In Ruins: A Dark High School Bully Romance (A Black Falls High Novel Book 1)
In Ruins: Chapter 31

The rest of the week passed by quickly. I was still down in the dumps about Ian and Jamie. I hadn’t had much of a chance to talk with her about Ian. She’d been busy spending all her free time with him and still wasn’t returning my calls. But at least I had musical try-outs to look forward to. Yet when I stopped to think about them, even they left me with a knotted ball of anxiety.

As much as I wanted a repeat of my time with Cole and Fox. Or Enzo and Fox, I knew I had to wait until the weekend. Something else which added to the tension rising in me. They’d been busy with football practice since they were playoff bound. Fox was up for some state football award. It was the buzz of the entire school. It would earn him a position on Mayfair’s football team in the fall.

Mayfair. My dream college. The college with the incredible music program. The college Cole had already been accepted to, and Fox would probably end up at with a paid football scholarship. Even Enzo and Ethan had applied there and were awaiting acceptance letters. They wanted to stay together, no matter what.

And then there was me. Sick to my stomach knowing I’d be halfway across the state at Pendleton. Alone.

More anxiety.

But things were going good with the guys. Too good.

“What’s your deal?” Melissa hissed at me as I tied my shoes on the bench in the girls’ locker room on Friday afternoon.

“I don’t have one.” I finished with my shoe and made to stand up, but Juliet shoved me back down.

Tara moved behind me, blocking any escape route I may have had. Juliet had been scarce in recent days, the rumors of her and Fox’s breakup echoing throughout campus. I’d hoped it had taken her down a peg or two. Now as she stood glaring down at me, I knew her absence was only her ramping up to her super form.

“You must have one.” Juliet narrowed her eyes at me. “Everyone’s talking about how you’re the guys’ new queen bee. I imagine it’s easy to get their attention when you’re a fucking slut. It doesn’t matter what they say or do for you. You’ll always be trash. Gleaning from their social status won’t change any of it.”

My cheeks heated at her words but not from embarrassment. Anger coursed through me as I balled my hands into fists. I’d taken so much from her already. While I hadn’t wanted what I had with the guys in the beginning, now I missed them when they weren’t near. Her standing there and making it sound like I was trash made me sick. Fox promised this wouldn’t happen again. He swore it. My day had gone from really bad to terrible.

I moved to push past them, but Tara and Melissa caught me by both arms and slammed me against the lockers, holding me in place. Juliet lifted a brow at me, malice in her eyes.

“Leave me alone,” I growled, struggling against the girls’ hold.

Melissa dug her nails deep into my skin, making me cry out. I stilled since moving was making her claw harder.

“Here’s what I know. You’re not one of us. It doesn’t matter if Cole, Enzo, or Ethan fucked you. It doesn’t even matter if Fox has. You’re just another whore to anyone who matters.” Juliet rifled through her bag and pulled out a black marker.

I licked my lips, worried my worst nightmares were about to come true.

“I know about you, Fox, and Cole. I saw everything. You should be a little more careful about where you’re spreading your legs, Rosebud. Word of advice, sweetie. Fox is mine. And I fight for what’s mine.” Her eyes darkened as she glared down at me. “Just because he’s giving you pity, doesn’t mean he’s the good guy. Why do you think I’m here?”

“What?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“Aw, honey.” She tsked, jutting her bottom lip out. “You didn’t think it was real, did you? Fox sent me today. The game is up, and I get to give you your prize. You’re just one of many they’ve done this to.”

Dread washed over me at her words. No. No, it couldn’t be true.

“Hold her.”

Melissa and Tara tightened their grips on me as I came to life, desperate to flee. We toppled in a pile onto the hard floor, me landing on the bottom and Tara twisting my arm painfully. I gasped as Melissa fisted my hair and tugged my head back.

Juliet kneeled in front of me as tears rolled down my cheeks. She cocked her head, contemplating her next move. Then she leaned in, the marker tip touching my forehead.

I tried to buck out from beneath the girls’ hold, but Tara twisted my arm harder to the point I thought it would break.

