Devils' Day Party: A High School Bully Romance - C.M. Stunich Page 0,162

his friend. “Do it, I dare you.”

“What's wrong with being a faggot?” I ask, hating the word, knowing it shouldn't be my emotional burden to teach Raz not to be a bigot. Sometimes, though, it's okay to give a little to help incite change. “You're so pretty, Raz, but when you talk like that, it's ugly as fuck. Please don't.”

“We made out,” Calix says with a shrug and a sigh. “Pearl ended up with a picture, somehow, and sent it to our parents.”

“You and Raz kissed?” I choke out, struggling to picture it. And not because I see anything wrong with them kissing—well okay, I'm a little jealous—but because Raz and Calix are like oil and water. “I would've paid to see that.”

“We were making out at a party for some girls,” Raz says with a smirk, trying to take control of the situation. Yet another defense mechanism of his. He doesn't like that I know one of his secrets, and he's shamed at the thought. If only he knew how little I'm judging him. If we ever get our tomorrow, I'll have to show him. “Chicks do it for guys all the time.”

“You don't have to justify anything to me,” I tell him, looking directly into his eyes. I'm desperate to ask if they might want to do it again sometime, but this isn't the time nor the place. Pretty sure I'm still in a bit of shock over what happened last night, but at least the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together.

Erina Cheney is the one with the sex tape. She can be stopped. The boys can all be made to, at least, listen to me if nothing else. But what next? I know I have to go to the party. This day … it was always going to end at the party.

No matter how I break this loop, that's how my night is going to end: at the Devils' Day Party.

“Yeah? Well, you'd be the first,” Raz says, and then we all pause as the back door opens and Mama Jane steps in, pausing and tossing a critical eye in the boys' direction.

“New friends, Karma?” she asks, smiling as she nods at the teapot on the table. “And can I get you guys more tea while I'm here?”

“We're okay; we have to leave for the party soon.” I'm just sort of assuming here that the guys are going to drive me. Honestly, to them, this is a day like any other day. As far as they're concerned, I'm public enemy number one. But I've got to think positive. I have to assume they're not going to lock me in the cabin tonight. Or the Devils’ Den. “And yes, new friends.” I gesture loosely in the direction of the guys. “Calix Knight, Raz Loveren, and Barron Farrar.”

Swear to god, Jane's eye twitches at the mention of their names. She's heard stories; she's seen me cry. I can guarantee that she isn't impressed.

“Well then, I'll come back and fiddle around in the kitchen later,” Jane says, giving me a look. “If you need any lemon cake, just let me know?”

My lips curve up in a smile.

‘Lemon cake’ is our family safety word. If we're ever in trouble, we can always call and just mention lemon cake, no questions asked. In a situation like this, where the boys could very well be finding some way to drag me to the party against my will, I could just thank Mama Jane and tell her I did indeed want cake. She'd kick the Knight Crew's collective asses to the curb.

“I'm okay, but thank you.” Jane nods and then slips out the back door. A few seconds later I hear Jewel's Foolish Games start playing from inside the art studio.

“Look, I don't care if you and Calix kissed, Raz.” I shrug my shoulders, only slightly unnerved by having all three of them staring at me so intently. The Karma I was before this all started wouldn't have been so calm in this situation. “What I do care about is the fact that all three of you like me back.”

“Says who?” Raz barks with a caustic laugh. “Your weird gay bestie?”

“She's pansexual, but no, I'm sure Luke is more concerned with her yearlong relationship with Sonja.” Raz's eyes widen and his mouth drops open, temporarily shocked into rare silence. “Barron's been drawing me every day since freshman year, Calix wasn't lying last year when he said he loved me, and you've