That was my main mistake. I knew better than to take my eyes off the adversary. I knew better and I did it anyway, cocky in my small victory.
Right before I reached the open door to my next class, something popped in the air and a reddish cloud burst in front of me.
Almost instantly, my eyes hurt. I dragged in a gasp at the sting in my eyes and my lungs began to burn with increasing intensity.
I coughed, along with multiple other people in my vicinity, but none quite as bad as me. I could vaguely hear the coughs as they echoed off the lockers around me. I staggered to the side, hitting someone as I tried to lean against the wall.
“Nope. Not here, Ice Queen.” A deep voice shoved me to the side and I stumbled, searching for a steady base where I could catch my bearings.
My fingers finally hit the cool metal of a bank of lockers and I wiped at the tears pouring out of my eyes.
I couldn’t see. The tears weren’t the only things blurring my vision as I turned and shoved my back against the lockers. As long as I kept my shoulders there, no one could jump me from behind.
This was the worst type of attack I’d ever been subjected to. I couldn’t see clearly and a shadow wandered into my field of view. I continued blinking, swinging my arm wide and connecting with someone or something. I didn’t care who it was.
They grunted and the shadow disappeared from my view. I breathed as shallowly as I could in case the air was still polluted. I needed to get to the bathroom. I couldn’t figure out where I was or who was around me.
My breathing filled my ears, punctuated with gasps as my lungs struggled to find clean air.
Someone moved close again and I whimpered, jabbing out with my left and then crossing with my right. Why couldn’t I hear?
Had it affected my hearing? I coughed again, lifting my hand and gasping between racking coughs.
“What is going on here?” My dad’s voice broke through the din of the crowd. He’d see me in my weakened state. What did I do?
I held up a hand. “Nothing. I’m just having a coughing fit.” I’m surprised I could get that out before my lungs protested and I started coughing all over again.
My tongue had gone numb and I think part of my throat felt like it had been ravaged with a file.
Dad’s big hand grabbed my shoulder. He’s lucky I recognized him in my fight mode. “Come on, let’s get you to the fountain for some water.”
Fine. I didn’t care. I needed to get control of my breathing and then I’d find out who did that to me. I was prepared to mess them up in the worst ways – ways that would leave them unable to walk.
The whole school had been a part of that. Why else would they all keep their distance from me?
Dad led me away from the classroom hallway. The sound of the groups walking the halls and heading to class faded.
We stopped by the water fountain by the office. My vision was slowly coming back and I wiped at my eyes, leaving black streaks on the backs of my hands from my mascara. My hair would need to be washed. I could feel fine particles in the strands, probably of whatever had been thrown into the air.
I’d never be able to work out with the red stuff coating my skin. Anywhere that was even remotely damp from my tears stung with the contact of the red stuff. If I could hazard a guess, I’d think they did some kind of ghost pepper powder or something in a balloon.
Dad kept his voice low as he helped me bend over the water. “You need to watch your back. I think they’re mad at you for trying out for the team. We might need to keep you off for a little while longer.”
I blinked, my vision getting better and better. I snapped upright, clenching my teeth and staring at my dad. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If I cared, Dad, what anyone thought, I certainly wouldn’t let it stop me from fighting. If anything, this makes me want to fight even harder. Just coach. Let me worry about myself.”
I jerked my shoulder out of his reach as he stretched his hand toward me. “I need to clean up.” I didn’t bother thanking him for the warning or for pulling me out of the hallway.
I was falling into war mode and he was just one more on my opposition’s team that was trying to get in the way of my goals.
***
Stryker
As the powder burst through the air, I lunged forward to pull Gray from danger. But it was too late. I narrowed my eyes as I studied the crowd, deciphering which student it was. Their punishment would depend on their gender.
I’d been as surprised as Jasmine at the offensive tactic Gray had used. Kissing her full on the lips in front of the majority of the senior class had been shocking and attention getting. Not to mention a complete turn-on.
Rather than watching for the next onslaught against Gray, I’d been too busy glaring at the other guys in the hall who sported evidence they were as turned on as I was. This earned them a spot on my watch list. What more incentive had Gray given them to chase her besides the frigid rumor and the fact that she was more desirable than even a famous porn star?
She’d kissed another girl in front of us. She’d taken the upper hand and shoved it down our throats.
It wasn’t hard to see the animosity in the guys’ faces changing, altering before my very eyes to something more like desire and wonder.
The girls were something else as they watched Gray steal the control of the situation. Their steely, unforgiving gazes shifted into something that resembled admiration and even envy.
With the boldness of one little move, Gray undermined our efforts to make her feel small and minimal.
When the powder exploded around her, she hadn’t fallen to the ground like Johnson had suggested she would. In fact, the whole football team had said that would break anyone – had broken most of them, actually.
Instead of falling, she’d worked her way to the wall and steadied herself. Tears running down her face, her hair wild about her, and she’d still protected herself. She hadn’t dropped her guard, knocking down two others who had the audacity to try to get close to her while she was injured.
