mean, yeah, but… this can make life difficult for you.”
I shrug. “Won’t be the first time.”
Alyssa and her cronies are tittering like a bunch of hyperactive birds in the back of the class. It takes everything in me not to just march right up and demand a duel, right here right now, with magic or fists. Fists would probably be a bit fairer to the Queen Bitch, seeing as how my sonic boom’s a one punch knockout, but I’m sure I could take her out by non-magical means just as easily. And honestly, a good old fashioned brawl would be much more satisfying anyway.
I’d love to plant a fist in her smug, spoiled face, just once. Just one time.
But would it really be worth it for all the trouble I’d get into afterward?
And it’s not like it would convince everyone the rumors she’s spreading are false. It would probably just make them think she’s onto something, and that they’re right to be afraid of me.
This might be my loner status coming back to bite me in the ass a bit. Maybe if I’d made more friends before now, people wouldn’t be so inclined to think the worst of me. But it’s too late for that now—and besides, I’m not going to pretend to be some bubbly, fun, outgoing person that I’m not just to get some damn popularity points.
If people want to believe the worst of me then fine. I don’t care.
I don’t.
The guys hear about it too, unfortunately. I’m not sure about Asher—I don’t even know if he’s properly awake yet—but Cam and Dmitri definitely pick up on the rumors circulating. Cam’s popular and knows everyone, and Dmitri’s like Asher, good at listening. He pretends to be busy brooding in the corner, but he always pays attention.
I walk into our large dorm room, dumping my backpack and jacket on my bed. I thought I left all this crap behind when I graduated high school—both the studying, homework shit and the gossiping, social shit. Ugh.
“Rough day?” Cam asks carefully. He’s sitting at his desk, a book in his hands, but he’s not reading it. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s upside down.
I glare at him as I flop onto the bed. “I know you heard.”
He puts his book aside and turns in his chair to face me, sky-blue eyes shining with worry. “Look, I know you might pretend not to care about what they’re saying—”
Oh, God. I don’t need this. I don’t need a pep talk. If he tries to make me feel better, I’m going to fucking scream. Or burst into tears. I’m not sure which prospect is more alarming.
“It’s fine.” My tone is sharp as I cut Cam off, and I feel like an asshole. I don’t want to snap at him again, so I sit up quickly and grab my jacket again. “I’m going to the library; I need to study.”
“Sin—”
“I’m fine, Cam.” Damn it, my eyes are already burning. “Just let it drop, okay?”
Blinking rapidly, I make a beeline for the door, only to bump into Dmitri when he plants his large body in front of mine. He catches my elbows, steadying me—and also pinning me in place.
“Where’s the damn fire, Princess?”
I glare up at him. “Move.”
Dmitri glances over at Cam, who shrugs and gives him a what do you want from me look. When he shifts his focus back to me, his dark gaze seems to burn a hole in my skin. His expression isn’t exactly soft, but he’s looking at me like he sees me, all of me, the real me, and he doesn’t judge me for any of it. It makes my heart thump hard against my rib cage, and I simultaneously want to lean into his touch and run away to hide.
“You know Asher isn’t your fault, right? None of what anyone did yesterday was their fault. It’s all on the person who melted our braces off.”
“Right.” I duck my head and slip out of his grasp. Of course now that I’m trying not to cry, that’s when he decides he’s going to actually be nice to me. Although maybe “nice” is a bit of a stretch; his tone is almost irritated.
He rolls his eyes. “Elliot—”
“Going to the library, see you later!”
I bolt out the door before Cam or Dmitri can say anything more.
Walking across campus is the worst. I can see everyone staring at me as I make my way down the path, some of them whispering, some not, but it