it, and there’s certainly no trying again if you can’t hack it the first time.” She dropped Dean’s hand.
“Okay.”
“Not trying to scare you off. A couple of guys are thinking about doing it. I gave them the same warning, but they don’t all have rich parents. It’s second nature to them.” She shrugged. “Want a bite?” Tabby asked, offering up her pizza.
Simon couldn’t resist, watching her as he took a bite. She was going to be one hell of an old lady.
A girl cleared her voice and Simon tensed up as he turned to see Amber standing there, a couple of her friends nearby. What was with the popular kids and having a little entourage?
“Hi, Simon. Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing. I do.”
“Amber, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend,” he said, wrapping his arm around Tabby and pulling her close. “Tabby. The love of my life.” The cafeteria had gone silent and he slammed his lips down on hers, kissing her hard.
“Tabby, is that like a cat?” Amber asked. “Please, you can do so much better than that.”
“Excuse me?” Tabby asked, getting to her feet. Simon stood, as did Dean and Eddie.
“You heard me. You’re scum. Nothing but a fat, ugly cat. It’s pathetic.”
Tabby smiled. “Oh, you seem to mistake me for someone who gives a shit.”
“Simon’s mine. He and I are together.”
“In your dreams,” Simon said.
“You’re so cute, but it’s time for you to run along with your little whores.”
“Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?” Amber asked, arms folded.
No one stood up to Amber, at least none of the girls Simon knew of.
Tabby got into Amber’s face. “Do you know who you’re dealing with? You may rule this school, but, girl, I’m not a coward. You and your little girls mean nothing to me. I’ve gone up against guys that are twice your size and they’ve gone squealing to mommy. Back off before I break your face and give your parents something they do need to spend their money on.”
She took a step back and Simon thought he was going to have to protect her as Amber lashed out, but Tabby saw it coming. As Amber went to claw at her, one punch to the face, and she was down, blood everywhere.
****
“What the fuck did I say?” Devil asked, slamming into the house. He couldn’t believe on her first day of school he had to go and pick her up.
“You told me to not start fights. I didn’t. She came at me. If you don’t want me to defend myself, give me the update.”
“Watch your lip, girl.”
“You’re not my dad. Seriously, if this was your daughter and she was about to get attacked, would you tell her to wait? What if this Amber had a good hit, or a disease, and she goes around scratching people? I don’t care what she said to the principal, she was going to hit me.”
“She was, Dad,” Simon said.
“Enough, the both of you. You are both more than capable of handling shit without getting into a fight.”
“Devil?” Lexie asked, coming out of the sitting room.
“It’s fine, honey.”
“No, it’s not.”
“I’m not having her here causing trouble.”
“I know of this Amber girl. She’s bad news. You and I both heard what she tried to threaten Simon with.”
Devil gritted his teeth. Simon had come to them straight away with the recording of her voice and threats. He’d taken the device, gone to the girl’s father, to make sure nothing came of it. It was a good thing he had. When he arrived at the house, Amber was acting like a victim, and the cops had already been there.
Nothing had come of it, not when he played the cell phone for Amber and her parents to hear.
What he didn’t want right now was trouble. Every other day he could handle it, but not right now. Not with chemo around the corner, the possible operation, and all the medication. Not when he held his wife and knew there was a chance he was holding a ticking time bomb.
“Get out of my sight,” he said.
Tabitha and Simon disappeared.
“You’re both grounded!”
“You can’t ground me.”
“I can. Your father gave me plenty of permission and while you’re under my roof, you will do as you’re told.”
He glared at both of them until they were out of his sight.
“That’s not like you,” Lexie said.
“They need to learn to do as they’re told.”
“I get that, I do, but come on, Devil, even you know that you’ve sometimes