Within These Walls

Chapter 19

Sometime after we return to our table, Marcus swaggers over. I notice the red bruises on his knuckles. Since no one has complained today about being knocked around by him, I'm guessing he's been practicing his power on something other than human beings. "I hear you three have been busy bees. You found people like me?"

"Who told you that?" I ask.

"I have ears everywhere. With great power comes some pretty great perks."

Willow snorts, holding in a laugh. "I don't think that's how it goes."

"Move over," he says to Carson. "I want to have a word with Rose."

"You can talk without needing to sit down," Carson says.

Marcus hesitates like he didn't think he'd encounter defiance. I expect him to grab Carson by the back of his shirt and toss him out of his chair, but he surprises us by grinning. "Well, look at that. Kid's got backbone."

"Err, thanks. I think." Carson slips out of his seat. "Just make it quick."

"You're coming back with me," Marcus says to me. "The group is starting to wonder why you've been avoiding them."

He makes it sound like I was ever friends with any of them. "I'll pass."

"You'll pass?" he asks, lifting his eyebrows.

"I mean, Rudolph is dead," I say in a neutral, non-threatening tone. No reason to antagonize him any further. "We don't need your protection anymore."

The gloating look returns, which means he thinks he's won somehow. "I'm surprised you'd back out of the deal so quickly. Don't you remember how you threw yourself at me and begged for my attention?"

One of the girls sitting on the other side of our table snickers. Heat rises up my neck. Protesting his ridiculous claim will draw more attention to it, so I settle for a glare. "You're annoying me."

He puts his elbows on the tabletop and leans in. "Stop fighting me, and I won't anymore. Problem solved."

"Is this how you solve your problems? By strong-arming people into agreeing with you?"

"Only when they're wrong."

I don't realize I'm close to grinding my teeth until I catch Willow's expression. She seems mystified by what's happening. I wonder if I look as pathetic as I feel, bickering with Marcus like I do want his attention.

"I get it," Marcus says when I don't answer. "You don't want to break up the nerd pack. But your friends will just have to under—"

"Ahhhh!"

I swivel around just as a tall girl leaps at Marcus. She hacks a butter knife at Marcus's neck. He jumps back and almost succeeds in dodging the attack, but the blade cuts through his upper arm. He loses balance and lands on the floor, but she's not done. She throws herself on top of him, stabbing at him while he tries to restrain her arms.

Buzzcut grabs her by the waist and hauls her off Marcus. She fights him like she's possessed. The fingernails of her free hand dig into his forearm, drawing blood. Buzzcut hisses and releases her, but not before a few other guys leap into action and immobilize her.

Marcus is holding his bleeding arm. He looks like he's in pain, but he also looks furious. "You better have a good reason for pulling that blade on me."

The girl is still except for her heaving chest and her wild dark-brown eyes. Her throat moves when she swallows. "People like you. You don't belong here."

"Is it just me or was that super racist?" Carson stage-whispers to Willow.

My muscles tighten when Marcus steps toward her. Rudolph flashes through my head, spurring me into action. "Don't hurt her," I say. "Something is wrong with her."