She really was like a wild bear, protective and cautious and untrusting.
I would find out who popped her with powder. I had to. Because right then, as her father escorted her from the hallway, she was no longer the enemy to the crowd in the hallway. Their gazes tripped my way, taking in Brock and Gunner at my sides. Anger and distrust combined as they put two and two together and realized that she was in danger because of us. We’d ordered this on her. And for once, they were questioning our orders.
That wasn’t something we could tolerate. Yet, no matter what we threw her way, she seemed to dodge and get out of.
One way or the other, I had to get the power back. Dominick’s methods might not be the way to go. Brock, Gunner, and myself might have to employ our own measures.
Anything at this point had to deliver better results than what we were getting now.
Chapter 16
Gray
The locker room seemed cavernous as I slammed the door behind me.
Sixth hour.
I couldn’t take one more inane class while everyone gossiped around me in whispers, some not in whispers. How many names could they call me behind my back? How many more to my face?
The names I could handle. The locker prank, fine. I could deal with that, too. The pepper powder though… that was taking things too far. And Stryker had to be part of that. I couldn’t help but feel even more hatred for him.
And yet… it wasn’t hatred. I didn’t hate him. His actions and duplicity just made me feel worse. I hated that I felt that way. I hated that I wanted to cry because of the way the school laughed at me and called me names. Mocked me after the pain of the powder.
They didn’t have to like me, but couldn’t they see that I had feelings, too? Maybe they didn’t. I’d done my best to hide how miserable I’d grown throughout the day. I hadn’t pulled my phone out since that morning. Sara could have texted me and I didn’t care.
I just didn’t
care.
My Converse were silent as I padded through the tiled locker room. I’d ditched my sixth period for the second day in a row and I didn’t care.
Not even my dreams of a scholarship could get me in there.
I’d endured the cafeteria after the fiasco with the chili powder, certain something equally heinous waited for me.
I’d tried not to flinch each time someone moved my direction, but the memories of the pain from the powder wasn’t distant enough. Plus, I still didn’t know who had been the direct cause of the powder attack. It was fair to assume the entire school was in on it.
Wasn’t that what the Jamesons had done? They’d instigated the entire hellish journey through Jameson for me, why not that as well?
I grabbed a locker along the far row, furthest from the doors. After sixth period I’d have weights. I still refused to call it yoga. Then I would have boxing. I had more to prove to the douchebags who thought they ran the school.
They might have been able to knock me down with the powder, but I wasn’t out. I wasn’t going to stay down.
I changed into my gym clothes, grateful for the comfortable familiarity of the wraps as I rolled them on, securing them with Velcro straps at the wrist.
The door opened at the front of the locker room and I snapped my head around, listening. I would have mere moments to make it to a stall. I didn’t want to be seen by anyone and contribute to any rumors about me being weak or a coward.
So what if I was hiding out for a bit? It had been a long day and I really just needed to hit something… or someone.
The voices were a loud mix together to where I couldn’t differentiate the owners. I used the noise as a cover as I clicked my locker door shut and spun the dial. Then I moved in the opposite direction from the girls and moved into the last stall on the end.
I wasn’t scared of the girls, not even a little bit, but for some reason, my heart pounded in my chest and my breathing quickened. I closed my eyes, softly shutting the door and then letting it fall open by a few inches. I could only hope they wouldn’t try to come into that stall.
If I had a joint or a cigarette or something, I could pretend I was in there doing something I shouldn’t and it would lend me a modicum of credibility. But I didn’t.
I moved onto the toilet, placing my Chucks on the seat and half-crouching as I quietly steadied myself with a hand on the wall and the other on the cubicle partition.
What was I doing? There was nothing brave about where I stood or how I hid. But even thinking about getting down and facing more Jameson idiots just filled me with a fury that I wasn’t sure I could control. What if I couldn’t do anything and I cried out of frustration? No. No more tears. No more weakness out of me. I could handle what they dished out. I just needed a break.
I wasn’t hiding to protect me. I was hiding to protect them.
I’d just keep telling myself that.
“I can’t believe she kissed you.” I recognized the voice but the name escaped me. Of course, they were talking about me which meant Jasmine was one of the girls there.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, more determined than ever to hold my position. There was no way I would let her find me. I had to stay hidden.
“Well, honestly, I couldn’t touch her or she would be bleeding by now.” Interesting that Jasmine thought she could take me. She didn’t know anything about me, if she thought she could do that. I slowly started to grin at her bravado.
“Why didn’t you then?” Jaeda’s taunting was subtle but no less challenging.
“Look, if we can just stick to the plan, we’ll keep our spots. I don’t want to lose them.” Jasmine mentioning her position again struck me with a wave of curiosity. What was she talking about?
“How do you get a spot like that?” The third girl’s voice was going to drive me crazy until I placed her.
“Brock said they’re taking some more recruits. I’ll put in a good word for you.” Jaeda’s soft tones severely contradicted the harsh nasally tone her twin sported.
