“Hey, Tammy. What’s up?” I asked my sister, ignoring the little mouse. I could see her fidgeting, her hands nervously twisting into her hair, trying to tuck back an invisible loose strand. I squatted between them and the little mouse moved over, trying to distance herself and look anywhere but at me.
I didn’t like that she wasn’t looking at me.
“What are you doing here with the little mouse?” I mused, pretending the girl wasn’t even there.
Two people can play this game.
“Her name is Madison. You should probably not be an asshole to someone you’ll be seeing daily.” Tamlin looked down at the mouse apologetically. That look irritated me, no one needed to apologize for me. I did what the fuck I wanted and I wasn’t very concerned with what this mouse thought of me.
Liar.
From the corner of my eyes, I could see that she wanted to run. She kept shifting nervously and her hands were clutching the edge of the pool wall, positioning herself to get up, and quickly if need be. But I wasn’t done playing yet. I wanted the mouse to stay.
I turned to her, but she trained her gaze forward, refusing to make eye contact. She was a smart girl; she didn’t want to rattle the beast any more than she needed to.
“Maddy the mouse,” I said, looking at her. She kept ignoring me and I found myself moving from irritated to irrationally angry. She wasn’t acting as I would expect and that made her slightly less boring than the other girls around here. Normally, I just had to walk into a room and the girls were all over me, smelling of desperation, but this girl, this girl was different. She sat there, stoic, refusing to budge in her grace and poise.
“Well, mouse, I’m pretty sure I don’t have your tongue,” I whispered as I leaned closer.
“Jesus, Ky, leave her be. You’re probably scaring her. Just ignore him, Maddy, he thinks it’s cool to be this dark, brooding asshole.” Tamlin hit my chest with her arm, almost throwing me off balance.
“Don’t you have someplace to be, Tammy?” I said, wanting my sister to make herself scarce so I could be alone with the little mouse. Tamlin glanced at her phone, then stood up and rolled down her pants and slid into her ridiculous heels. Only ridiculous girls wore that shit. Who with any sense would want to walk around on two nails?
“Maddy, do you need a ride to class on Monday?” She looked down at the little mouse.
“You think your coven of witches will like that?” I asked Tamlin, then pointed to Maddy. “I mean, look at her. She won’t exactly fit in with your academy friends, looking the way she does.”
At that moment, the little mouse turned to look at me. Finally. Her face filled with hurt, shock, and something else, maybe outrage. An arrogant grin lifted my lips with her reaction.
I got you.
“Her whole wardrobe probably wouldn't even cover the cost of your tank top. Where do you shop, Mouse? Target?” I nailed her with a cold look. I didn’t need to be cruel, and I did feel bad for a moment, but that sting of regret evaporated as quickly as it had appeared.
She sat there quietly this time, no tears in her eyes. She just silently ignored me, pretending I was nothing more than the cold night air caressing her soft, creamy skin.
That infuriated me. No one ignored me, not in years. I should've liked the fact that to her I didn’t exist, that’s what I wanted from everyone--to be invisible, nonexistent--but for some reason I didn’t want that kind of treatment from her. I wanted this girl to notice me, to look at me with those warm eyes. I wanted her to shake and cry. I wanted something more than this. I couldn’t stand her just looking across the rippling water, pretending that I didn’t exist.
“Maddy, if you need a ride the offer still stands,” Tamlin said, before giving me the finger and walking away.
“Well, Maddy. You can talk now.” I took off my shoes and put my feet in the pool, right as she was about to get out. I wasn’t ready for her to leave this time. I grabbed her wrist, holding her immobile.
“Let-go-of-my-arm,” she spat, pronouncing each word clearly and concisely.
“Who’s going to make me?” I dared her.
“Do you want to be the kind of guy that makes a girl do something she doesn’t want to?” Her question tossed me off kilter, the words singeing me like the hot flames of a fire. I immediately dropped her hand and looked away.
“Get lost,” I said. When she didn’t leave, I felt the rage build up in me. “GET LOST!” I yelled.
“Is this behavior common for rich kids? Throwing a temper tantrum because you can’t get what you want, when you want it?” she asked, looking at me defiantly. I hated the look in her eyes; eyes that I knew could be warm were now dark like coal, cold and unfeeling.
I traced my fingers along the delicate flesh of her arm. I knew my touch affected her. She inhaled, holding her breath as small goose flesh appeared at the areas that I’d traced with my touch. There, I’d gotten a reaction, the one I wanted. This girl wasn’t immune to me; she was just pretending to be. At least she tried to have some self-respect. That in itself was intriguing.
“Are all poor kids so stupid? I told you to get lost. Why aren’t you running, little mouse?” I whispered, watching her, wanting her to run and also desperate for her to stay.
What will you do? Will you stay or will you go?
She closed the distance between us, something that would have
