Chapter 12: Anger

It’s an undeniable fact that only one thing travels faster than light, and that’s gossip.

It’s proven by science.

Lily and I entered the Common Room together to go to our lockers, and all the chatter immediately stopped. I could feel every eye follow us as we crossed to the room. Her locker was in a different section from mine, so before we parted, I told her to call me if she needed anything.

The chatter immediately started again. Clarissa was by my side before I’d even opened my locker to get my books out.

“I heard you just got into a fight.”

I huffed. “I’d hardly call it a fight. I just told some moron Year Eleven he needed to think before he started throwing insults around.”

“I heard you beat him up just for talking about that slut you walked in here with.”

I slammed the locker shut and said, louder than I really needed to, “Listen, she’s—” The chatter stopped again, and everyone looked in our direction. I closed my eyes and took a breath. “Outside.”

“What? You can’t tell me—”

“You want to hear what I have to say? We talk outside, where no one else can hear. If not, fine by me. Find someone else to help with your Maths homework.”

“Paul!”

“What? You think I don’t know why you and I are friends?”

“If you think the only reason—”

“You mean it isn’t? What do you take me for? I’m not a fucking idiot!”

“Will you let me fin—”

“You coming outside or not?”

She studied me, her eyes flicking left and right across my face, then she shook her head. “No. Not while you’re in this mood. You obviously don’t want to listen to me.”

“That’s right. I don’t,” I growled. “I don’t want to listen to any more gossip, any more badmouthing the innocent or any other bullshit.”

“Innocent? She—”

I held my hand up to stop her. “I said I don’t want to hear it!”

I stormed out of the Common Room and headed for Miss Pattison’s room.

Clarissa didn’t sit next to me in that lesson. Nor did anyone else. Miss Pattison gave me an odd look as she walked around collecting the essays. Her brow furrowed at first, then she raised her eyebrow in question. I simply held out the essay for her to take and stared straight ahead.

Thankfully, I wasn’t called on to read that lesson, so I sat with the book open in front of me and silently stewed. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t following along as someone else read—I’d already read the entire book twice. I had other things on my mind.

I didn’t go to The Vic if I could help it, but since I knew Stevens would show up there at some point, I went after Vicky had left for her shift at The Hall. I ordered a beer and found a table by the entrance. Even though I wasn’t eighteen for another couple of weeks, I’d never had any trouble getting served at The Vic. No one ever did.

I didn’t have to wait long for Stevens. He and a couple of his hangers-on—probably the ones who’d enjoyed his hospitality on Saturday night—showed up just after seven-thirty. I didn’t even give him time to order a drink.

“Stevens,” I called as I got out of my seat. “You and I need to have a conversation.”

He turned around and smirked when he saw me. “Do we? Why the fuck would I want to talk to a no-good little shit like you?”

Damn, I wanted to knock that smirk off his stupid face.

“I know about Saturday night,” I said through gritted teeth.

“What about it?”

“Lily told me all about it.”

“Who?”

“Lily!” I could feel the anger boiling up in my throat, and I swallowed the urge to shout. “Lily Williams. The girl you near-as-makes-no-difference raped.”

“Hey!” He pointed his finger at me. “She chose to come with me. I didn’t force her to do nothing.”

I looked around the room. A few of the faces closest were starting to take an interest. “Let’s do this outside.”