Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
There are really only two people in this school who have bothered me since I got here. Otherwise, I’ve managed to fade into the background. That’s why I know exactly who I’m going to see when I look around to find the source of that voice and the snide, derisive laughter in it.
It’s like seeing double. Lucky me. The twins are currently standing in my way, not quite blocking the path, but not stepping aside to let me pass, either. Because why come straight out and admit they want to make me miserable? Why not drag it out like this?
“Are they real?” The long-haired one points to my necklace like he’s never seen one before. “The only pearl necklace I’m used to is the kind I leave behind, if you get what I mean.”
Charming. He’s not even original. Coming to a stop in front of them, my gaze bounces back and forth as I wait for one of them to do the decent thing and step aside so I can get past. “Excuse me,” I grit out, lifting my gaze to glare at one of them, then the other when it’s clear neither of them has any intention of getting out of the way.
The short-haired twin shrugs. “Sure. What do you need to be excused for?” Oh, boy, we are really hitting all the clichés, aren’t we? I feel like I’m back in grade school.
“Don’t you have anything better to do? Move,” I grunt when it’s clear neither of them has any intention of giving this up. There’s a prickling sensation along the back of my neck—people are watching, because of course they are. Apparently, nobody has anything better to do than pay attention to somebody getting humiliated for no reason.
These jerks. These arrogant, thoughtless creeps. They don’t have the first clue what it’s like to really have problems. If they were in my shoes, they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves and would probably ask the oncologist if he knows exactly who he’s speaking to. I can just imagine them being that full of themselves.
“Why should we do what you say?” The longer-haired twin glances toward the other. “Right, Preston? It seems to me we were pretty decent and chill when we first ran into pearls over here.”
“Good point, Easton,” the other twin mutters, sneering as he looks me up and down. Easton and Preston. I’m sure their parents thought they were being very clever when they named their sons. What a shame the boys couldn’t absorb any of that cleverness.
“Oh, that was your idea of being decent and chill? Beating somebody senseless, two against one? Wow,” I conclude, shaking my head, my voice louder now that a small crowd has started to form. I swear, people around here need some better entertainment options. “Remind me not to be around when you’re being a couple of violent bullies, then.”
“We’d remind you, but you would probably ignore that, too,” Easton mutters, elbowing his brother. Like he needs to be told when something is funny. Makes me wonder if either of them has ever had an original thought of their own.
“The next time I have a fight I know I can’t win fair and square, I will call you two,” I retort. “Since I know neither of you is brave enough to fight on your own—or maybe you’re just not strong enough. Is that it?”
Oh, no. I mean, sure, it feels great to watch their faces fall as the laughter erupts all around us. I didn’t even have to try that hard to insult them. It’s actually pretty sad.
On the other hand? What was once arrogance turns into something else. Something that makes their eyes narrow and their jaws tighten.
“So that’s how you want to be, pearls?” Easton brushes his hair back with his fingers, chuckling darkly. “That’s just fine. We’ll play it your way.”
“My name is Emma,” I grunt. “And that’s a lame nickname, anyway. Am I supposed to be insulted? Is that the worst you can come up with?”
And then they both smile, and I really, really wish I hadn’t asked. “Oh, not even close,” Easton assures me. “But you’ll see for yourself very soon, pearls. Wait and see.”
On the surface, I do everything I can to show them how disinterested I am, right down to rolling my eyes before shoving my way in between them. It takes almost all the strength I have left—now that the showdown is over, my body is trembling, and it takes every ounce of willpower to put one foot in front of the other. Maybe I shouldn’t have come to school today, after all.
Because I’ve only made life worse for myself by kicking the hornets’ nest.
5
EASTON
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
Like it’s not bad enough, we have to volunteer at the hospital. Like there aren’t a hundred other things I could be doing right now, things I actually want to do. No, I have to pretend I’m not sickened by the pile of bedpans waiting for me.