it matter? Because the video would still be out there, circulating in the cruel, idle hands of the Crescent Prep student body.
“That’s why you’re drunk,” Luke says, casting her eyes to the side, where a group of students sits in a circle with a spell book on the ground between them. They don’t believe in it, most likely, or even care if it’s real. It’s all just a bit of Devils’ Day fun. Pranks, spells, sex. There’s nothing that’s off-limits tonight. The way she says it—that’s why you’re drunk—makes it seem like I need a valid excuse to let go, some reason that Luke can use to excuse my behavior.
“Sex tape, huh?” Barron asks, sounding intrigued as he swirls his candy around in his mouth. “This is an interesting turn of events. What sort of sex tape?”
“None of your damn business is what,” Luke snaps, but what’s the point of hiding it? It’s not like the whole world isn’t going to find out come tomorrow. Tomorrow. I almost laugh. Tomorrow is supposed to be one of the few guarantees in life. So long as you’re alive, this too shall pass. There is always a sunrise; there’s always a tomorrow.
“If you tell me, I’ll help you get her in the car,” Barron offers, sticking to his usual role of being half-saint, all asshole.
“Me and Calix,” I blurt before Luke can respond. Now that I’m sitting in the cold, away from the fire and the glitter, I’m starting to feel sick. The last thing I want to do is throw up in front of Raz. “From last year.”
“Somebody has footage of last year’s Devils’ Day party?” Barron clarifies, dark shadows sliding into his gaze. That’s a big no-no. Huge. Anyone caught taking pictures or video of the party becomes a social pariah—one with a social ranking far below even mine. One of my fellow freshmen in ninth grade made that mistake. The seniors turned him black and blue and broke his ribs. He never came back to Crescent Prep after that.
“Apparently,” Luke snaps, sounding tired as she rips her goblin mask off and stuffs it into her back pocket. “Now, are you going to help me get her into the car or not?”
Barron sticks his lollipop back in his mouth, reaching down and grabbing me with warm hands. He hefts me over his shoulder like so much luggage and starts off in the direction of the parking lot. I can’t see much except for his ass. That, and the long, curled tails of his coat, dusted with glitter and dragging across the ground.
Luke sticks close behind, wary at having Barron’s help. The Knight Crew has never been kind to us. Any semblance of social nicety has always been a double-edged sword, a blade dipped in poison. It hurts, and then it keeps hurting. On their best behavior, they’re indifferent toward us.
So although Barron’s carrying me to the car, we’ll pay some additional price for it later.
If there is a later, that is.
Manic laughter escapes my throat as he tosses me into the backseat of Luke’s convertible, staring down at my sprawled form with a curious expression on his wickedly handsome face.
“Thanks … I guess,” Luke grinds out, doing her best to get me into the seatbelt before climbing in herself. She leaves the top down, despite the cold weather, and we reverse out of the parking lot, taking the windy trail through the trees slowly, carefully. Luke is always careful. “Stay awake for me, Karma,” she says as she turns her blinker on and turns left onto the main road, heading back toward Diamond Point.
I let myself relax into the seat, staring up at the sea of stars above our head, as shiny and unfathomable as Barron’s gaze. Closing my eyes, I think of how it felt to sit in his lap, to feel him beneath me, and I wonder if I would’ve liked fucking him as much as I liked fucking Calix?
More ludicrous laughter escapes my throat as I struggle to sit up, draping an arm over Luke’s seat and watching the road through the grimy windshield. There are fast-food wrappers all over the floor, along with bags of brand-new baby clothes that Luke’s bought for April and keeps forgetting to give her, even when they ride in the same car together.
“You talked to my moms today; you betrayed me.”
Luke stiffens up, but she doesn’t acknowledge my words. I’m not being fair, I know, but I need someone to blame for