"Oh, my hell," Taryn hooks my elbow with a hand, trying to whip me around to face her, but my knee won't allow it.

"Easy, Taryn! Shit!" I shove off her shoulders, leaning to bring my leg forward, "I'm still sore after Cassie jammed her heel in my knee."

Taryn's eyes are wide and cast over my shoulder, holding me fast to face her. I snap my head in the direction of my locker to see Cassie leaning against it with Mallory and Delia. Arms are crossed over the bosom of a dusty blue sundress and soft pink painted fingernails drum into shaped biceps. The damn head cheerleader has some muscle, and I have zero. I don't stand a fricking chance.

"What the hell is she doing?" I groan, hastening to face Taryn again, "stop looking! She already knows I saw her."

"You don't have to go over there," Taryn shrugs her backpack off one shoulder, and digs out a blank notebook with a pen, "you can borrow my stuff to entertain yourself in class."

"Or I could just skip," I point out noticing Bailey and Connor walking up behind Taryn, "we have company."

"What the hell is happening?" Taryn mutters quickly, shoving the things into my chest and scrambling to fix her backpack into place, "oh, hi Connor..."

Connor smirks and drapes an arm around her, "What is my Trinket and her friend doing standing in the middle of the fucking hall? Are you two raising some hell?"

Bailey's eyes zero in on me and then flick to Cassie behind me, "you better face her before you piss her off."

"I don't need anything," I thrust the notebook and pen back into Taryn's hands, "I'm going home. Fuck this place."

Brushing past Taryn, she is stolen by Connor and they walk in the opposite direction without a word. I fish out my keys, but someone's large hand grasps my shoulder, encapsulating me in heat and the smell of leather. I halt.

Damn.

Bailey presses his chest into my back and his lips graze the shell of my ear, "you can't just leave. You'll royally piss her off, Max." Chills sprint down my spine and goosebumps bead on my bear arms at his soft voice, "face her now and I'll make it worth your while later."

Worth my while?

"I don't want anything from you," I snarl quietly.

Yes, I do.

No, you don't!

"You will. Give it time," Bailey laughs and the heat disappears from my shoulder.

I peek behind me to see him join Cassie, distracting her by groping her ass and kissing her hard. Cassie blushes in aggravation as he pushes her against the wall of lockers. She whacks his shoulder till he backs off and swaggers to homeroom when the warning bell rings. Then her attentive hazel eyes are back on me.

Son of a bitch.

"Maxi Pad!" Cassie hoots as straggling students slow to watch the mayhem unfold, "you know you need to get your shit. Get over here before I make you!"

Grumbling under my breath, I swivel carefully on my good leg, and stroll over as slowly as possible. I'm trying to buy time so the tardy bell rings and she doesn't spend too much time torturing me. Cassie taps her foot impatiently then snaps her finger and Delia darts forward. Fingernails dig into my arm and she wrenches me forward. I cry out as my knee ticks and throbs in the fast movement.

"Don't break her just yet, Delia," Cassie waves her off now that I'm standing a foot away, "that's much better. I don't have to hurt my voice by shouting."

"What do you want?" I grimace quietly.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my boyfriend," Cassie snips, "it doesn't look like you're following the rules."

"He came up to me."

"Excuse me?" Cassie bristles, getting so close I can smell the cotton candy bubble gum on her breath, "what the fuck did you say to me, Maxi Pad?"

"I just want to get to homeroom," I avert my eyes nervously.

"I think you need to be taught a proper lesson, Maxi Pad," Cassie steps to my side and yanks me up to the locker, "open it."

"Uh... Alright." I dial in the combination, wondering just what she wants with my things, "there you go."

"You should probably grab what you need while you can," Cassie informs when the tardy bell sounds and classroom doors slam shut, "we're already going to be late."

I snag my notebook and pencil, and tuck them securely under my left arm. Cassie catches the metal door before I can close it.

"Not yet, Maxi Pad. I need to finish my lesson first."

"I really have enough classes without you teaching me anything."

Shut up.

"She's fucking mouthy," Delia pops her gum.

"I do not approve of you speaking unless I ask you a direct question," Cassie says casually, "and next time Bailey appears in your vicinity, you need to vacate it immediately."

"It's not my fault he's bored with you."

Shut the fuck up!

Cassie cackles, "as if he would slum with your disgusting bloody torrential cunt!"

"Give me your hand," Delia peels my fingers off the metal of the locker door, "place it here for me." She folds my hand around the edge where the door closes, "there you go. You're all set for your first lesson."

Shit.

Cassie tugs the metal door back and I squint my eyes, staring at my fingers. I won't be able to write notes, not that I want to anyway. I won't be able to doodle or draw, and that's my only source of sanity in classes.

