I sighed as I took the path that led to the eastern side of the lake and my back prickled with bruises from my fall in the bathroom. It crossed my mind that I should tell the Night Keepers what had happened. The instant it flickered through my thoughts though, I shoved it away. I didn’t need them to fight my battles. And whoever was trying to freak me out was not going to win. They weren’t even brave enough to face me head on. But why was someone targeting me at all?
It was kind of obvious as soon as I thought it. There were plenty of people in this school who resented me - foolishly – for being the Night Keepers’ pet. Pearl was a pretty likely candidate. Most girls at Everlake looked at me like I’d ascended to heaven, but did they even realise the abuse I faced at their hands? Or maybe some of them would have taken the abuse just to get their lips around their kings’ cocks. I could certainly think of a few girls who would. Then again, a guy could have followed me into the restroom too…
I shook my head, forcing the thoughts away, figuring I’d deal with it if it happened again. There wasn’t much I could do anyway but watch out for someone strutting around school wearing a dare me red shade of lipstick.
Better start carrying around a colour chart.
I shot a group message to the Night Keepers and a grin pulled at my mouth.
Tatum:
I’m taking my library time now. *squid emoji*
I snorted a laugh as their replies poured in.
Blake:
What does the squid mean??
Saint:
Was that a mistake, Barbie? Because emojis are for simpletons who are unable to use the English language to effectively express their emotions.
P.S. A squid is not even an emotion or an idea and, therefore, it offends me that it is included in the emoji collection. Most emojis offend me in a similar fashion. The crustaceans are not quite as offensive as the clocks however, of which there are 24, showing times at half past the hour or on the hour, essentially stating that quarter past or quarter to the hour is irrelevant. It’s quite disturbing.
Kyan:
*Octopus Emoji*
Blake:
Whhhhhyyy?
Side note to Saint: who puts a P.S. in a text, dude?
Saint:
Someone with good breeding.
I swallowed down my laughter as I upped my pace to the library, reading waaaay too much into that octopus emoji from Kyan which had felt awfully like he was playing along with me.
I hated when they made me smile, it felt like my own body betraying me. But at least I was about to make up for that treachery tenfold. Scrap that, make it fiftyfold. Because very soon, those boys were going to be tasting their own medicine.
I headed into the library, walking to the back of the building to my usual table that was hidden beyond the stacks, finding Mila already there with four boxes of tampons lined up on the desk in front of her. I took out the two I’d managed to steal from the Night Keepers’ stores and placed them down beside the others. We could still receive supplies to the school, but these were a precious enough commodity that we didn’t want to go overkill. Six boxes could be spared for the name of revenge though.
“I’m freaking out and totally excited, is that normal?” Mila asked, laughing as I dropped down beside her and she poured a box out in front of us.
“Totally normal.” I smiled, then filled her in on my creepy experience in the restroom.
She frowned, taking it way more seriously than I’d expected. “You should report it to Headmaster Monroe.” She clutched my arm. It sounded hella weird hearing him called that. I knew it was true, but it was strange to think he held so much power in this school now.
I shook my head. “What could he do? There’s no CCTV anywhere near that restroom and if he made some announcement to the school about it then whoever it is would know they’d gotten to me.”
Mila sighed, picking up a tampon and pulling off the cardboard casing, laying the soft middle in the pile with the rest. “I guess…I just don’t like the idea of Pearl getting away with that.”
“You think it’s her then?” I asked.
“Who else?” She leaned in closer. “Last year, Pearl almost got suspended because she ripped a girl’s skirt off in one of the restrooms. The poor bitch had to walk all the way back to her dorm in her panties, which happened to be a freaking G-string. And that same girl transferred to a different school not long after, so I’m guessing it was an ongoing thing.”
“Well, I can handle Pearl Devickers. She might be a bully, but she can’t fight me. And if she does anything public, the Night Keepers will destroy her.”
Mila nodded keenly. “So why not tell them?” she laughed. “Imagine her face when they put her back in her box.”
“Because I want to be the one to do it.” I smirked and Mila grinned darkly.
When we had the last of the tampons out of their casings, I gathered them all into a paper bag and tucked them away while Mila gathered up the shells in another one, scrunched it up and headed off to throw it in the trash.
I took out my phone, shooting a text to Monroe.
Tatum:
Ready to take one for the team?
Monroe:
I’m ready. We’ll be there in twenty minutes sharp.
“Blake says they’re going for their run,” I told Mila, not liking lying to her, but it was difficult
