Page 78 of Finding Kyler
“I’m watching you, bitch,” Peyton hisses when we’re back out in the now-empty corridor. “And that’s the only warning you’re getting from me.” She struts off down the corridor as if she’s parading in front of a celebrity crowd on the runway.
“Do I have some sort of invisible brand on my head that attracts bitches?” I ask Brad, as I walk back toward my locker.
He swings his backpack over one shoulder. “You’re on everyone’s radar because you’re new blood. Plus”—he sends me an apologetic look—“Peyton is Addison’s cousin, and she goes out with Lance, Memorial’s quarterback. They have this place sewn up tight. I’m not sure there was anything you could’ve done to avoid this. She was always going to target you.”
“Cheer me up, why don’t ya.” I grab my books, stuffing them quickly into my bag. “I never thought I’d miss Sister Mary, but if she miraculously appeared in front of me right now, I’d take a vow of chastity if it meant returning to my old school.”
“Hang on here, now, let’s not be too hasty.” He winks, and I roll my eyes. He slings his arm over my shoulder. “You’ll get used to it. And I’ve got your back.”
He walks me toward my math class. “How do you know these kids anyway? Don’t the posh snobs turn their noses up at the commoners?”
He sniggers. “That’s not far off the mark, but our teams regularly face one another on the sports field, and a lot of the parties are mixed.”
I stop at the door to my math class, discreetly peeking inside. Everyone is seated and the teacher is already talking at the top of the class.
Epic.
Not.
“This is me. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need it,” he says, smiling. “You’ll be fine. Wanna meet for lunch?”
“That’d be great.”
“Awesome. Give ‘em hell.” He winks before taking off in the opposite direction.
Drawing a large breath, I curl my fingers around the handle and step into the room.
The morning goes by quite quickly, and I’m grateful. Almost every teacher makes me stand in front of the room and introduce myself. By the fourth class, I could recite it in my sleep. Rose is in my English class, and Brad sits beside me in Science, so it’s not as bad as I feared. Most of the other students give me a wide berth, and I’m A-okay with that.
Brad and I walk into the cafeteria together at lunchtime, and virtually every head turns in our direction. “I feel like I’m under a microscope,” I say, adding a few things to my tray.
“It comes with the territory when you’re a Kennedy.” He tries to pay for my lunch, but I won’t hear of it.
Rose lifts her hand and waves us over. She’s at a table in the far corner with a couple of other girls. Brad and I claim seats across from her as she makes brief introductions. Most of the girls seem to know Brad, and the few who don’t look him over with obvious appreciation. The girls are polite but distant toward me.
When Lana and Zoe approach, I wave them over and force Brad to move down a few seats. He sends me an amused grin. “What?” I mouth.
“You’re messing with the social hierarchy.”
I snort. “As if I give two shits about that.”
He laughs before leaning into me. “Keep this up and you’ll have every guy in the place falling at your feet.”
I scowl at him. “I don’t want any guys falling at my feet.”
He arches a brow. “You sure about that?” I fix him with a funny look.
Lana drops into the seat beside me, staring at me through vacant, red-rimmed eyes. “Hey.” I place my hand on her wrist. “Is everything okay?”
Zoe leans forward, pinning me with a scathing expression that I’m beginning to suspect is just her usual look. “Why did you call us over? What are you playing at?”
I level her with a vicious look all of my own. “I’m not playing any game. I saw you two and wanted to invite you to join us. Shoot me if that’s a crime.”
“You cannot be this naïve,” Zoe scoffs.
“Peyton is going to string you up for this,” Lana warns. “I had a few run-ins with her in first year, and she’s definitely one to bear a grudge. You don’t want to make an enemy of her on your first day.”
