and flawless and pure. Kind of makes me hate them, if I’m being honest.
Vandy walks out of the bathroom just then, sporting a colorful two-piece. My eyes are instantly drawn to the first flaw I see—a spot of black ink tattooed on her inner thigh. Then they’re drawn to the second, a wicked scar that wraps from her stomach to her back. It makes the slash on my ribs look like the result of a minor scratch.
I freeze—just for a split second—long enough for her to notice me gawking. Her eyebrows raise.
“Uh, sorry,” I say, flustered. I’d heard she’d been in a bad accident, the one that left her with that limp. “I didn’t mean to stare, I was just—” I was just wrong, I don’t say.
She runs her hand over it. “It’s pretty startling the first time you see it. I used to hide it. A year ago, you wouldn’t have caught me dead in a two-piece, but now…”
“Now what?” I ask, trying to follow.
“Now that she and Reyn are boning all the time, she’s a little less insecure,” Georgia pipes in, securing the other tie. “That’s what having a boyfriend who worships the ground you walk on can do for a girl.”
“It’s not just Reyn,” Vandy says, eyes rolling, “although that’s a part of it. I’m just in a better place now. I mean, everyone knows about the accident, so why bother hiding it? And Reyn… well, yeah, he makes me feel pretty damn sexy.” She gathers her hair up to tie it back. “Plus, the scars on Reyn’s back are pretty bad, and he’s still—”
“Your boyfriend has bad scars on his back?”
She goes still, eyes jumping to mine. “Uh, yeah?”
“Are people weird and nosy about it?” I wonder, elaborating, “Like, I mean, your group of friends.”
Vandy’s expression turns shuttered and hard. When she speaks, her voice is as cold as her eyes. “Not until just now.”
I feel my head jerk back in surprise. Holy shit, the sweet little spoiled girl has some serious claws. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just curious.”
Georgia awkwardly jumps in, “I think most everyone’s already seen them by now. It’s not a big deal.”
This doesn’t make his girlfriend look any less like she wants to kick me out, so I think fuck it. If these are the people I’m going to be spending my year with, then maybe Reyn and Vandy have it right. Best to just put it out there and get it over with. I follow Vandy’s lead and pull my hair up into a ponytail, exposing my back.
Then I turn to put my clothes away, shoving them roughly into my bag.
When I turn back, Vandy’s just staring at me, mouth parted. It only lasts a moment before she smoothly recovers. “I was just saying that... you know, people don’t actually care. Reyn’s scars don’t detract from his looks at all.” Her smile is small and sad and vaguely apologetic.
Georgia latches onto this with gusto. “They really, really, really don’t.” She sighs, then makes an apologetic face at her friend. “Sorry. You know I think you and Reyn are end game, but your boy is super hot. Me? I’m still looking for my knight in shining armor. Something tells me he’s not going to go to Preston, but I keep trying anyway.”
“Well,” I say, shifting uncomfortably. I think Vandy just told me I’m still pretty or something. “I’m not looking for my knight or any kind of end game. I just want to graduate and move on with my life. Guys are not on my radar right now.”
Vandy and Georgia stare at me, look at one another, then burst out laughing.
“What?”
Georgia asks, “What exactly is going on with you and Sebastian?”
My lips pull back in a sneer. “Hatred and resentment? He’s an egotistical creep, who for some reason enjoys bothering me.”
“I see the way you look at him,” Vandy argues, and I gape at her.
“Like I want to stab him in the dick?”
She chews her lip pensively for a moment. “Yeah, actually. But there’s just a vibe.”
Georgia agrees, “For someone like Bass, the line between fighting and fucking is pretty thin. I’m not saying the girls around here are pushovers, but he probably isn’t used to one who fights back.” Georgia says. “Like that ice! Oh my god. Leaving that in his locker was inspired.”
“Wait, you’re the one who put that in his locker?” Vandy asks. “Reyn told me about it.”
“Well, Georgia knew his combination,” I say defensively. “And he