Читать книгу Mine - S.A Partridge - Страница 17

I walk in a daze behind the pack of giggling, chattering girls as we approach the house. Jules has her hand in mine, and she’s swinging it back and forth like we’re little kids.

“Thanks for coming,” she says, her teeth shining in the dark. “I didn’t know who else to ask.”

Giggle. Giggle. Whisper.

I can’t get Blue-haired Girl out of my head. She was so upset when I complimented her. She acted just like I do whenever someone compliments me. I whack it back, retreat into my little cave of self-loathing. “I really dug that first duo,” I say.

“Lucinda, you mean?” says Jules.

“Yeah, and the other one. The flautist.”

She frowns. “Kayla? Lucinda says she’s terrible. Everyone in the Music class hates her – most of the school too. She’s such a weirdo.”

“Really?”

Jules takes this as an invitation to dive in. “Yeah, she’s a total freakshow. She doesn’t have any friends, and she sleeps with everyone’s boyfriends. Such a slut.”

“Who’re you talking about?” asks one of the girls behind us.

“Kayla,” Jules replies without turning around.

“Oh yeah, she’s a total slut.”

“Told you,” says Jules with a smirk.

“Really? You wouldn’t think so by looking at her. She looked pretty innocent to me.”

“Ha ha. No. She doesn’t fit in with anyone. Lucinda says she brings down the whole vibe in Music. But the principal doesn’t want to kick her out because there are no other flutists.”

“Flautists.”

“She might be a Satanist too. One of the girls in my class is in the Christian Society, and she told me Kayla said some pretty messed up things at one of their meetings.” Jules beams at me. “Aren’t you glad I’m normal?”

I give her hand a squeeze. But really, I’m not so sure. Ever since I started hanging with the crew, I keep wondering when they’re going to realise the truth about me – that I’m a faker from a bad family. Everyone thinks I’m cool because of Dark Father. Especially after we got big. But I’m really just pretending.

And Kayla seems like a child of darkness like me. Misunderstood.

The girls miraculously disappear when we reach Jules’ house. We stop outside the wrought-iron gate. She looks at me expectantly, her eyes bright. She swings our hands back and forth. Raindrops drip from the overhanging branches around us.

I reach out to give her a hug, but she’s too quick for me and slaps her lips on mine. Her tongue is wet and foreign. I breathe through my nose, trying to count the seconds until I think it’s okay to detach myself.

I watch her go inside, then wait until I’ve turned the corner before I start pounding my head with my fists.