Page 22 of Hateful
“Do I have to go?” I groan, flopping myself back amongst the pile of paperwork and sports bras that have started to define my high school experience.
“It’ll be weird if you don’t. Plus, I told Neville you’d be there.” Rafael shrugs himself into his leather jacket and looks pointedly at me.
I, in turn, wrinkle my nose. “Why should Neville care that I’m there?”
“He doesn’t, but I do.”
My mind searches for something else, some idea that might give me a good enough excuse to get out of this. I’m about to give up when something brilliant pops to mind.
“But…um…what about Olive?”
“What about her?” Rafael says, barely looking up.
I roll over onto my side and pretend to be picking shyly at the threads of my blanket. “I just, I don’t know what I’d say to her if we ran into her. You know things didn’t end so well last time we talked.”
“Well good thing there’s no chance of that,” Rafael says, “because Olive didn’t come back after break.”
I suddenly straighten up in bed. “She, what?”
I’d wondered why I’d yet to hear anything from her…let alone why I hadn’t seen her loitering in the halls around Jasper. I thought she’d have it out to me after last semester. After all, she doesn’t exactly seem like the forgiving type.
“Yeah.” He half turns to me from where he stands by the door, one of his eyebrows raising slightly. “Or didn’t you hear? She’s taken an indefinite leave of absence.”
My jaw hangs open. “Do you think…”
“Do I think that you embarrassed her so much that she couldn’t bear to face anyone after what you said about her at the dance?” Rafael is paying very close attention to his fingernails as he says this before his eyes cut over to me. “I don’t know about all that, but I do know that you won’t be running into her anytime soon. So sorry, Alex, but I think you’ve run out of excuses.”
I snort and get to my feet to tug on my last clean oversized hoodie. I need to do laundry soon.
Or like, yesterday.
But since I know Rafael won’t accept that as a valid excuse, I give in. Though, it may just be because it helps me feel just a little less guilty about the fact that a girl didn’t come back to school because of somethingIdid.
I knew what I did to Olive was going to end up hurting the both of us. I’m just honestly surprised I had the balls to come back to Bleakwood after all that’s been done to me, but she didn’t.
“All right, fair enough, I guess.”
Neville joins us outside our dorm, and the three of us make our way to the dining hall. Neville is in our History class, so they talk about some essay they’re supposed to be doing as we walk. I’ve already finished mine, but I’m not about to mention that. I listen mildly while the rest of me is on high alert for Headmistress Robin or the Wicked Brotherhood. I don’t need any incidents today.
JustonceI’d like things to remain unmemorable.
“Whoa,” Neville says in shock as we enter the gymnasium, and I have to nod in agreement.
The entire place has been transformed, just like it was for the winter dance. There are flags bearing Bleakwood’s crest hanging from the walls, interspersed with flags bearing the girls’ school’s symbol. Some huge tables have been pushed to one end of the dining hall, and they’re covered with confusing-looking puzzles—as well as some Rubik cubes, which I find strangely hilarious. They’re the only spots of color amongst a sea of bleak faces and black uniforms.
The chairs have been replaced with long benches, and there’s a buffet set up along the side of the room.
“So we’re just supposed to … what? Eat and watch a bunch of people solve puzzles all day?” I scoff. “I could be studying or something.”
“Studying?” yells a booming, familiar voice.
I feel the warmth drain from my face as the crowd around me goes silent. Everyone’s gaze shifts behind me to the Wicked Brotherhood as they saunter into the dining hall. Jasper averts his eyes, but Beck is staring straight at me, a manic grin spread across his face.
“That’s what you’d rather be doing?” he demands, pushing through the crowd which I now realize has girls as well as boys. Both schools are already here. I briefly make a mental note of how grateful I am that I don’t need to add Olive to the list of people I need to watch out for, before Beck continues. “Instead of cheering on your school, you’d rather be weaseled away in the library?”
I don’t reply. Beck walks straight up to me, prompting Rafael to start moving to stand in front of me, but I shake my head slightly at him. I don’t need him getting caught up in this too. He’s got enough on his plate.
Besides, I’ve dealt with this before.
