16I Math

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"You have the math homework?" Amara asked, setting her bag down next to me as we waited for our other friends.

"Yep. It was tough but I got Luca to help me," I grinned.

"He's your middle brother, right?" Amara asked, once again shocking me at just how much the students at this school knew about my family.

"I'm just gonna ignore how stalkerish that sounds," I smirked.

"Hey! If anyone's the stalker it's Clar-"

Before Amara could finish snitching on her friend, a sudden voice from behind us caused me to jump.

"You're in my class, right?" a gruff voice asked, making me immediately twist around as I flinched on instinct. In front of me stood a boy who I recognised from math. He looked like your typical jock, his ginger hair quiffed to the side and wearing an Adidas jacket and joggers.

"Oh um, yeah," I stuttered, unsure of where this conversation was leading.

"Good. You're smart. You done the homework?"

Oh shoot. Please tell me this wasn't going where I thought it was going. I really didn't want to share my answers, especially considering how much effort I put into it and how it would also make me feel guilty for selling Luca's work off.

I knew I could have just lied, but then he would have discovered I had done so in class, and I was scared of the consequences. The bullies in my old school had taught me a lot.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Good. Give it," he growled, genuinely scaring me despite being the same age as me.

On one hand, I could have given him my homework and let it stay on my conscience forever, or I could not have given him the answers and potentially been beaten up.

Option one sounded best.

"OK," I sighed. "Do you have your sheet with you?"

"Why should I?" the dude spat. "Just give me yours."

"Hold up," Amara said, just as what he was seeing properly registered in my mind. "That's not fair. Then Gabs will get in trouble."

"So? I don't give a fuck. Just give it to me," the boy growled.

I quickly scanned the cafeteria, seeing if my brothers were there and would have been able to help me, only to be met with two empty seats where they usually sat. Goddammit.

"I'm not going to-" a harsh slap across the cheek cut me off, immediately causing my hand to fly up to my face as I let out a yelp from the sudden stinging pain.

Our table was in the corner of the cafeteria, and so far the exchange between us and the jock had gone unnoticed, due to how everyone was more focused on their own thing.

"Hey!" Amara exclaimed angrily, although the boy just ignored her.

"Give it," he growled.

Despite being so used to pain after being abused for a year, I wasn't exactly immune to it. A slap still hurt me, especially one which was so sudden and hard. That was why I kept my hand to my cheek, which was still throbbing and burning, making me wince.

"OK," I sighed, knowing I didn't really have any other option.

"Good girl."

REUNITED

We had a supply. Luckily. It meant that she was unlikely to even know that we had homework due today.

"Can everyone get their homework out so you can give it to me after class," the teacher instructed, her face set in a serious expression.

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