"I said don't touch my stuff!" The blond girl from lunch screams at a brunette girl, holding her cell phone, "give it back!"

"Are you hiding something?" Brunette shrieks, keeping the phone out of reach, "you're the girl he's talking to, aren't you! You stole Preston from me, didn't you!"

Blondie stamps her foot, "fuck you! I haven't touched him! He is a douche! I wouldn't do anything to hurt you!"

"Then what are you hiding?" The brunette spins around to look at the phone, but Coach Parker appears, and snatches it, "hey!"

"That is enough," Coach Parker scolds the girls, "get dressed. Both of you. Now!"

The girls dress hurriedly and follow her out of the locker room. I breathe out, struggling not to laugh and pull the knee brace over my leggings. I fasten the straps and keep an eye on Cassie as we are slowly left alone. Mallory doesn't even notice and is gone before I can say anything.

Cassie crashes into me, pinning me to the cement, "finally!"

"Shit..." I huff, winded and stunned.

"I've been waiting for a moment alone with you!"

"Get the fuck off!" I can't move my hands when she pins down my bottom half with her weighty ass, "Cassie!"

"He's going to be pissed when he sees the proof of you cheating," she sneers down at me, "and believe me, I have it."

I grunt, "I'm not cheating."

"Oh, but he'll believe you are when he sees the video, I have of you. You're having sex with some dude at a party..."

My heart stops and lungs clench, squeezing out the last bit of air. I gasp, knowing she's talking about the rape. She can't possibly have a video of that unless the douche set up his phone to video us...

Oh my fuck!

If he has a video and somehow Cassie got her hands on it, then she knows who did it.

"Who?" I pant.

"Who what?" She snarls.

"How did you get the video?"

"So, it's true... You are a cheater... I mean, it's pretty clear in the video, but I never thought you would admit it," she is enjoying herself.

"I didn't cheat... Get the fuck off!"

Cassie glances down between us and an idea forms in her eyes. Whatever she's thinking, she has all this power and it is messing with my head. I'm already questioning my life since lunch. Zane was acting odd, staring at me differently, teasing, and running after some cheer blondie. Learning to trust Mallory, is still something I am getting used to.

The only person I can trust full-heartedly is Bailey, and she's going to make him second-guess my loyalty. He won't believe it. He won't believe her...

Will he?

No, he loves me.

What if he falls for it?

What if it's enough for him to lose faith in me?

This will definitely be a hard limit for him.

I hate Cassie!

I have to get back on board with Mallory. I can trust her after she stuck around to help fight off my dad. We need to come up with something and take Cassie down. She can't keep doing this to people. She wants to ruin my life and take everything from me. I can't let her do that.

I can't lose Bailey!

Cassie leans back on her ass, holding my wrists in her hands and rests her weight in my knees. I wince with the abrupt pressure and she knows she has thorough control. I can't fight even if I wanted to. My knee pools with heat and begins to throb as she wiggles around, jarring the joint, bones scraping against each other painfully.

"Ow..." I grimace inaudibly.

"That will keep you down," Cassie releases my hands and smacks me hard.

Then her weight is gone and I hear her moving around. I need to get out of here fast. Before I can even reach for the bench, she thumps down on my ribcage, facing my feet. I feel her undoing the knee brace, but can't move my leg with the amount of agony slicing through my left knee.

"Cassie, stop... Do you have a fucking heart!"

The sharp sound of scissors cuts through my ears and I know what she's done. She continues to cut away and when she stands, she tosses the shredded knee brace down on me. The scissors are still in her hands as she cackles and slowly backs up, enjoying her work.

Using only my arms, I pull myself onto the bench, and gape at the brace. It was the best one I had, but it is expensive. There is no way I can get this replaced on my own. I can't use the old one that Bailey packed because it pinches me with every microscopic move.

Shit...

Cassie is out of the locker room in seconds and I am still mystified by the ruined brace. I stuff the brace in my bag and get to my unsteady feet. Swaying, I almost fall over, but find my footing.

Damn it.

Out the door, I limp lethargically down the vacant hallways.

"Where have you been?" Mallory squeals and then her eyes narrow in on my bare knee, "where's your brace, girl?"

"Cassie ruined it..." I drop my bag at my locker and just lean into the wall, heaving for air.

