FIVE YEARS LATER
“Get on your knees and lick my shoes, freak,” Juliet Croft hissed at me, her dark eyes filled with malice.
“Juliet, I’m sorry—’
She let out a cackle, drawing more attention to us in the school cafeteria. Juliet was the school’s mean queen. She had it all and still thrived to make my life a living hell. Being cheer captain and Miss Popularity wasn’t enough apparently because there I was standing in the middle of the cafeteria with her demanding I lick her shoes like I was some kind of animal.
“Bitch, did you not hear what I said?” Juliet’s ugly glare hardened, her red lips twisted into a deep sneer that made me shake where I stood. Her girl group of scavenging pigs all looked at me with smug expressions on their faces.
Lick her shoes or lick the ground. I knew they’d put me to the floor. Either way, I’d be licking something other than my wounds by the time this encounter was over. They’d made it their life’s missions to screw with me.
My only ally was my best friend Jamie. Mr. Batess held her after chemistry class because of a low test score. We traveled everywhere together, knowing full well what being alone in our high school meant, at least for me. This, however, was a fight I’d have to battle on my own.
The snickers and quiet laughter from everyone watching the scene unfold had my stomach twisted in painful knots. My palms were sweating. Each breath ripped harshly from my chest.
I had to get out of this nightmare.
“I-I didn’t mean to bump into you,” I started, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It was an accident.”
“Accidents aren’t free, honey.” Juliet took a step closer to me, flipping her nest of blonde hair over her slender shoulder. I held my ground despite my quaking body. “They’re mistakes, and you have to pay for your mistakes. That’s how this works. Now get on your knees and lick the food off my shoes like a good little bitch.”
“Get on the floor like she told you or get put there,” Melissa Thompson, one of her goons, threatened me as she mimicked the same hair flip Juliet had done. Her dark curls fell back across her shoulder.
Juliet’s lips curled up into a wicked grin. She had backup. She knew it. I knew it. Fighting the inevitable was impossible. I was a nobody at Black Falls High.
I dropped to my knees, my face burning with humiliation. The silence in the cafeteria was deafening. My pulse thundered in my ears. Everyone was waiting for my next move.
I let out a whimper of pain as Juliet fisted my ponytail, pulling it so hard I thought she’d pull it straight out of my head. Loose red curls escaped from my hair tie, cascading over my shoulders. She tugged my head back, so I was staring up at her.
“Say you’re sorry for getting food on my shoes.”
“I’m sorry for getting food on your shoes,” I croaked, a tear slipping down my cheek as she yanked my hair harder.
“Now clean up the mess you made.” She released my hair, shoving me aside.
I tumbled over, righting myself before I hit my head. On my hands and knees before her, I silently cursed my existence as a nobody.
Letting go of my dignity because I knew a beating would come if I didn’t, I leaned forward, ready to lick the salad dressing off her perfectly pink pump.
“Enough,” a deep voice boomed out, freezing me in my spot. I knew that voice.
Fox Evans.
Football quarterback. One of the most popular guys in school. Hot as fire. And my former best friend. I’d grown up with Fox. We’d been so close as kids that I thought nothing could tear us apart. Hell, he even promised me nothing would.
He was a liar, and I hated him with every ounce of my being.
We’d grown apart after Fox’s mom died in a car accident when we’d hit middle school. We went from promising forever to one another to him withdrawing from me. He became popular and left me behind. Now I was just a nerd on her knees, ready to the lick the shoes of her tormentor.
“Hey, baby,” Juliet cooed.
Fox’s expensive trainers came into my line of sight as I stared at the floor. In my moment of despair, I’d forgotten Fox was dating Juliet. It was a great way to twist the knife.
“What the hell are you doing?” Fox’s voice was a low growl.
“Having this bitch clean up the mess she made.”
“Have some class, Juliet. This is bullshit and over-the-top, even for you.”
“Baby—’
“Get up,” Fox snapped at me, completely ignoring Juliet.
I wasted no time getting to my feet, hanging my head in shame. Again, the cafeteria was silent. Had any of the teachers been there, I may have been safe for a moment, but no. It was just us students left to our own devices. Evil devices.
“What the hell is the matter with you?”
I thought he was talking to Juliet, so I didn’t answer as I silently prayed for an escape.
“Freakshow, he’s talking to you.” Juliet reached out and gave me a shove.
I stumbled back, catching myself before I tumbled onto the lap of the person sitting behind me.
“I-I said I was sorry,” I started, my voice cracking. I hadn’t intended on looking at Fox, but I locked my gaze on his, my heart banging painfully in my chest. He was so handsome it hurt. Muscular, full lips, dark hair, blue eyes that were so bright they looked like they were peering through my soul. I’d always loved his eyes. I hadn’t looked into them in a long time. Not since we were twelve, and he gave me my first kiss in our tree fort in the woods on his parents’ property. Not since he’d stared me down in his driveway and told me we couldn’t be friends anymore.
Both times had left scars on my heart. This time would be another one I’d learn to move on from.
“You should be,” he snapped, his eyes flashing in anger. I flinched away from him like he’d struck me. “Get the fuck out of here, Rosalie.”
I stared at him dumbfounded. I wasn’t sure if I was surprised over him remembering my name or the fact he was letting me go. Whatever it was, I knew even though our friendship had ended years ago, he was the answer to my prayers in that moment. I wasn’t about to look fate in the eyes and spit.
I ran out of the cafeteria, my tail between my legs, mortified beyond anything I’d ever been before, the deep boom of Fox’s voice as he told everyone to get back to lunch echoing around me.
