comments, but he gets under my damn skin. What happened between us wasn’t my fault, but he’s all too happy to blame me. Fine. Whatever. I get it, but at least do me a courtesy and walk on by instead of trying to drag me into needless drama. I swear the people here seem to feed off it.

I head away from the cafeteria, knowing the story will be around campus before the day is over, but not necessarily the true version. Hell, who knows? But by the end of today, I’m likely to either be Cain and Abe’s illegitimate sister or pregnant with one of their babies.

My cell rings, so I rummage through my bag looking for it. I find it just as it stops ringing. Sliding my bag over my shoulder, I’m about to hit the contacts icon when the cell rings again.

“Hey, jail bait. How goes the academic dick?” Reese asks.

“Reese. Turns out, dicks are stupid no matter where in the world you are.” I sigh.

“No kidding?” she grunts.

“Apparently not. You have anything for me, or is this a social call?” Reese doesn’t do idle chitchat, so I know the answer already, but I can’t help but rag on her a little. If I didn’t, she’d think something was wrong with me.

“Can’t a girl call her friend just to see how she’s doing?”

“Sure, if they were anyone but you. You’d rather peel off your own skin and roll in salt than make small talk.”

“Yeah, okay, fine, whatever. I have info for you.”

I roll my eyes. “Okay, hit me.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she mutters, making me laugh.

“Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning, oh bitchy one?”

“You’re one to talk. You go away to school all sweetness and light and turn into a hormonal teenager. You’ve changed, Dulce. I don’t even recognize you anymore.”

“Oh, hardy har.” I snigger as she laughs. “You got jokes, huh? I hope your next assignment is a shitty one. I shall revel in your downfall, naturally.”

“Naturally.”