"You don't look well..." Mallory frets, "should I go get Bailey? He had to get to lacrosse for something. The team is doing some bonding thing, I guess. He said he'll see you at home. I can give you a ride."

"Yeah, just get me home. I'll ice my knee. It will be fine..."

💀

"How does it feel?" Mallory cleans up her homework.

"It's fine, Mal. It's stronger than it used to be."

I remove the melted ice from under my knee that's been propped on a stack of pillows for the last couple hours. Mallory said Bailey told her he wouldn't be long, but he's been gone an unusual amount of time.

"Have you been working it with Bailey?" She smirks, turning to clean up my homework, too.

"You don't have to do that. I can do it in a bit... And yes. June used to be a PT, so she taught him some stuff. It's helped with my walking and the pain."

"I've noticed you don't limp so much... When you have your brace," she purses her lips, "I have to get ready for the party tonight."

"We really need to come up with something good. She fucked with my knee brace..."

Mallory snickers, "party tonight. Then we can text tomorrow. I will be hungover as shit. Well, that's the plan."

"Whose party?"

"Reynold. He seriously throws the best parties."

"Right, I remember now."

"I'll see you there?"

"I think that's the plan," I shrug.

"Bye!" She's out the door before I can say anything else.

I toss the Ziploc bag and hand towel to the coffee table with my homework. I sink into the cushions of the couch, enjoying the dim lighting and quiet. I flick on the TV to some random channel and my eyelids become heavy in minutes.

💀

"Hey baby," Bailey's voice lures me out of dreamland, and his beautiful face smiles, baby blues glittering, "I'm glad you took a nap, baby. We're running late for the party."

"Bay..." I pry his hands off my face.

"Where's your brace? I can get it on for you while you wake up, baby," Bailey searches around for it.

"Bay..."

"Was your knee hurting today? Was it because of earlier, baby? Where is your brace?"

"Bailey," I snap and huff with exasperation.

He goes motionless and flicks his eyes to me, "what the fuck did she do?"

He knows who is to blame for whatever is wrong. He can hear it in my voice when it dithers, but I can't imagine how he's going to react. I try to sit up and Bailey moves forward to prop me up.

"What did she do, Max?" He growls.

"It's in my backpack..."

"Your brace?" He leans over to my backpack and pulls out the shredded material, "what the fuck...? Cassie fucking did this?"

"Bay..." I whimper, knowing I have to tell him what happened in the locker room, "she said she has a video..."

Bailey drops the brace and scoots onto the couch behind me, pulling me across his lap, "what do you mean? What video?"

"She thinks I cheated on you, but it's... It's of the party..."

"Which party?" It's in the tone of his voice that he knows which party I mean.

"Bay..." I cover my face and he cradles me into his chest, "she has a video and she knows... Who it was..."

His body stiffens, and he tightens his hold around me, "I swear I'm going to kill her myself."

"P-please don't leave me..."

"Baby," he kisses my forehead and strokes my hair, "you know I'm not going anywhere. You know that. You'll never be alone, baby. I fucking love you too damn much."

I hook my arms around his neck and hold on for dear life like he might disappear at any moment. It almost feels that way after today. I let myself get distressed and fearful of who I can trust. I felt something was wrong, but didn't know where it was coming from. I should have known I was uneasy because Cassie has been quiet for too long.

"I'd say we can stay home, but it's time this fucking thing with Cassie ends, baby..."

"Bay, I love you." I murmur into his neck, drowning in his scent.

"I love you, too, baby," he kisses me hard and then scoops me into his arms and carries me upstairs, "how is your knee? Do you need some ibuprofen?"

"Mallory got me some when we got here..."

"What did Cassie do? How do you know she has a video?"

"She attacked me in the locker room after gym, and said she would show it to you... She seems to think I cheated on you." Bailey digs out some fresh jeans and yanks off the leggings I am wearing while he listens, "I don't know if she knows what it's really a video of... It's the only thing she could have that you wouldn't know she has." I button up the new jeans and he ties my shoes, "Then she just got it in her head to... Destroy my brace."

"I'm done with this bullshit. We're getting you out of that fucking class. You shouldn't have to be in any classes with her."

"Bay..."

"What baby?" He helps me to my feet and pins me against his body, "what is it?"

