Worse Than Enemies

“Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back,” Salem mutters. Maybe I shouldn’t laugh since I don’t know either of them, but I can’t help it. It finally feels like I’ve met normal people.

Salem makes sure I know where I’m headed after class before asking, “You have fifth lunch, right?” I nod. “Right, I saw you there yesterday. Come sit with me.”

It’s like she’s reading my mind. I was dreading sitting alone at lunch. She remembers what it means to be the new girl. I hope I’m not a pet project or somebody she’ll ditch once she gets bored with me.

“The first thing you need to know is, the football team likes to break in freshman girls.” Salem gives me a look that can only mean one thing. “You’re not a freshman, but you’re new. So keep that up here.” She taps a finger against her temple.

“Believe me. If a random football player asked me out or started acting super nice, I’d know they were full of shit.”

She looks me up and down before taking a bite of her salad. “Why would you say that?”

Now I wish I hadn’t. “I don’t know. I’m not like you. All shiny and pretty.”

“You’re pretty! And shiny? Shiny, you can buy.”

I almost choke on my sandwich before laughing. “Yeah. There’s not enough money in the bank for that.”

She frowns before spearing more lettuce. “Then why are you here? I mean, it costs a lot of money.”

“My mom just got engaged to a rich guy. I don’t even know his name. Can you believe that?”

She snorts. “That’s nothing. A girl on the squad has never met her stepmom or her twin half-brothers. They live in London, and she keeps hoping they’ll invite her out over a break or whatever, but they haven’t in four years.”

“Ouch. That must hurt.”

“She pretends it doesn’t.” She leans in, waving me closer. “This school is crawling with kids who have fucked-up relationships with their families. I’m on my third stepfather already. At least five or six kids have dads in prison for financial crimes, and a bunch more pretty much take care of themselves because their families are never around. So a guy who’s not even your stepdad yet but is willing to pay for your tuition is pretty cool.”

“Thanks for setting me straight. You’re right.” I take a sip of my soda before adding, “But my mom is a complete mess who uses men until there’s nothing else she can get out of them.”

She laughs like she understands very well. “You’ll fit right in.”

While we eat, she gossips quietly about people as they pass by. “Chloe, Jasmine, Parker. Their dads are all lawyers for this huge firm, and they think it means they can get away with anything.” That explains Jasmine threatening a suit yesterday. All three of them are super pretty, tall and thin, and confident.

“Do they play football?” I nod to a group of huge guys with trays almost overflowing on their way to a table.

“Yeah, and they’re obnoxious assholes. They already tried to fuck their way through the entire cheerleading squad.”

I can’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“Oh, God, no. I have standards.” She flips her hair over one shoulder, and I’m pretty sure I want to be her when I grow up.

“You know a lot of people around here?”

“I do. Some, I wish I didn’t.”

Should I do this? I don’t think it matters whether or not I should. I have to. “You seemed pretty close yesterday with that guy showing me around.”

“Hayes?” I nod. “We used to be pretty close, yes.”

“You dated?”

“Sort of.” When I keep staring at her, she shrugs. “We hooked up for a while between sophomore and junior year. We were already friends before that, and we’re still friends.”

My stomach’s tight all of a sudden. “He seems popular.”

“The girls want to fuck him. The guys want to be his best friend.” She tips her head to the side. “Maybe some of them want to fuck him, too.”

“He was kind of rude.”

“Don’t let that get to you. He has this thing around him, like a wall. He wasn’t always like that, but he would rather die than open up. That’s most guys, though.”

I notice a familiar girl walking past a few rows down. “Who’s that?”

Her nose wrinkles. “Madison Clark. She’s gross.”

“I met her yesterday. I don’t think she likes me very much.”

“She doesn’t like anybody, including herself.” She follows Madison’s progress with her eyes. “Maybe Hayes. She thinks she does, anyway.”

“Is she the one you were telling Hayes to look out for?”

“I warned him not to hook up with her, but he always knows better than everybody else.” She lifts a shoulder, picking through what’s left of her salad. “Now she’s obsessed or something. I hope she gives good head, at least.”

I’m getting a real education today. It’s a shame lunch is almost over.