The Guidance - By Marley Gibson Page 0,8

Kendall?"

This is followed by cackles and giggles from the girl's fellow cheerleaders and followers Farah Lewis, Megan Bremer, and Stephanie Crawford.

You'd think I'd be used to this after a couple of months of juvenile harassment from the likes of Courtney Langdon and her flock.

Courtney doesn't let up. "You know, I have an excellent tailor who could fashion a stylish straitjacket for you, Ghost Girl."

Whatever, beeyotch.

"Get over yourself, Courtney," Celia—suddenly my alpha wolf—says in my defense.

"Like I'm so scared, Nichols."

Courtney's clique giggles more as Celia and I try to pass. They follow us, making weird noises. Ugh. They're so immature. Well, except for Stephanie Crawford, who looks rather uncomfortable going along with the herd. I tune in to Stephanie's thoughts and pick up a sense of embarrassment for Courtney's behavior. Deep down, Stephanie thinks it's cool what I can do. She even admires me. Wow ... that's righteous. I smile in her direction to let her know I don't lump her in with the others.

There's really no point in giving Courtney the time of day, let alone the satisfaction of knowing that she continues to hurt my feelings. A lot of kids at school stop me in the hall or talk to me at lunch and share their own ghostly encounters. But not Courtney Langdon. She's your stereotypical high school bitch: cheerleader, blond, skinny, head of the RHS ruling class. I know good and well that she's been making nonstop nasty-ass comments behind my back, so I do my best to take a deep breath and hold my head high.

"I don't know why she hates me so much," I mutter.

Celia snorts. "Hello. You're psychic and you don't know? First off, you're stealing her thunder. She's supposed to be the most popular girl in school, but suddenly you are."

"I'm not—"

"And, dude, you're dating her ex-boyfriend."

True. That was more than likely the cause of the friction. Jason and Courtney had dated about a year ago, until he called it off. Or came to his senses, as Taylor likes to say. However, my psychic senses tell me there's more to Courtney's hatred than merely a cute boy. (And what a cute boy he is!)

Speaking of said cute boy, Jason slides up to me in all of his blond, blue-eyed gorgeousness and takes my tray from me. "Celia's right, Courtney. Get over yourself and leave Kendall alone."

Not missing a beat, Courtney bats her eyelashes. "I don't know what y'all are talking about," she says in a Southern simper.

"I heard you," Jason says in an authoritative voice. "Just piss off, okay?"

She stamps her Steve Madden-booted feet. "I won't have you talk to me like that, Jason Tillson. You don't own me anymore!"

"Thank God for small miracles," Celia mumbles to me.

Courtney signals to her posse that they're leaving now. "Don't be fooled, Jason. She's just using you."

His eyebrows lift in a mischievous manner. "How so?"

"Just to get popular."

There's that word again.

"Whatever, Courtney. Come on, Kendall. Let's go eat," Jason says with the brightest smile on his face. Those Dasani-bottle-blue eyes of his literally make my knees weak. I can't believe a guy this fine is with me. It's worth it to put up with the Courtneys of the world if I get to spend time with Jason.

"She's a fake, you know," Courtney tosses over her shoulder. "She's just playing at being a psychic to get attention. It's all a ruse."

Taylor joins the fray all of a sudden, and, boy, is she ticked off. "Leave my friend alone. She's the most genuine person I know. I can't say the same for you."

Courtney dismisses Taylor with a flip of her hand, which only makes Taylor's resentment boil more.

"She's not worth it, Tay," Jason says to her.

To complete the circle of friends, Becca Asiaf walks up in her black sweater, camouflage pants, and combat boots and plants herself directly in Courtney's path. "Shouldn't you be on your way to the bathroom instead of bothering my friend? You don't want to accidentally digest any of your lunch, now, do you?"

It's a well-known fact at RHS that Courtney chooses to splurge and purge on most days, although it's the great unsaid. I love that Becca metaphorically punched her in the face with that one.

But Courtney steels her gray gaze at me so hard that I can feel the energy of her disdain bouncing around like radio waves. "All y'all can kiss my perfect little ass."

With that she turns around and dashes out of the caf, Farah and Megan in her wake. Only