"Don't you dare," I hiss, snapping eyes to meet Cassie's.

"You're a piece of work, aren't you, Maxi Pad?" She fists my hair with her other hand, "perhaps I should put your grotesque head in the way instead and fix that useless brain of yours! I bet it will jumble things up enough that you will know how to follow a few simple rules!"

"No, don't do it..." I try to twist free.

"Oh, no you don't," Cassie nods to her girls, yanking harder on my hair in her firm grasp.

Mallory holds me from behind, pressing flat palms into my spine. I try to use my good leg to kick off the lockers, but my left leg can't hold me up on its own. Delia's fingers claw into my right arm, drawing blood.

I fall motionless, and hiss in pain, "shit..."

"That's right, give it up," Cassie sneers, "we'll break you yet, Maxi Pad. And you'll just be another commoner in these halls. You'll be nothing, and no one will care. No one will remember the bleeder!"

THWACK!

Searing heat meres from my fingers up my arm and slithers into my gut. My stomach lurches and heaves preparing to throw up the granola bar and apple I had for breakfast. Cassie slaps her hand over my mouth to stifle the shriek in my throat. Delia releases my arm and it drops to my side in agonizing pain.

She eases the locker shut as Mallory stops battling against my back. Cassie unhooks her fingers in my hair and plunges me into the lockers before they frolic down the hallway as if strolling through a park without a care in the world.

My right leg trembles, struggling to remain standing. Purple blooms on my four fingers, crawling up into the big knuckles, and searching for my wrist. I bring it up to my chest and cradle it, examining my knuckles closely. Carefully, I wiggle each finger, happy to discover they aren't broken.

Holy shit...

As fast as I can shamble, I make it out to my car and dig out my painkillers. I only take them for my knee, but they'll help with my fingers, too. I pop an extra one and chug the last of my water bottle. Somehow, I make it to homeroom halfway through class and settle into my seat without the teacher noticing that I made it. Too much time has passed for her to mark me as present. I don't know why I even bother to show up at all.

With an amused tone, Bailey tilts toward me and asks, "what'd she do to you?"

Glaring at him, I hold up my right hand. His eyes widen for a fraction of a second before returning to the regular scowl. The corners of his mouth twitch like he's fighting a smile. He's actually turned on by the way Cassie treats me.

Asshole.

Not that I didn't already know that's what he is. Actually, he's worse than that. He's a devil spawn. No wonder he's not the sunny prince of our school, but the dark prince. I should have put that together long ago. It's not like I'm stupid, but I refrain from observing others, hoping they won't notice me.

💀

By lunch time, my fingers are completely purple and blue, and my veins have darkened on the back of my hand, trailing around my wrist. It might look like a cool tattoo if it didn't hurt so damn much. Luckily, Taryn steals some medical tape from the nurse's office and wraps my fingers together, making my right hand look mummified. I'm already planning on skipping afternoon classes again just to avoid the comments I'll receive.

"I can't believe you made it to the cafeteria," Sofia is impressed, inspecting Taryn's flawless work, "you should definitely ice them when you get home. Don't take ibuprofen or any blood thinners."

"My pills for my knee are helping," I lie, mixing up the chicken Mandarin salad.

"What a bitch," Asher glimpses over at Cassie's table where she is laughing with the cheerleaders.

"I thought Bailey was going to stop her," Taryn dresses the hoagie sandwich she bought on Asher's other side, "it looked like..."

"Bailey?" Asher glares at me and then his dark gaze turns on Taryn, "was anyone else there?"

"Connor," I divulge, but shove a mouthful of salad in my mouth with Taryn shoots me daggers.

"Connor?" Asher barks, "are you serious, Taryn? Didn't I tell you...?" His eyes find me and Sofia before he returns to Taryn, "I told you to stay away from him. He's fucking trouble. He's just messing with you."

Taryn looks ashamed, "I-I... I know, Asher, but..."

"But what?"

"You can't just tell a Ghost Rider no," Sofia speaks up, munching on trail mix, "they always get their way. It's best to entertain them until they go away."

"Do you know what makes them go away?" I'm intrigued Sofia might know anything about it.

"I thought you were going to talk to Bailey about..." Taryn begins and then yelps when Asher pokes her rib, "do you know how she can get rid of Bailey?"

"Cassie is on my ass about him yet he's the one sniffing around. Not me..."

Sofia frowns, "he must see something he likes. That can't be good. It's not like Cassie can control him. She must feel threatened. It's not good that you're on both their radars."

I groan, "Fuck, and I thought Cassie was bad. What's he going to do to me?"

"Do you think he wants anything from you other than in your fucking pants?" Asher bays harshly.

