The rest of the weekend I spend held up in my room, basically starving to death. Dad keeps everything locked up and the only time I eat is when he comes home and I make dinner. My fingers feel better, but still look like shit. I try not to wolf down food in hopes that Dad will leave the cupboards unlocked when he goes to bed or leaves the house for the day. I never know what he does on the weekends, but he doesn't tend to stay home.

Monday morning, I shower and put on some dark purple leggings with a black T-shirt that swoops down in the front. I tug on a gray plaid button up and roll the sleeves to my elbows, and slip into black leather ankle boots with buckles. They're the only fashionable pair of shoes I own. Otherwise, I always wear DC Chelsea tennis shoes. I don't bother with any makeup and toss my hair into a messy bun. None of the outfit makes sense. It is like I want to look cute, but couldn't bother to finish up the look with shiny hair, makeup, or jewelry.

Whatever.

I don't care.

Today, I decide to attend all of my classes. I haven't even been to any of my afternoon classes, so I can't wait to find out how that will go. My teachers probably think I don't go here anymore. I wonder if the principal has made calls home at all. Dad won't care anyway.

It's how I get away with anything at school. Dad doesn't give a shit. He doesn't care about me. He tells me I'm not worth his time. He outright says it at least twice a week, but usually a lot more.

The first thing I see is that Bailey's Cheyenne is not parked next to my spot.

Not a big deal.

I don't care.

Yes, I do.

No, you don't.

Damn, the snippy bitch in my head is starting to get on my nerves. I don't know what thoughts are mine and which are that invasive voice that shouldn't be there.

Am I that one that cares or am I the one saying I don't?

It's hard to tell anymore. Neither of them is me. I don't get myself in these situations. I don't have situations at all.

The second thing I notice is the horde of students near my locker. This can't be good. I weasel through to find it covered in a neat scrawl of obscene words.

So on, and so on.

As I step up, I lick my thumb and rub at it, but it won't come off. I sniff, catching a trace of lingering permanent marker.

This is freaking ridiculous!

"Well, that's a damn shame," Cassie's voice grates my ears and the crowd slowly creates a wide berth in her presence, "they forgot the most important label."

I shuffle around to face her and my body heats up to see Bailey draped around her. His eyes are dark and won't even look at me. Whatever I was imagining is definitely just in my head. It is all a game and I fell for it. I let them trap me and make me feel stupid on too deep a level.

Shit!

"What label is that?" Bailey's voice is quiet as he eggs Cassie on to continue her attack.

"Side piece."

Bailey's eyes lock with mine and there's nothing in them. His face is blank and as dead as my mom. I don't know if that means he is tired of these games, putting on a hell of a show, sickened by my presence, or just that damn bored. My throat thickens at how utterly stupid I feel and I bite my bottom lip to keep it from quivering. I am on the verge of tears, but I won't give Cassie the satisfaction. Not this time.

The warning bell rings, but only a few students disappear from the assembling crowd. I keep my eyes fixed on the two in front of me, not wanting to show defeat. I've already lost because I'm not fighting back, but I won't let them see how much I'm hurting.

Dad is a dick and treats me like shit. My only friend isn't talking to me lately. Bailey almost earned my trust and then shattered it. Cassie has always been a bitch, but stepped up her game by allowing Bailey to get to me. Then it hits me. I have nothing left to lose.

What more can she take from me?

"Whose side piece?" It drips from Bailey's voice.

"Not yours," she smirks, keeping her eyes locked on me.

Bailey's jaw seesaws and he grins, "not a fucking chance."

"She sure thought you wanted her, didn't she?" Cassie eyes squint as if she can read my mind, "you made her feel all sorts of things to prove she's still human and not some fucking robot. We all had a running bet that you're just a robot, but Bailey took it upon himself to prove you're human. I guess I lose, but the consolation prize," she pats Bailey's cheek, "makes up for the loss. Besides, he fucks me all night, every night and told me all about how you flush at his words and get all needy for him. He is breathtaking, isn't he?"

I choke on air. I clear my throat to cover up my distress.

"I'm sure he loved going home to an easy lay when I turned him down every fucking day," I snarl, flicking my eyes to Bailey.

Whatever darkness or death was there before, they are suddenly blazing with life. It spreads a bit of comfort that I can get a rise out of the piece of shit. From the start, I was just a game. I'm a pawn in some stupid battle. It doesn't matter why they do anything they do. I won't ever figure out the elite of this school.