“We need to worry about ourselves first, Jae. No offense, Jenny.” Jenny. Was it Jenny Davies they spoke to? The girl I’d seen at The Pike?
As she continued talking, it clicked and I realized I’d been smart to keep myself in check around her.
“A job like that could really help my family.” Jenny must have turned on the water because her voice became the hardest to hear.
It shut off and then Jasmine spoke. “Yeah, it turned things around for us, too. They don’t like older people working there. Said it’s too easy to turn on the company. Plus, they need old people like our parents to work in the mines.” She scoffed. “Old people can’t keep secrets.”
Our parents weren’t old which just screamed how clueless Jasmine really was.
“Look, show up at Curly’s on Friday night and I’ll intro you to Brock. Even if he already knows you, it helps to come at him like that. If you sleep with him, he won’t give you the job. So, if you tell him no, you’re guaranteed to get in.” Jasmine spoke as if she were giving a secret worth gold.
“How did you get the job, then?” Jaeda laughed, her question soaking in insinuation.
“I went through Gunner. He doesn’t care if you say yes or no. All he wants to know is if you can keep a secret or not. For some reason Brock has a thing about sluts. He can’t stand them.” I could almost hear the shrugging in her voice.
She was the queen of the tramps and I didn’t have to know her intimately to figure that out.
“What about Stryker?” Jenny’s voice twisted something inside me. She had to know I was interested and yet, there she was, stabbing me as hard as she could without even knowing I was listening. Maybe that’s what made it even worse. I knew she would do whatever it took to get attention, to get noticed. I didn’t realize she’d screw over someone she’d been nice to. That just seemed weird to me.
The twins fell silent and I realized I was holding my breath, waiting for their answer. Stryker… what about him? What could they know about Stryker that I didn’t already know?
What did they know that Jenny didn’t?
“He’s off limits.” Jasmine’s voice was hard, unrelenting.
“Is he yours?” Jenny’s suspicion was palpable. Stryker didn’t act like he cared about Jasmine. If Jasmine was Stryker’s, he treated her worse than a shoe in his closet.
“He will be. I’d hate for you to be turned down for a position with the factory. If you sniff around Stryker, you’ll be out of a job. Understand?” Jasmine’s tone brooked no argument and for the first time I understood why she thought she had power.
Somehow, the factory and her position there gave her some.
If she had power at the factory, that might mean I needed to do what I needed to to get the factory put out of business.
Chapter 17
Gray
All through weights I didn’t look at anyone directly. I stared above everyone’s heads and I don’t care that I came across as a haughty witch. What they thought wasn’t my concern.
When class ended, Jenny walked by me, calling out, “Hey, Gray.” But I ignored her. I didn’t need a friend who was a sell-out. Not when I was just trying to survive on my own.
Lame as it was, Dad put us on cardio for the entirety of practice. One of the guys spoke up and complained about having to run suicides, saying something about the drills being a basketball exercise.
Dad pointed at me and grinned. “She beat out your best in cardio. I’d think at this point you’ll do what it takes to get better.” If nothing else, Dad knew how to make a point.
They didn’t acknowledge me other than that. The next few days of school went by without incident – no more pepper bombs, nothing in my locker (okay, I don’t know about this for sure, I didn’t go back to it), no more having to kiss girls to get them away from me, nothing. It was like I didn’t exist as I went from class to class and then to boxing.
Maybe limbo was exactly where I was going to be pl
aced.
Stryker, Brock, and Gunner were absent most of the day until boxing where they would do what they wanted. All three of them did the cardio without effort or complaint. They lifted after practice since they weren’t around for class.
Maybe it was their absence which made things more bearable.
Maybe it was their absence that set me on edge.
Each day I drove Sara to school and she found her way to my house after. Her spirits were up and she seemed more optimistic about what she was doing. I wanted her to move in with us and just go to Jameson, namely so I wouldn’t be alone, but I wouldn’t do that to her. She’d have to figure out what she was doing with her parents before we could do anything permanent.
Thursday rolled around and I cautiously accepted another day of classes where the Jamesons weren’t staring broodily at me as a win. Maybe they had changed their minds about something. I wasn’t sure what that could be. An education?
It was egotistical of me to think I had anything to do with their decision, especially when a few other kids were gone consistently as well and the teachers didn’t even mark them as absent.
I know this, because I checked the attendance rolls.
Something wasn’t making sense and I hated not knowing what it was.
I made it to boxing practice without yet another incident and that left me in a good mood. I didn’t smile at anyone or even speak, but I felt good and I was ready to punch on something. Hopefully, we had something more to do than run drills.
I sat on the weight bench, waiting for class to end and practice to start, rolling my head back and forth in a neck stretch. I’d lifted hard enough that my muscles were going to tighten up, if I didn’t stretch them while they were warm. The gym smelled like sweaty boys and I was starting to understand why the girls did yoga on the other side of the large room. They all probably smelled better than the unwashed bodies of the male students.
Her Challengers: A high school bully romance (Bad Boys of Jameson High Book 1) Page 14