Fat, ugly tears rolled from my eyes as Juliet scrawled on my forehead, her words on repeat in my head. Fox sent her. Fox sent her. Fox sent her. No! Why… he wouldn’t… would he?

Sitting back, she smirked in satisfaction.

“It’s so you don’t forget. I’m sure the guys would agree.” She gave a nod to the girls who released me, letting me fall onto my back sobbing. I had no idea what she’d written on my forehead. All I knew was that it had to be bad.

“Stay away from Fox. If I catch you near him again, it’ll be worse. Got it?” She didn’t wait for an answer.

With a cackle, they all left the locker room, leaving me on the floor. I had to get out of there. I climbed to my feet and went to the sink, hoping to scrub it off my face. My heart stuttered as I stared at the word on my forehead in big, ugly, black letters.

Freakshow.

Sobbing, I turned on the faucet and scrubbed furiously at my head, whimpering as it barely faded.

“Shit,” I hissed, scrubbing until my skin was sore and red, the black still bold. “Shit!”

I couldn’t miss classes. I stared at my red, swollen eyes, tears still trickling out. I couldn’t tell anyone about Juliet and her posse. It would only make matters worse. I had to push through. Not that telling anyone would erase the ugly letters on my forehead anyway. And if Fox and the guys did have something to do with this… my guts twisted at the prospect.

I couldn’t let them win. I didn’t want to believe it of them, but Mona’s words still rang in my ears. How this was a game to them. How they didn’t really care. I swallowed down another sob, forcing myself to focus.

Through the mirror, I spotted the lost and found bin. I went to it, sorting through old shirts, shoes, and random odds and ends until I found a black beanie.

“Yes!” I released my hair from its ponytail and let the wild waves cascade around me. Then I tugged the beanie low over my head, hiding the ugly scrawl. I studied myself in the mirror. I had a study hall and a physics lecture left. I could get through it. Then I’d go home for the weekend and lock my doors, ignoring the world.

GETTING through study hall wasn’t hard. Mr. Ballard, the teacher, didn’t care about my beanie. I sat in the back, my head down, working on homework. When the bell rang, I was on my feet, racing out of the room, my head ducked low.

While I didn’t want to see the guys, I at least thought one of them would walk me to class like they’d been doing. But nothing. I never even spotted them in the hall. It only solidified that they’d something to do with Juliet’s attack. My heart ached at the thought.

When I reached my physics class, I sank down in my seat, keeping to the idea if I couldn’t see people, they couldn’t see me.

“Miss Bishop,” Mr. Hines called out. I stiffened in my seat as I stared at him. “Is there a reason you’re in my class with something on your head?”

“Um.” I glanced around, my cheeks heating as all eyes were on me. So much for the no one seeing me concept. “I’m cold?”

“You know the rules. Hats off.”

I stared down at my notebook, knowing exactly what would happen if I took it off.

“Miss Bishop, the hat? Now, please.”

With shaking hands, I pulled the beanie off. Snickers shot out around me as people saw what was scrawled on my forehead.

“Freakshow!” Cameron Deacons, one of the guys on the football team, cackled loudly, setting off peals of outright laughter from the other students. Mr. Hines stood, staring stupidly at me, his mouth agape at a loss for words.

“Juliet was right. Now Freakshow is even advertising!” Jenna Elkins, one of the cheerleaders, snorted, pointing at me to more raucous laughter.

I didn’t bother grabbing my books. I raced from the room like a streak of lightning, wanting to get the hell away from everything about the place.

“Rosalie?” Fox called out to me. His timing was perfect as he came out of a classroom with a bathroom pass in his hand. I shoved him away and raced down the hall as fast as my feet would take me. “Rosalie!”

Sunshine blanketed my face as I slammed open the door. I let out a sob as I got into my car and flew out of the parking lot. I pulled into my driveway in record time.

My parents weren’t home, having left again for another of my dad’s trips. When I got inside, I ran straight to my room and threw myself into bed, squeezing my eyes closed and counting, the only thing I could think to do to try to calm myself. Eventually, it led to me finally falling asleep.

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