Realizing my attention isn’t on her, Carly twists around, her gaze pinning Stella.
“Who the hell are you?” Carly sneers, flipping her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder. “I don’t remember inviting you.”
Stella blinks, slowly, her face a mask of confusion as she looks between Carly and me.
“Stella, and I’m here with Easton and Cameron.”
Carly places a hand on her hip, “Oh, are you now?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Funny, I’ve never seen you with them before. Do you go to Blackthorn, or are you a cheap stripper they hired?” Carly purses her lips and bats her eyes. Cam moves to take a step, most likely going to interject, but I give him a look that tells him to let things play out.
“I… I’m…”
Carly taps her foot impatiently. “You’re what? A stripper or a whore? Too stupid to get into Blackthorn? Or just too poor? Tell me, please.”
My teeth grind together at each insult that Carly slings at her. She’s a fucking bitch but telling her that will only inflate her ego.
“Wait,” Carly gasps. “I have seen you before. You work in the cafeteria.” She tips her head back and starts laughing like someone just told her the funniest joke ever.
“Stop being a bitch, Carly,” Willow cuts in before Stella can respond.
“Me? I’m not being a bitch. Just wondering why the help is trying to be one of us.” Carly smiles, but she looks more like a shark showing off all her teeth.
Willow rolls her eyes, “I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do than bully her.” Parker, who was talking to some guy off to the side, hears Willow talking and walks up to her side. He takes in the scene before him and pierces Carly with a glare.
Like a dog, Carly cowers, tucking her tail between her legs. That’s the thing about Parker. He doesn’t hide his darkness; he wears it like a medal of honor, and anyone who fucks with him or his girl will be taken out by it.
“Get lost, Carly,” I finally speak up, wanting her to just be gone.
Carly’s red-painted lips form into a firm line, and it’s obvious she wants to tell me to fuck off, but with Parker standing there, she doesn’t have the balls. He runs this school and holds all the power in his hands.
“Whatever, I guess we let anyone into these parties nowadays,” she scoffs and walks away like her shit don’t stink.
Willow places a gentle hand on Stella’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I need to go get another drink.” She forces herself to smile, probably expecting me to believe it, but she doesn’t know how much I watch her, how much I know about her. I know what makes her happy, what her face looks like when she falls apart. I know that even when she says she hates her punishments, she really deep down enjoys them.
Shouldering past us, she gives me a dirty look, one that promises pain, and all I can do is smile. Show me your worst, baby, and I’ll show you mine.
“Are you going to follow her?” Cam leans over and asks.
Bringing the cup to my lips, I take a sip of the frothy beer.
“Yeah, I want to see what she does first. See if she makes a run for it,” I reply, watching the entrance of the kitchen like a hawk. If she runs, then I’ll give chase, and like a wolf, I won’t stop till I have her in my grasp.
21
Stella
Tears sting my eyes as I walk into the kitchen to make myself another drink. I can feel everyone looking at me like I’m some kind of sideshow. Is that why they brought me here? To look down on me? To make me feel small and unimportant? To remind me that I am less, that I’m not one of them, and that I will never fit in?
Without checking the label, I grab a liquor bottle and pour some amber liquid into my red plastic cup. I take a sip, swallowing the alcohol and letting it burn all the way down my throat before it settles heavy in my stomach. I briefly close my eyes, trying to drown everyone around me out, pretending I’m curled up in my own bed, with Grams knitting down the hall.
“Bad day?” A male voice pierces through the heavy fog. I blink my eyes open and find some guy standing next to me, a beer in his hand, a smile on his face.
For a few seconds, I just stare at him, surprised that someone is approaching me at all, let alone a guy. Glancing over his shoulder, I see Easton glaring at me, but he doesn’t make a move to intervene.
I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or if I’m simply losing my mind, but in this moment, all I want to do is lash out. I want to hurt them like they hurt me by bringing me here. Like they hurt me by not saying anything when Carly belittled me.