The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

“So, we’re thinking of finding some fun Pedlam folks for a game of P & A. What do you say?”

“A card game?”

“Fuck yeah. There’s two empty tables. Come on,” he said coaxingly, giving my shoulders a squeeze.

What the hell.

“Sure.” I replied, but my cup was empty. I held it up and said, “I gotta fill my cup first but, yeah, I’m in.

Honey and Bit smiled widely. I could see the eager looks in their eyes. I liked them, I really did. They were there for Mandy, which would always place ‘em in a good spot with me. But they were wannabes.

It made me a bit wary around them. Not because I thought they’d stab me in the back, but because they weren’t totally trustworthy. They’d never had to prove that they could be. Yeah, Honey came clean with Bit, but she still slept with Bryce when she knew Bit wanted him.

That didn’t show a backbone for trust.

“Great! We’re in the corner. Haul your cute ass over when you’re done.” Rooters gave me one more squeeze before taking off in the opposite direction.

“You want someone to come with?” Honey offered.

“Uh, no. I got it.” I gave her a small smile and moved through the crowd.

I didn’t run into Tray as I made the trek to the keg. That’s what it was too—a trek. People were everywhere and you never knew what to expect when you turned a corner. I was already on guard—Gentley was here somewhere and I was still nervous about running into Brian or Grayley.

I ended up having to circle the entire dance floor to make it to the corner where they set up the card game.

They’d gotten a few more Pedlam students to join the game by the time I got back to them.

Rooters waved me over. “Come on, Taryn. You can sit here.” He gestured to the empty seat beside him.

That made me pause. The guy was obviously the leader of this little bunch. Chances of an empty seat next to him were just—stupid and because I’m not a trusting person, I wondered what game he was playing.

I sat anyway. I figured I could handle anything he slung my way.

“Hey, Taryn,” Casey Juanke, a student from Pedlam, said. He was from Gentley’s crew, but he wasn’t that bad of a guy, or at least, I didn’t think so.

“Hey, Case,” I said easily, picking up the cards Rooter had dealt. “How goes it in Pedlam?”

He shrugged, looking over his hand. “Ah, it goes, you know? Not as much excitement without you and Brian in the hallways.”

I grinned at that one. “Hi, Booth,” I remarked to another guy that I recognized that was sitting with us. There was a girl with them, but I didn’t know who she was.

“This is Caitlyn,” Booth introduced her, nudging her with his arm. “She’s new so she doesn’t know your ‘legendary’ reputation.”

“As what?” I laughed. “School bitch?”

Casey and Booth chuckled. “Maybe.?

?

The game proceeded with a mixture of small talk and banter between the Pedlam students and Rawley students. I was reminded why I always thought Casey was a good guy. He didn’t cheat and every taunt he sent out was given in a respectful manner. You knew he was just a good guy. Booth was the quiet one of their little clan. But when he spoke, whatever he had to say was hilarious.

The girl, Caitlyn, was in love with Booth. If I hadn’t have gotten the bitch out of me earlier with Aidrian and Tristan—which was totally heartless and manipulative—she would have annoyed me. She was just too quiet and almost worshipped Booth. She’s barely spoken two words to me since we met, but she may have just been scared of me. I was okay with that. “Dude, your phone,” Booth complained, hitting Casey on his arm.

“Oh.” Casey grabbed his cell up and answered, “Yeah, dude…nah, nah…we’re playing Prez and Ass in the corner…yeah, you know the one.”

“Crisp?” Booth asked.

I froze, my hand in mid-reach to place my two on the pile.