Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Fifteen years old

Driving lessons weren’t going as I expected. How was I supposed to learn if Grandpa was shouting at me for every little mistake I made? No one could learn to drive with an old man yelling nonsense in their ear. If I didn’t learn to drive, then I had no freedom. And the way things were progressing, I was a long way from independence and Rusty would be my ride indefinitely.

“Hurry, Gabby, we’ll be late,” Rusty shouted from outside my window.

I know it was silly, but I couldn’t help the extra effort I put into my outfit today. I hated Mondays, but today wasn’t just any Monday. It was the first Monday after that kiss. God, that’s all I could think about.

Max kissing me.

His lips on mine like soft velvet.

Dammit, I needed to stop myself from thinking about that or else I would blush, and I didn’t need Grandpa asking if I was having a heat stroke. One last look in the mirror, and then I ran off to meet Rusty. I wore small short shorts, combat boots, a fitted black, long-sleeve shirt, and some necklaces.

I was smoking hot.

“How was driving around with Eugene?” I didn’t like the mocking tone in Rusty’s voice, but this was a good sign because this meant he didn’t see me sucking face with Max at the bonfire. I loved Rusty, but he could get overprotective.

“It didn’t go so well. Maybe you should come with us and try to chill Grandpa out. He gets dramatic.” Wasn’t that just the truth? I wanted to learn to drive, but it isn’t like I even had a car to drive around in. I wasn’t Abigail Newton; her daddy gave her a new Mustang for her sweet sixteen.

We were parking at school when Rusty cleared his throat. “Gabs… there’s a rumor going around.” I looked at him expectantly because there was always a rumor and most of the times it involved him or me or the both of us. “Did you take Max away from Nikki?”

“What?”

What was Rusty talking about? Nikki? I must have heard him wrong. There was no way Max was with Nikki. That would imply Max had a girlfriend. Just the idea horrified me because I never even talked to guys who had girls. I didn’t need that drama. It didn’t matter if we were just friends; no one ever bought it.

Then I got angry as hell. I didn’t care that I got called a whore, or easy Freya, slutty Freya, or one-day-is-going-to-be- a-stripper Freya, because as much as it hurt, I knew that I had integrity even though all those who judged me didn’t realize it. I never flirted with guys if they were dating. Heck, I never had a serious boyfriend. I didn’t think going to the movies with Rusty and his boys counted as me having an active dating life. Despite what everyone thought of me, I wasn’t screwing Rusty on the side and then flirting with all the jocks to kill time between sessions. This was my fault for putting Maximilian Dunnett on a pedestal. I should have known he was too good to be true. I couldn’t be furious at Max when I threw myself at him. I was to blame in this scenario, but the asshole never mentioned a girlfriend.

“Of course, he wouldn’t mention a girlfriend when my tongue was making friends with his tonsils.”

“Gross,” Rusty muttered. Then he sighed and put his hands on the steering wheel. “Shit, Gabby, he’s a junior with a girlfriend. What were you thinking? Not just any girl, but Nikki Dwight. You know she’s Juliet’s best friend. Those girls will be even nastier to you.”

“You know what, Rusty? You don’t have to tell me what I already know. Sticks and stones, my friend, sticks and stones.” The last part came out low on the verge of tears because sticks and stones had been my life motto ever since I could remember. I felt silly, stupid even. Here I was trying to look suitable for a boy who only saw me as a piece of meat like all the other boys at school. When I walked in, the nasty looks didn’t surprise me. It was Monday, after all. Nothing new. I took a deep breath and carried on until someone put their arm around me .

“Freya baby, I heard what you did for my baby brother. You know I was getting worried he wasn’t getting any, but I got to admit, I’m a little hurt you didn’t go for yours truly. I’m way more fun than Maxi.”