"Shit, easy, Asher," Sofia snaps, "it's not like she asked for him to go after her."

Asher glowers, "shut your fucking face, Sofia. Before you know it, all three of you are going to be surrounded by the Ghost Riders and left pregnant after they have their way with you."

"You can't keep us all to yourself, fucker," Sofia is on her feet faster than a bullet, "we aren't your little play things."

Asher storms after her as she stamps out the cafeteria doors. What the hell is going on with them? I glance over at Taryn who nibbles at the sandwich, looking shaken and relieved. She's been hanging around Connor a lot and now she and Sofia are fighting with Asher. It's not like I make a point to keep up with the drama, but I definitely missed something.

"What did I miss exactly?" I scoot over to Taryn.

"Do you really want to know? It might ruin your dull little world of no drama and..." Taryn gulps her petite bite of food, "umm, someone is walking over here."

I stiffen, "someone who?"

Whether it's Cassie coming at me again or Bailey, I know it's not something I can escape. If I was a regular girl, I would sprint from the cafeteria and never come back. I could get in my car and speed the hell out of this town. I don't need to be here. I don't actually expect to graduate high school anyway.

Why do I keep attending school for this bullshit?

"Max, you ran off so fast after first period," Bailey lowers into my vacant seat and reaches for my right hand, drawing it to him, "how is your hand?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," I mutter, but don't pull my fingers from his electric touch, "and I didn't run off. I can hardly walk fast."

Bailey lifts my bruised fingers to his mouth and kisses them tenderly, stroking my wrist cautiously. A zip of heat courses through my body and pools behind my navel, dampening my panties. Holy shit. I do not understand why he is here acting concerned.

"You need to ice your hand when you get home. It's already hot," he advises, returning my fingers to the table.

Frowning, I glance around to see if anyone else just saw this. Taryn watches us with wide eyes, but that doesn't make me feel any better. My stomach twists into taut knots and then my eyes fall on Cassie. Her face is red hot and steam is practically rolling out of her ears. She doesn't make to come mark her territory, though.

"Of course..."

"What?" Bailey props an elbow on the table and hangs his head back to look at me, "of course what?"

"You're just giving her a reason to fucking hate me," I stumble to my feet, "if you would just leave me the hell alone then she might stop screwing with me. I can't handle breaking anything. I don't have time for this bullshit."

I limp out of the cafeteria as fast as I can, but Bailey's heavy footsteps echo in the halls. The doors smash shut in his wake as he falls into stride with me. I chance a peek, but he's just walking along like we're actually friends.

"You really don't care, do you?"

"Where are you going?"

"Leaving."

"Leaving where?"

"Anywhere."

"Can I go with you?" There is sincerity in his voice, but he must be a good actor.

"No, you can't go with me. You have to practice for your next game and win some award. You have to stay here and kiss that troll of a girlfriend."

"Let's not talk about Cassie."

"Why are you even with her?" I halt and place hands on my hips, "what do you see in her?"

"She's pretty and a good kisser," Bailey pauses, staring blankly.

"That's all you want in a girl?"

"What else should I want?"

"Jesus, would you just leave me alone?"

"First you're storming away and then you're berating me for who I choose to date, Max," Bailey chortles, "you're the one..."

"I'm the one what? You started it, Bailey. I didn't mean to run into you. Then you unleashed your bitch on me to mark her fucking territory. Your friends are all over me about behaving or some shit and not pissing you off. But today you show concern about my fingers that your girlfriend almost broke! You don't make any fucking sense. What do you want from me?"

"Who says I want anything?"

"What is it? A game?"

Bailey contorts his mouth into a silent snarl, "I don't start games, Max, but I can finish them."

"Why don't you finish this one then? Because I'm done. I don't want to play your game."

"I'm not playing a game." He crosses arms over his chest.

"Then stay away from me!"

Bailey laughs obnoxiously, "you think you're that irresistible, Sawyer? I'm not here because I like you."

Jesus, dude just go away!

"It sure seems that way because you keep showing up, but you haven't done anything to me since yesterday morning. Just a bunch of empty threats."

"I don't make threats," he drops his arms and moves in close to me, "I make promises."

"And what promise are you trying to make with all this back-and-forth behavior? Help me out here so I can give you what you want and move on with my life."

"I want you."

My heart hiccups, but I must have heard him wrong. He doesn't mean it the way it sounds.

"Excuse me?" My voice is quiet.

"I am going to make you mine, Max. You can count on that."

"And you said you don't play games..." I cross my arms, trying to create space between our sweltering bodies.

"It's not a game if you know you're going to win," Bailey smirks briefly before returning to the scowl and plodding back into the cafeteria.

Fuck.