People think everyone around them thinks the way they do. But they don’t. Some people are pigeons, cooing at everything they see, looking to nest and keep themselves and their eggs warm. Others are rats, scratching at every corner, gnawing through barriers, eating pigeons, and eating their own young to survive.
I’m a rat.
Dante is a rat.
Miss Douglas is a plump, round pigeon who has no fucking idea she’s about to be eaten.
“Viola.”
I glance around, blinking. Lorcan, sitting next to me, is staring at me like I’ve grown a second head. “Are you fucking ignoring me now, or are you too engrossed in your ex?”
“What’s going on with you two?” Dino asks, gauging the mood has dropped to icy depths.
Lorcan spears Dino with a look. “She has a plan for that psycho, but she won’t tell me what the fuck it is.”
Dino sighs, sounding like he’s fed up. I don’t blame him. “Can’t we just call the police?”
I shake my head. That boy. He needs wrapping in cotton wool, in a padded room, and the key thrown away. How the Vices’ brought such an innocent into the world, I’ll never fucking know.
“If you want to help, get me that tray while I distract him,” I say, as Dante gets up to leave.
Lorcan places a hand on my arm, as if to stop me, again. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m just going to talk to him. Find out what he wants.” It’s not a lie. It’s part of the plan.
“And the tray?”
Fuck it.Keeping the boys out of this is proving harder than I care to admit. “I need to get his DNA so I can use it to frame him for murder. I’m going to distract him, while one of you grabs his food tray. Is that alright with you?”
His eyes narrow. “There’s no talking to a psycho like that.”
“I’m a psycho too, or have you forgotten,” I say, shaking him off. “There, I’ve told you. Now help me or fuck off.”
I make a beeline for Dante as he walks over to place his tray on one of the waste trollies. As soon as he sees me approaching, the corner of his lips curve up. He’s been expecting me.
“What’s the suitcase for?” I say. “Going on vacation?”
“So it was you snooping around my locker this morning? What can I say, Christmas is coming up. I like to get some sun for the holidays.”
I blink at him. Dante is as pale as a bloody ghost.
“Stop fucking with me. Why are you here?”
“You want to know,” he says.
“You know I do.”
His gaze darts around the cafeteria, noting the boys watching us from our table. “Not here. Let’s go.”
We walk in silence in the draughty external walkway until an empty classroom beckons. I don’t look back. I can only pray that the boys take my mission seriously, and give me a chance to talk to D alone. Well, not completely alone. I’m safe enough on school grounds. He won’t try anything during the day. I know Dante. He’s a fly under the radar type of killer. He’d rather shoot me from a neighbouring building while I’m out on a run, than get his hands dirty. Dante isn’t like me. He likes order, and he likes things pristine.
That’s why he’s so good at clean-up.
As soon as we’re inside and the door is closed, Dante seizes me by the throat and forces me against a desk. He’s so tall and I’m so petite, he towers over me. The solid wood hurts my spine where he’s rammed me into it. Where he pins me down, squeezing my throat, it burns. His other hand is ice as it dives under my school skirt, making my body tense and my breathing speed up.
“What are you doing,” I say, my voice hoarse. But I know already.
He disarms me easily, pocketing my blade with one quick flick of the wrist. “That’s better,” he muses. “Students shouldn’t carry knives at school. I’ll let you off with a caution this time.”