Dark Angel

Chapter 10

I really don’t feel like going to school today, especially because my ribs still hurt from being pushed last night. But, because there’s no way I can get my mom to let me stay home without telling her everything that happened last night, I find a comfortable shirt and jeans and throw them on carefully so I don’t hurt my bruises. Then I use my wonderful opaque cover-up to hide my bruises and cuts. After I’m done doing my makeup and my hair is straightened with an adorable headband in it, I brush my teeth and go downstairs to get some breakfast.

Just as I’m spreading some nutella on a piece of toast, my mom lets Hunter in through the front door. I turn to him and smile down the hall while he comes to the kitchen and kisses me on the cheek. A little bit of the cover-up is still wet and comes off on his lips, but not enough to reveal my bruise. He wipes it off and takes me into his arms.

“Morning, Devin,” he says. I smile and kiss him on the lips. My pink lip gloss makes his lips shine, but he still smiles and wipes it off.

“Morning to you, too. Want some nutella?” I offer. Hunter nods his head and I tear a small piece of my toast off and hand it to him. We sit down at my kitchen table as I eat my piece of toast and sip the coffee I made. I’m not going to lie, I’m probably as addicted to coffee as Jase is to energy drinks, so that means a lot. I buy it in the library during study hall to sip while I work every chance I get.

“So, you know Hallie Ryser?” Hunter asks me. I nod my head and subtly gesture with my eyes towards my mom to indicate that she shouldn’t make mention to anything happening at school or in our relationship. I don’t need her knowing anything.

“Yeah, what about her?” I reply. Hunter glances at my mom.

“I heard she twisted her ankle at practice again last night,” Hunter says to me. We created that code awhile ago to say that Hunter knows something about Hallie Ryser. My mom just thinks that Hallie is a clumsy bitch that needs to be more careful at cheerleading. It works well.

“Really? Wow, I wonder when that girl will just give up on cheerleading.” I finish my coffee and pick up my books.

“Well, time to get going. I’ll see you later, mom!”

Hunter and I leave my house and get into his car. As we pull out of the driveway we’re silent, and I miss riding to school with Jase. Riding to school always meant blasting music loud enough to wake up the Chinese halfway around the world, talking about everything, and laughing our asses off. Riding to school with Hunter means watching what I say and listening to music, but not loud enough to deafen ourselves. Oh, well.

“So, what do you know about Hallie, since she apparently twisted her ankle again?” I question. Hunter shakes his head.

“Just that she’s trying to bring the bra stuffer rumor back to life. I’m pretty sure with the stoner slut thing, people aren’t going to believe that because otherwise it would’ve surfaced at the same time.”

“Trust me, people aren’t smart enough to piece that together. Whatever. Maybe I’ll just have to streak and prove Hallie wrong,” I say jokingly.

“You know that will only give more reason for people to believe the stoner slut thing.”

“I know. I was kidding.”

Hunter sighs and I’m sure he didn’t find the joke funny. Whatever. If he doesn’t like my humor he can get over it. He’s the one who decided he liked me enough to date me.

***

I’m so glad the drug dogs didn’t come by my locker today considering what I’ve found. Right there in the bottom are two joints and a box of condoms that have the words “stoner slut” written on them. Who even put them in here? I can’t imagine who would have my locker combination that would put this stuff in here. Then again, lockers in our school aren’t that difficult to break in to.