know them. I’d rather keep my head down and be left alone.
“I’m sorry?” I ask, frowning up at her. I’m trying to walk a thin line of being pleasant but also not encouraging friendship.
The girl sits down across from me without an invite.
So much for solitude.
“I’m Camden Galway,” she says, reaching her hand out to shake mine like she’s on some kind of job interview.
“Violet Raines,” I murmur shaking her hand.
“I know, you’re one of the new kids this year. There’s a lot of them. You applied for one of the scholarships that the school was offering. I heard you got really close,” she says, and I frown.
“Close doesn’t really count for much.”
“Except in horseshoes or hand grenades,” she agrees. “Reese really needed that scholarship, though.” I frown, but don’t know how to respond to that, so I don’t. “Anyway, it looks like you’ve clearly attracted Big Mike’s attention.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I mutter, mostly lying. I have no doubt that this Big Mike she’s talking about is the jerk from this morning who is currently staring a hole in my back. But, since I don’t know that’s who he is, I’m playing dumb.
“He’s the big dumb-looking one behind you,” she says and waits. I just stare at her. “Well? At least take a look,” she says like she’s exasperated.
I give her an annoyed expression – which she ignores – then look behind me. There are three guys talking, and one is definitely the guy from earlier; the one I know Camden is talking about. When I stare at him, our eyes lock and his lips spread into a smile. Something inside of me is dying to wipe that smile off his face. Instead, I flip up my middle finger, which only makes them all laugh – especially him.
I turn back around to face Camden with a heavy sigh. “Ugh,” I grumble.
She starts laughing. “You’ve met him.”
“I’m not sure you can call it meeting him,” I mutter.
“You definitely have his attention,” she repeats her earlier declaration. “Then again, I suppose that’s not hard, considering he’s a giant horndog and nails everyone in this school who has boobs.”
“Now that I would believe. Some chick with giant boobs and long hair was giving him a blowjob behind the stairs earlier,” I respond, forgetting that I don’t talk to people and completely oversharing.
“That would be Lindy. If BMA had street corners that girl would work all of them. She has a personal goal to service every jock in this school.”
“It’s good to have life goals I guess,” I mumble. “I better go, I don’t want to be late for Chemistry.”
“That’s your next class? I’ll walk with you. I’m headed to the journalism department, it’s right on the way.”
“Journalism?” I ask, thinking she finally has my attention.
“Yeah, I’m in charge of the school paper. We’re looking for volunteers if you’re interested.”
“Actually, I am,” I tell her. It’s not that I am; it has more to do with the fact that colleges love that kind of shit – especially Ivy League schools who have limited slots and scholarships to fill.
“Yay! Stop by in the morning and I’ll give you the papers to fill out. Every volunteer has to go through Mr. D., but I’m sure he’ll give you the stamp of approval right away.”
“Mr. D.?” I ask.
“Yeah, the principal.”
“Oh. Right. Okay then. I’ll do that.” I get up from the table and toss my apple core in the garbage. Camden is waiting by the table for me and as I turn around there’s this mock sound of a wolf howl. I look over to see the asshole – because that fits him better than Big Mike – leering at me and acting like a damn dog. Are we back in elementary school? I roll my eyes and then turn my attention back to Camden who is laughing.
“Oh yeah, you definitely got his attention,” she giggles.
“Who does he think he is?”
“He’s Big Mike,” she says with a shrug. “He’s king of the baseball field, although honestly he’s more famous for the bat he uses to nail all the girls here at the school instead of the one he swings in the game.”
“That’s disgusting,” I mutter, disliking him more by the minute.
“It’s true, though.”
“Did he nail you?” I ask, wondering if she would admit to it.
“God, no. I have no time in my life for idiots like Mike, Davis, and definitely not Ben.”
I didn’t ask, and I can’t be sure, but I figure