The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

CHAPTER FIVE

Parking my car across the street, I glanced up at my school and knew it was going to be a shitty day.

Why you ask? Because it’s homecoming, of course.

Duh.

Who else would be capable of making this universe pause mid-rotation?

Cheerleaders. That’s who.

Crawling out of my car, I threw my bag over my shoulder and marched across the lawn, a scowl etched on my face.

No sign of Garrett.

I was more relieved than I wanted to give the guy credit for. One less headache to deal with.

However, the second I got inside, the headaches came rushing at me at full speed.

Mandy gasped as she saw me and darted over first.

Grabbing my hand, she hissed, “Did you hear?”

“Uh—”

“Pedlam’s coming here to play. Their football field got tilled last night. Can you believe it?”

Oh. Holy. Fuck.

“What did you just say?”

“Yeah. Their football field was tilled. Freaking tilled. Can you believe that? I heard that their gymnasium got tarred, too. Seriously. Who’s crazy enough to do that shit?”

“Excuse me,” I murmured, my entire body going numb. I pushed past her, past my locker and went right through the hallways, back out to the parking lot.

There. In the back corner, he was just getting out of his SUV, looking freshly showered and tired.

Well. Hell. Was he going to be even more tired after I got through with him.

Marching over to him, unheeding the whispers that followed me, I walked up to him.

“Hey—” Tray murmured, watching me, confused as I reached around him and opened his door. I pushed him inside, closed the door, and then walked around to the passenger seat.

“Drive,” I said shortly, folding my arms across my chest to keep myself from lunging at him. If I didn’t keep them in place, they’d more than likely be around his throat. “Now!”

Tray closed his mouth and started the car. A little while later, I saw we were parked at a nearby park.

I counted. Breathing in and out. One to twenty. Then I was out the door.

“How could you do that?! Are you insane?” I shouted. I knew full well how enraged I was, but I was past caring.

I didn’t give a shit. Not anymore.

“How could you? Or are you just that stupid? Huh?” I cried, knowing full well he saw how enraged I was.

“What are you talking about?”

“Last night. Pedlam. You tilled their football field. You tarred their gymnasium,” I clipped out.