Badass in Disguise

my breakfast, acting as th

g. The girl whose salad had decorated her head minutes earlier stood with a frie

y had me cornere

, her mascara still smudged from her earlier humili

ed. "We're going to make sure everyone remembers what

, telegraphing their intentions clearly. They planned to douse me with milk,

red in milk, pig," Salad Girl sna

yes lit up at what they perceived as vulnerability. As they lunged forward with their milk ca

multaneously, applying just enough force to redirect

nto their carefully styled hair and designer clothes. The liquid

the uneven pavement, sending her tumbling into her friend. They bo

d a corner. She'd been watching, probably hoping to see me humiliate

t. Ashley Williams stood frozen by the lockers. The so-called queen bee of Clo

color as I walked

she demanded, voic

inches from her face, back

whispered, her trembling

down cartel lords and government assassins. This

Instead of hitting her, I slammed my knuckles into the lo

d on the perfect impression m

nce." I stepped back, givin

regained her composure. "Jade Morgan," s

y, her threats as meaning

ad

urriedly down the hallway, co

h from his effort to reach me. "I heard some gi

red him. "Nothing

I can see that." A small, uncertain smile

stopped putting

yourself before. You always sai

y aware of how foreign these words would sound coming f

onfusion and admiration. "Well, wh

n the hall. Orion and one of his friends were a

dly enough for us to hear. "The fatso

with him for years. Looking at him now, I couldn't understand why. He was decent-looking at best-symmetrical features, athlet

red, his earlier con

d, stepping closer. "Couldn't hear you

n my chest. Before I co

ing him against the hallway railing. His back arched over the metal bar, his ey

rion shouted, s

s way. "Shut up. This

ion's face was

er," I said to the guy

ying to maintain his tough guy

'cripple' or 'gimpy' or any other pathetic insult come out of your mouth again,

hered now, students w

ologize to

gone pale. "I'm..

nsisted, applying just

ad yelped. "I won't

he stumbled away,

ersing the crowd of onlookers. Max

," he said quietly as we wa

, I

d after a moment. "I thought

ever had feelin

with him since freshman year. You have a whole

er embarrassing fixation. "People change.