"You listen here, cunt," Cassie moves free of Bailey's arm, "the game was fun while it lasted, but it's time for you to learn your fucking place in this school. It's been proven. You're human, so your mistake was thinking you had a chance with Bailey, but now you're in for a rude awakening."

"I don't need an awakening, Cassie. I know my place. I don't exist to you. I'm less than dirt. I'm the scum of the earth. I got it. Now stop talking to me and ignore me like you've done the last three years."

"Who the hell do you think you are!" She screeches drawing the attention of teachers.

The tardy bell rings and suddenly the halls empty. It's just the three of us and one teacher, glaring at us. He can't decide if he should break it up or let us have it out. I'm surprised when he charges toward us, shouting.

"Knock it off, Cassie Vincenzo! Bailey Locke, I can't believe you! And you," he turns on me, "who the hell are you?"

Not even teachers know who I am. I never go to classes.

I gulp, "Max Sawyer."

"Maxi Pad?" He questions.

Cassie snorts.

He just said that?

"It's Max!"

"What is...?" His eyes drift to my locker, "what is that?"

"She wrote on my locker," I fling my hand at Cassie.

The teacher notices my bruised fingers and then gazes at Cassie. Instantly, tears well in her eyes as she puts on the show of her life. Her shoulders shake and Bailey wraps around her.

"She did it," Bailey nods to me, "she wanted to make Cassie look bad or something."

"Is this true?" He barks.

Teachers are supposed to be on our side, but he's clearly on the side of the star athlete. It doesn't matter what I say. I'm screwed. I only offer a huff in response and cross my arms.

"That's detention, Max Sawyer," the teacher shakes his head, "you two get to class before I decide to punish everyone."

Bailey cocoons Cassie, whose crocodile tears have already dried and they rush off before they get sucked into this, too. At least I won't have to go to classes now. I really was going to give it my best effort today. I don't know why I even bother half the time.

💀

The douchebag teacher gives me a bucket of warm water and soap to wipe down the locker. That's not how to scrub off permanent marker. It's a complete waste of time. He keeps dipping out in the middle of class every ten or fifteen minutes to check on me, though. I only scrub when I hear the door open.

Lunch arrives faster than I expect. I toss the brush into the soapy water and wait for the stampede to die down. The teacher storms down to me, carrying a lunch bag.

"I suppose I should let you eat," he snarls, "but you'll be right back here for the rest of the day, Miss Sawyer."

I nod and watch him head for the teacher's lounge. I carry the bucket to his classroom. I really shouldn't bother, but head to the cafeteria. I am starving to death and need food. I get in line for a sandwich and chips, and hurry out of the cafeteria.

"Oh shit," I almost run into Asher as I rush out the double doors, "Asher? S-sorry."

"Where are you going?" He tilts his head, holding a home-packed lunch.

"Anywhere but here," I glance over my shoulder.

"Can I join you? I'm not all that welcome right now either."

"Sure."

We settle on the floor beneath my locker door. Asher digs out a homemade bologna sandwich, an apple, granola bar, and a Snickers bar. He works on the sandwich first while I dress mine and munch on the chips. It's nice to sit here with company and have real food.

"Where have you been all day?" Asher asks like he hasn't heard about my stupid locker.

"Trying to clean off my locker. I got stuck with it for my detention punishment. I didn't even do the crime."

"Shit. Who caught you?"

"Some stupid teacher," I gesture to his room.

"The geometry guy? Mr. Salazar?"

"He teaches geometry?" I remember Riette saying we have geometry together.

I haven't bothered to show up yet and now I have no reason to ever attend the class. I would figure a way out if I cared about it.

"Who did it?"

"Who else?" I finish off the chips and start on the sandwich, "Cassie and Bailey. They were here giving me shit when Mr. Salazar showed up. They didn't even get in trouble. She started crying and made it sound like the whole thing was my fault."

"Bailey took her side?" Asher is astonished, "you two were all cozy at his party, though."

I suddenly remember the way Bailey treated him. That was probably all part of his act, too. He wanted to appear a hero. I knew I could trust Asher. He is a nice guy. He would never do anything to take advantage of a girl, much less his own friends.

"I'm really sorry about that, Asher."

"What?" He freezes mid-bite on his apple, "for what?"

"The party. I really thought he was a decent person and he just... All those things he said about you. It was awful."

