I run to the bathroom and yank up the toilet lid. I wait to lose my lunch, but my stomach just churns, so I put the lid back down and sit on it. What’s wrong with me? Why do I always fal for the wrong guy? I didn’t want Étienne to be another Toph, but he is. Only it’s so much worse because I only liked Toph.
And I love Étienne.
I can’t face him again. How could I possibly face him again? I want to go back to Atlanta, I want my mom.The thought shames me. Eighteen-year-olds
shouldn’t need their mother. I don’t know how long I’ve been in here, but suddenly I’m aware of irritated sounds in the hal way. Someone bangs on the
door.
“God, are you gonna be in there all night?”
Amanda Spitterton-Watts. As if things could get any worse.
I check my reflection. My eyes look like I’ve mistaken cranberry juice for Visine, and my lips are swol en like wasp stings. I turn the faucet marked froid and splash cold water on my face. A scratchy paper towel to dry, and then I hide my face with my hand as I escape to my room.
“Hel o, bulimic,” Amanda says. “I heard you, you know.”
My back bristles. I turn, and her pale eyes widen in innocence over her beaky nose. Nicole is here, too, along with Rashmi’s sister Sanjita, and . . . Isla Martin, the petite, red-haired junior. Isla lags behind. She’s not a part of their crowd, just someone waiting in line for the bathroom.
“She was totally puking her dinner. Look at her face. She’s disgusting.”
Nicole sniggers. “Anna always looks disgusting.”
My face burns, but I don’t react because that’s what Nicole wants. I can’t, however, ignore her friend. “You didn’t hear anything, Amanda. I’m not
bulimic.”
“Did you just hear La Moufette cal me a liar?”
Sanjita raises a manicured hand. “I did.”
I want to smack Rashmi’s sister, but I turn around. Ignore them. Amanda clears her throat. “What’s this about you and St. Clair?”
I freeze.
“Because while you were puking, I heard Rashmi talking to the dyke through her door.”
I spin around. She did NOT just say that.
Her voice is like poisoned candy, sweet but deadly.“Something about the two of you hooking up, and now the big freaky dyke is crying her eyes out.”
My jaw drops. I’m speechless.
“It’s not like she ever stood a chance with him anyway,” Nicole says.
“I’m not sure why Anna here thinks she stood a chance with him either. Dave was right. You are a slut. You weren’t good enough for him, and you’re definitely not good enough for St. Clair.” Amanda flicks her hair. “He’s A-list.You’re D.”
I cannot even begin to process that information. My voice shakes. “Don’t you ever cal Meredith that again.”
“What, dyke? Meredith Chevalier is a big. Freaky. DYKE!”
I slam into her so hard that we burst through the bathroom door. Nicole is shouting and Sanjita is laughing and Isla is begging us to stop. People run
from their rooms, surrounding us, egging us on. And then someone tears me off of her.
“What the hel is going on here?” Nate says, holding me back. Something drips down my chin. I wipe it and discover it’s blood.
“Anna attacked Amanda!” Sanjita says.