"I'm not telling him anything. And today, you're cleaning out the cold storage."
"What?" I follow him out to the front, past the kitchen and into storage area and the big freezers and fridge. "That will take me ages!"
Manny smiles, opening the door of the walk-in fridge. "I know. And it's a pretty shitty job too. So, enjoy yourself!"
I really want to slap him right across his smarmy mouth. Is any job really worth this torture?
"What is your problem?" I hiss. "I'm so sick of you being a jerk to me. I haven't done anything to you. I barely know you outside of work."
Manny leans against the wall and contemplates me silently. "You know what my problem is? My problem, is having to deal with spoiled rotten little princesses every day, such as yourself. Girls who think they're better than everyone else. It gets really old, you know that?"
"I'm not spoiled!" I think of my new car, the cruise, and my prom dress and bite my lower lip. "Not really."
Manny snorts. "Yeah, mommy and daddy don't buy you whatever your heart desires. Like a brand-new car. You know how old my car is? It's a 1999 Cavalier. I haven't ever driven a brand-new car. Or even a decent used one. All I get to drive, after working my ass off – unlike some people – is a piece of shit. My daddy isn't rich. My father is barely getting by because he has to be able to pay the salary of stuck up chicks like you."
My eyes tear from his venom. "It's not my fault my father has money and yours doesn't. I don't control how the world works, Manny!"
"Okay, yeah, whatever." He shakes his head in disgust. "Get to work, Bishop."
I watch him walk away, his shoulders down. He looks not just angry, but defeated. I feel sorry for him.
◆◆◆
"Oh my gosh, you know what I heard?"
I look up from my chef salad at Pam. We're at our usual table, Kim at the head, me at her right hand, Pam and Linda across from us on Kim's left.
"That you're lame?" Kim snarks, sipping her mineral water.
Pam makes a face at her. "Whatever. No. So, Nora Cummings told Maxy Simon that she saw Mr. Hayes at Cone City yesterday! And he was with some really pretty blond girl."
I feel my heart sink. What?? Mr. Hayes has a girlfriend? Noooooo!
"Well...that sucks!" I stab some lettuce with my fork.
Linda nods. "I know, right? Lucky bitch."
Kim sneers at us. "Of course, he has a girlfriend. Did you honestly think a guy that looks like him would not be attached? Duh!"
"Well we can still dream about him," I tell them.
Pam's lips curl into a naughty grin. "Oh, I did last night, with my vibrator!"
We crack up and Linda nearly shoots water from her nose.
"Oh my God, Pam!" Linda wipes the water from her chin with a napkin. "That's so not appropriate dining room conversation!"
"This isn't a dining room," I remind her. "It's a cafeteria and you’re allowed to talk about sex toys in a cafeteria!"
Rolling her eyes, Kim gets up and grabs her tray. "I'm outta here. I promised Jason we'd hang out for a bit." She waves her fingers at us. "Byeeee!"
Pam watches Kim stroll away then leans across the table. "She broke up with Ryan, did she tell you?"
"I knew she was going to," I admit. And speaking of the devil, right at that moment, Ryan comes walking into the cafeteria, his head down and his hands in his pockets.
"She said he was boring," says Linda.
"Poor guy." I watch as Ryan sits down at an empty table by himself without getting any food. He takes out his cell and scrolls for a bit, his face sad. "Oh, look at him! Like he's lost his best friend. I should go talk to him."
Pam grabs my arm. "Taryn, what are you doing?"
I shake her arm off. "What? I just want to make sure he's okay!"
Linda laughs and Pam raises an eyebrow at me. "We're not blind, Taryn. Everyone can see you've got a major crush on the boy. Don't do anything stupid."
"I don't have a crush on Ryan!" I insist, my cheeks burning. "He's just a friend."
"You know the rules," says Linda. "No fraternizing with the enemy."
"Oh, come on! Just because Kim broke up with him, I'm not allowed to talk to him anymore?" I stand up and grab my tray. "That's bullshit. I'm not asking him out, I'm just going to see if I can cheer him up a bit."
"Remember Candy Fisher."
I pause, looking back at Pam. "That was in sixth grade!"
Candy Fisher had been one of us in grade school. A cute little girl with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. She was the only girl in our grade that could stand up to Kim, both in looks and personality. Kim put up with her only because she knew that Candy could easily take her place as the leader. Everything went smoothly until Candy made it known that she thought Jason was adorable and she started giving him her juice box every day at lunch. That sealed her fate. Once Kim realized Candy was after her man she made it her goal in sixth grade to ruin her. I'm ashamed to admit I did my own part, eagerly joining in on bullying Candy with the others until the poor girl had to leave school and be taught at home. It was not one of my finer moments.
But Kim had made it crystal clear to the rest of us. If she had dated them you didn't. Period.
Pam looks at me, her dark eyes hard. "You don't want to do this, Taryn. You know how Kim is. It's so not worth it."
"Besides, you have a boyfriend," Linda points out.
"Just..." I scowl at the two of them. "Mind your own business!" I stomp away and dump my trash in the can on my way over to Ryan.
"Hey, Ryan."
He looks up at me but