"People like to talk shit, you know?" He shrugs, "they call you maxi pad and they call me pill pusher. I don't even know how I got the name. It's fucking ridiculous."

"Have you heard from Taryn?"

"No... She... Uh, fuck... She's ignoring me or something."

"Jesus, what happened to us? It's the start of school and none of us even speak anymore."

"It happens fast, doesn't it?" Asher shivers, finishing off the apple.

"Hey!" Taryn comes running toward us suddenly, and Asher helps me to my feet, "hey, dudes...." She stops, leaning on her knees with her hands and breathing hard, "there's a fight in the cafeteria! Come on!"

"Fight?" Asher sounds as skeptical as I feel.

"We love fights," Taryn pipes up.

What she means to say is that we love fights when they don't include any of us.

"Who is fighting?" I can't imagine what else is going on in this school right now.

"The boys! The Ghost Riders!" Taryn tugs on my arm, "Asher give her a hand! Come on!"

Asher lifts me into his side and to my surprise he is a lot stronger than he looks. He practically sprints down the hallway with me in tow. My toes skim the tile and I giggle the whole time, feeling silly and ticklish in his polite hold. He sets me down before we push through the door, laughing with me.

The smiles on our faces are wiped off when we discover half the cafeteria is trashed. Zane and Riette are taking turns pummeling each other.

"I told you this would happen!" Zane pins Riette down just to plummet his fists into Riette's abs.

It looks like Riette is pissed and just egging Zane on, "you hit like a fucking pussy, Kingsley! Come on! You can do better than that!" He wants to get hit, "what are you waiting for Z? Come on!"

Zane is in a blind rage, wild and chaotic, and Bailey struggles to pull him off. Zane keeps knocking him back, but Bailey doesn't give up.

"Would you two stop? This isn't the place for this shit!" Bailey practically tears Zane's shirt off, trying to end the brawl.

"Do it, Zane! Knock me out!"

"Fuck you, Bradshaw!" Zane howls, ultimately twisting Riette around to pin his face into the tile.

Students scatter, keeping a safe distance. Cassie sits at her table with Delia, smirking and eating food like this is a completely normal occurrence. Maybe they're more used to seeing the boys argue than the rest of us. We rarely get to see the Ghost Riders act on their word and tear into another student. It never gets quite this nasty, and I've never seen Riette beg to get hit. He's the biggest guy out of all of them and always the one shredding into another student.

The fact that they are fighting each other electrifies the atmosphere in the cafeteria. It's practically silent in here among the other students. No one is shouting for someone to hit harder or dodge anything. Some of the girls are close to tears or full-on sobbing, and all the guys are shoving the girls out of the way.

Bailey breathes heavily, standing back and bracing hands on his knees like Taryn did when she came to get us. I haven't seen or heard from her in so many days and yet I'm not fazed that she just pops back into my life. I don't see Connor anywhere, but that's less disturbing than watching two of the Ghost Riders fight.

I dig my fingers into Taryn's arm, "do you know why they are fighting? Did you hear the beginning?"

Taryn shakes her head, "I was sitting at our table with Sofia. Riette walked by, right up to Zane, and slammed him."

The fight continues with the guys yelling at each other. Asher eventually marches out, letting the cafeteria doors swing and slam hard. Bailey's attention snaps to us with the noise, but doesn't meet my gaze. I avert my eyes and focus on the dust settling between Zane and Riette. They are talking to each other, but it's so quiet no one can make out their words.

The bell signals the end of lunch and the guys hurry to get the girls past the dangerous timebombs. The girls are giggling excitedly like this is exactly what they want. Bailey hauls Zane to his feet and they charge out of the lunchroom. Riette remains on the floor, wiping at his bloody nose, chuckling, and using a table to get to his feet.

I hook my arm with Taryn's and lead her out of the cafeteria, "Riette started the fight, you said?"

"Riette hit him first for no reason far as I can tell," Taryn's eyes are wide as she walks me to my locker, "Zane tackled him and he almost looked surprised to find himself fighting Riette. I don't know if he even knew who hit him."

"Shit."

Taryn helps me clean up the lunch left behind by Asher and me. Then grabs the bucket of soapy water and the brush.

"Soap and water?"

"Please tell me you can get your hands on rubbing alcohol," I plead, glaring at the bucket.

"You know I can, dude. You'll have to wait till last period, though."

"Just make it happen or he'll keep me here after school."

"I've got you, dude," Taryn pats my shoulder and races to get her things before the bell rings.