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Scout
It’s becoming harder and harder to avoid Lev Fucking Fox. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if this is what it feels like to have an actual stalker. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t have binged the entire season two of You on Netflix in one weekend.
I stare down at the note left in my locker.
You’ve been a bad, bad girl.
Bad girls need to be punished.
I can’t wait.
Oh, I am so going to murder Lev. If anyone but me had found this note, if I’d been with Nav while I read it, our dirty little secret would be out. He’s just lucky I found it while stopping by my locker during class.
Footsteps echo through the hallway, but when I look, there’s no one there. I crumple up the note, shove it to the very depths of my locker past bottles of perfume, my makeup kit and my spare poms for cheer, and check my makeup is still on point in the mirror taped to my locker door. I’m just smoothing out my chocolate locks when I notice Justin standing behind me.
“Jesus, Justin. Creeper much?” I slam my locker closed and turn to face him. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Hey, Scout.” A slow smile tips the corners of his mouth. It isn’t friendly; it’s predatory. “Where’s Navrin?”
“Class, probably,” I state, matter-of-factly. If I were anyone else, I’d back away. But I’m not anyone else.
“Why are you here?”
“I have a free.”
“No. I mean why are you talking to me?”
He arches his brow, as if he’s surprised that I don’t talk to desperate losers. He frowns and slides his hands in his pockets. “Just wondering if The Royals were planning on showing at my party after the game.”
I smile snidely and decide the only way to shake this loser is by heading back to geometry. “We have plans.”
“You and Lev?”
I stop and glare at him. “No, me and Navrin. You remember him? My quarterback boyfriend with the golden arm who—teammate or not—will totally kick your ass for so much as looking in my direction?”
His eyes narrow, and swirl with anger as his cheeks turn pink. “You know, you don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?” I feign a sympathetic smile. “Newsflash, asshole. A bitch is all I am, and all I’ll ever be to losers like you.”
I turn on my heel and stalk toward class.
“You know, Scout, one day you’re gonna regret the way you treat everyone who isn’t a Royal. You all are. And I, for one, can’t wait to see you fall.”
I roll my eyes and push into the classroom. There really should be a limit on how much losers are allowed to say to you.