My locker door slams into my face, knocking the sense back into me.
“Ow.” I grab my throbbing nose with one hand and lean back to see who wants to die today. I find myself facing off against a girl who belongs on a magazine cover – deeply tanned skin, pouty lips, sleek black hair straight out of a shampoo commercial. She’s flanked by a triangle of other girls – their faces caked in makeup, their hair perfectly styled. Some of them wear cheerleading jackets over their uniform blazers. But my focus is on their leader.
“Oops.” She smirks, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Every strand falls perfectly in place, like it’s too afraid to disobey her. “I didn’t see you there. Melrose, was it?”
“Mackenzie.”
“Oh, right. Mackenzie.” She says my name like she’s talking about a new type of bathroom cleaner. “Mackenzie Malloy. The girl who used to be somebody. Allow me to reintroduce myself, since you seem to have forgotten the way things work around here. I’m Cleo St. James. That’s short for Cleopatra. As in, the Queen. It’s an appropriate name, because I’m Queen of this school.”
Jeez, what is it with these people and royalty? “That’s… quite some introduction.”
“I couldn’t help but notice you draping yourself over Gabriel.” She rolls her eyes. “You’ve been on a desert island or a mental asylum or whatever, so I don’t know if you know this, but we don’t appreciate it when crazy bitches break people’s noses just for being friendly. You should apologize to Alec – your actions cost him an important audition.”
Is this bitch serious? “I don’t appreciate it when people try to intimidate me because I don’t want to sleep with them, so Alec can shove my apology up his ass. Why has he sent you to bother me? Are you his secretary?”
Cleo’s eyes narrow. “I thought we should get to know each other again, since you seem determined to make enemies of people who should have been your friends. Your father may have been a big shot, but he’s old news now, and you’re nothing. I will make your life a living hell, Melrose, unless you step in line. That includes staying away from Gabriel Fallen.”
I slam my locker shut. “You choose my friends now? I’d have thought you wouldn’t have much spare time between plotting the downfall of Rome and bathing in your ass milk.”
Behind me, Gabriel snorts, and I get a little flutter of excitement that I made Gabriel Fallen laugh.
“I’m telling you this out of the kindness of my heart.” The smile Cleo gives me is anything but kind. “I know what you’re feeling – Gabriel’s pretty and famous and he makes you feel special. But you’re not special – you’re the ghost slut, and he’s only after you because he wants to be the first to fuck the mysterious girl. He’ll use you and spit you out and leave you a bloody mess, just like he’s done with every girl in our year. Leave him for the woman who can handle him.”
From the way her eyes raked over Gabriel, I knew she meant herself.
Gabriel gives a dark chuckle. “That’s a rather revisionist view, Cleo. If I recall, you broke into my hotel room after junior prom, and when I politely declined, you pushed me through the French doors and cut yourself on the glass. I may be a man whore, but I don’t do crazy.”
One of Cleo’s minions giggles, but a stern look from Cleo soon puts a stop to that. She turns back to me and addresses us both in a sickly sweet voice. “I’m talking to Melrose now, Gabe. But we should catch up later, in private. I want to hear all about your tour. Now that no-good druggie drummer is out of your life, maybe you’ll have more time for your real friends.”
Gabriel stiffens. My blood boils. If this girl is sinking her claws into Gabriel, she should at least bother to know something about him. I’ve read every press interview and seen hundreds of YouTube clips of Gabriel and Dylan playing and laughing and crying together. They’d been friends since they were in diapers. Gabriel has to be cut up about Dylan’s death, and Cleo can’t even figure that out?
I meet Cleo’s glare with one of my own – a glare that would reduce a lesser mortal to a puddle of goo, but Cleo wouldn’t be so easy to break. “Look, I