I turned to glare at Prescott. While Juliet and Max took after their mother in the pale skin and russet hair, Prescott was like his father—dark hair, a chiseled jaw, tall, and more muscular than Max. I used to think Max was the nice one of the family, but I guess he was still a dick. He just hid it, whereas Prescott didn’t shy away from who he was. At the beginning of the year, Prescott didn’t bother me, but the closer my sixteenth birthday, the more he had started making advances toward me. I wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t turn eighteen until the end of the year. In his head, he thought he had a small window of opportunity.

“Fuck off, Prescott.” I tried to push him away from me, but instead of him backing off, he got even closer.

“I was hoping you’d do that with me.” His smug voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear. To say it humiliated me wouldn’t come close to what I was feeling. No one said a thing. The guys laughed, and the girls looked at me like I was trash.

Sticks and stones.

I debated ditching and starting fresh tomorrow, but I knew I needed to get through today and the rest would become bearable. I was on my way to lunch when Nikki, Juliet, Jana, and Abigail cornered me in the stairwell. Well, if today isn’t my lucky day or what?

“Oh, look it’s the slut who tried to steal my boyfriend.” Nikki crossed her arms, confident because she had her bitch posse with her. How fair—four against one? Life wasn’t fair and didn’t I know that firsthand.

Still, I wouldn’t be me if I let prissy girls walk all over me. I was strong, and that had to count for something, even if I was about to get the shit beat out of me. “I find it funny you’re here blaming me as if I forced your boyfriend to kiss me. I’m a short girl, and he’s tall, but I guess in your dumb brain it makes complete sense that little, old me was strong enough to overpower him.”

“Oh, please cut the dramatics, Freya. Everyone knows you’re easy.” Abigail rolled her eyes at me. Juliet and Jana stood closer but with bored looks, as if dealing with me was a waste of time.

“Says the girl who screwed some guy from the visiting volleyball team after the meet we had last year. I don’t know about you, but that says easy to me.”

Abigail’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out. I had detention that day, and when I heard grunts, I worried someone was hurt. Imagine my surprise to find little miss perfect with a guy from a visiting school. I gave myself a mental high five until Nikki slapped me so hard, I felt her ring scrape my face.

“I know you’re trying to be like your mommy, but stay away from Max, you whore.” Nikki spat in my face before taking her bitch posse with her, leaving me behind with a throbbing cheek.

Thanks, Mom, thanks a lot.

It would have been easy to strike back, but for once I deserved it, so I let Nikki have her justice. I walked to the bathroom with my hand covering my face. I wanted to get a good look at it before I allowed anyone else to see it. My face was not only red, but there was a bright red line going across from Nikki’s ring. There was no way to hide what happened. Today was the worst day of my life. I thought nothing could top my mother abandoning me, but this new memory… it was fresh.

When I heard the door open, I grabbed some cold water and splashed it on my face, trying to diminish the redness and somehow stop my cheek from swelling.

I glared at Max through the mirror. He looked like he always did, all polished and prissy looking, except today I saw him for what he really was—an asshole.

“What are you doing here?” I spat.

“I heard what happened, I need to make sure you were okay.”

I turned around to face him. “I’m fine.”

“Shit, Freya, did Nikki do that to you?”

“You mean your girlfriend Nikki?” I grabbed my backpack and tried to muster as much dignity as I could.

“Listen, Freya, I can explain.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t bother, Max. I don’t care for your explanations. I’m just easy, right? Freya Pratt the town whore, you didn’t even have to try. I made it so easy for you.” I tried to move past him, but he didn’t let me.

“Do you really think so low of me?”

“Let me go. I swear to God, you’ll regret it if you don’t. I thought you were different, but you’re a bigger jerk than even Prescott. At least he doesn’t hide who he is,” I seethed.

Max let go of me, his face becoming a little cold, but that didn’t stop me.

“I thought you were different.” My voice wobbled at the end, and I hated myself for it. Why was I so weak? Max’s face became warm again. He tried to grab me, but I kneed him in the nuts.

Hard.

“I said don’t touch me!” I walked out of the bathroom with my head held high despite my bruised cheek and the gossip going around me.

Stick and stones.