"What are you going to do? We can't really get rid of her..."

"Connor, Riette, and Zane may sound facetious, but they aren't joking when they offer to kill her. It's not something I want to do, not really, but they can make her disappear," his tone tells me how serious he is.

"Has she really hurt me so much that she deserves to die? I mean, I could see it with my dad, but Cassie Vincenzo?"

"What else can I do?" He strokes my pony, "do you want to wear something nice, or just wear this sweatshirt?"

"I can take it off and wear my coat," I strip it off when he releases me and he returns it to his closet.

We head downstairs and I grab my coat at the door. It's a wool-lined jean jacket that's plenty warm for the fall weather. Bailey pulls on his own navy Tommy Hilfiger Bomber jacket and takes my hand, leading me out of the house and locking it up. He texts his mom to let her know we will be out most of the night and helps me into the Cheyenne.

Bailey doesn't waste any time getting to Zane's house. He parks next to the Jeep and switches off the engine. Zane and Riette clamber out of the house and race each other down the stairs, shoving each other around playfully. Zane looks contented after his lunchtime dessert and Riette looks less troubled than usual. It's not normal for all these boys to smile like this and it brightens my aching soul.

"Where's your brace, Sawyer?" Zane asks as Bailey and I get into the back of the steel gray Dodge Challenger with black racing stripes. Riette settles next to him in the passenger seat and to no surprise Connor will meet us there, "I thought you have to wear it all the time."

"Cassie shredded the fucking thing," Bailey growls, clenching my thigh in his hand.

"The fuck she did?" Zane glances back, glowering.

"Can I fucking kill her now!" Riette snarls.

"Let's see if she shows up to Reynold's party and then we can decide what to do with her," Bailey looks to me for approval.

It brings a smile to my lips to hear them get so riled up over my knee brace. Bailey scowls at me for a moment, but must understand. He dips close to me and captures my lips briefly, but leaves me satisfied and at peace.

"What a fucking bitch..." Zane steers toward the next town, pulling onto the highway, following a few other cars.

"Is Mallory coming tonight?" Riette peeps over his shoulder.

"She said she never misses one of Reynold's parties."

"I think she's always had a thing for him," Bailey snorts.

"Can't imagine she wants Cassie's leftovers," Zane shakes his head.

"She certainly wants a piece of Bay," I nudge my elbow into his ribs spiritedly.

"I only have eyes for you, baby," he murmurs quietly.

"Yeah right..." Riette rolls his eyes, "I think she's always had a thing for Zane."

"Fuck no... I don't mess around with anyone who has ties to Cassie," Zane's grip tightens on the rawhide steering wheel.

"You mess with her cheerleaders," I point out.

"How would you fucking know who he lays?" Riette looks impressed.

"He didn't make it a secret at lunch today."

Zane looks disgusted at the thought, "oh, fuck no. I did not touch that prissy little bitch. I sold her some stuff."

"Should have known," Bailey squeezes my thigh.

"What stuff?"

Zane clears his throat, "do you really want to know, Sawyer?"

"I can let my imagination run away with me or you can just let me in on the secret."

"Just tell her, Z. Damn brother," Bailey drapes his arm around my shoulders, "she's not going to tell anyone."

"She likes some of the hard stuff like oxy," Zane eyes me pointedly in the rearview mirror, "but only on the weekends."

"You sell it for Connor or what?"

"I bought it off him and sell it at my parties. She knows I have some on me every now and then, and I needed a little extra cash that my parents can't track."

"For what?"

"Well, now that's not any of your business," he averts is gaze deliberately.

"Does Bay know?"

"No."

"Alright, fine," I give in, dropping the topic.

"This party is going to be fucking lit, tonight," Riette informs us, "Connor said he and Reynold planned something. I think they're going to have some fights to let out some of the hot steam between all the guys this year. Plus, it's fun for the opposing teams to get into it with each other, too."

"Who's controlling it?" Bailey worries.

"Not sure they have anyone... That's why we'll have to park a ways from the house and be prepared to move. You'll have to carry Sawyer most likely," Riette explains as Zane pulls onto a dirt road.

"Where the hell are we going?"

"Reynold lives right between Pilot Rock and Fox." Bailey burrows into my neck, "out here in the middle of nowhere. Less likely for cops to show up or have any other problems."