The Raven Four Books 1-3 - Jessica Sorensen Page 0,44

head up and down. “Good to know.”

I raise a brow. “Why?”

“So we can start planning your birthday party, obviously.” He flashes me a toothy grin.

For some reason, I feel like he's not being entirely truthful.

“Why would you do that?” I question. “We’re not friends, and I never agreed to be in your circle.”

“Good Lord,” Zay mumbles then looks at Jax. “Can we please sit down and explain some stuff to her? She’s driving me crazy with this bullshit.”

Jax studies me for a flutter of a heartbeat then nods as he straightens his stance. “Yeah, let’s go into the room.”

I pull a wary face. “The room? That sounds … ominous.”

“It’s just a soundproof room,” Hunter insists, lacing his fingers through mine. “Stop being scared of us, little raven. We’re here to protect you, not harm you.”

A soundproof room? Yeah, that sounds normal. And what do they need to even soundproof anyway? Screaming?

I sigh internally, still not convinced they won’t hurt me, no matter what they say. Not after what happened today. Not after what’s happened to me almost all the days of my life since my parents died.

“You’re such a freak,” he tells me as he shoves me into the janitor’s closet. “Do this school a favor and leave. No one wants you here, you freak.”

“You killer,” his friend adds, stepping up behind him and sneering at me.

Blood is trickling down my forehead from when they shoved me forward and my head slammed against the corner of my locker. I want to cry from the pain, but I refuse to. I always do in front of the bullies. I just wish they’d leave me alone.

At my old school, I had a lot of friends. Now I have no one. Dixie May made sure of that when she told everyone what I was once accused of.

Killing my parents.

I don’t even know why Dixie May doesn’t like me. My aunt and uncle don’t either. My aunt, though, is just a bitch about it. My uncle … he seriously despises me. At first, I thought it was because he believed I really did kill his brother, but I overheard him telling my aunt how much he loathed my dad and how much he hated having to take care of me.

“This is where you belong. In the dark, by yourself, where no one has to look at your stupid face,” the guy who shoved me into the closet says as he reaches for the doorknob.

I don’t even know his name. Sure, I’ve seen him around, but other than that, we’ve barely crossed paths. Except for this morning when he showed up and shoved me into the locker before him and his friend then shoved me into this closet.

I put up a fight, but these guys are a lot bigger than me. Doesn’t mean I’m going to back down, though.

“Shut up,” I growl out as I stumble to my feet, ignoring the dizziness spinning in my brain. Then I storm toward the door, preparing to fight like my dad taught me, but the door is slammed in my face.

Tears prickle my eyes as I grab the doorknob and push on the door. It won’t budge.

“Let me out!” I shout as I bang on the door.

Laughter echoes from the other side.

“I bet this feels familiar, right?” one of the guys mocks from the other side of the door. “Just like your jail cell.”

“I was never in prison,” I mutter, sinking down into a crouch and wrapping my arms around my legs.

“Liar,” he says. “Have fun in there, killer, locked up just like you should be.”

When it grows quiet after that, I figure they left.

I should get up and open the door, go to class. Instead, I stay where I am, rotting in the dark, just like my soul already is.

“Hey.” Hunter’s warm palm against my cheek draws me out of memory lane. Worry floods his eyes as he examines me. “You okay?”

I give an unsteady nod. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you just zoned out for, like, a minute straight.” Hunter chews on his bottom lip. “Where’d your mind just go?”

“Nowhere,” I quickly say then sweep my gaze across the three of them. Zay appears genuinely puzzled, Hunter looks worried, and Jax's expression is neutral. But they’re looking at me, like really looking at me, and that makes me squirm.

What if they can see my vulnerability, my self-hatred? From my past experiences, allowing bullies to find your weaknesses is never a good idea. Not that I’m positive