The Arrangement Anthology 1(223)
“You didn’t have to hit me!”
“How did you afford me? You’re a leech.” And this is the part that scares me. Naked Guy is broke. He bums stuff off his friends and lovers. He borrows money from Amber all the time, and helps himself to our food. He’d be wearing her clothes if they fit him.
He shrugs as his eyes dart to the side, following the movement of the frying pan as I tuck it under my arm. “I’m not totally broke, and I wanted to give you the chance to let it sink in before next weekend. I was being nice, Avery. But this Saturday, I won’t be.”
“What?” My voice barely comes out.
“I booked you, babe.” He presses his finger to the tip of my nose and grins. “I told Miss Black that I wanted the kinkiest girl she has. Imagine my surprise when she showed me your picture. So, get ready for some serious fucking.” He leans in and adds, “Because there are a few things that Amber won’t do, and I’m so glad to hear that you’ll do anything for the right price.”
As he speaks, every muscle in my body tenses. My brain is telling my arm to swing the pan into his skull, even as I’m shaking. I don’t know if it’s fury, disgust, or betrayal, but I do it—I swing. The arm holding the pan flies up from my side and before Naked Guy can blink it connects with his shoulder. He’s too tall. I missed.
His eyes narrow into thin slits after he bites back a scream. Advancing quickly, he rips the pan out of my hand and tosses it onto Amber’s bed before taking my wrist and bending it behind my back. I fall to my knees as tears form in my eyes. Naked Guy pulls my arm in a direction that it doesn’t want to go. I open my mouth to scream, but he covers it with his big hand. Leaning in close to my ear, he whispers, “You’re going to pay for that.” Yanking my arm hard, Naked Guy pushes me forward, releasing my arm as I let out a yelp and fall into the rug.
CHAPTER 8
When he turns around, something changes. I’m still doubled over, breathing hard, when I glance up and see Amber standing in front of Mel.
“Where the fuck is Ferro?” Mel says, rushing into the room. I tried to tell her I was back, but she wasn’t in her room. Then the stench hit me and I forgot to text her. A knife appears in Mel’s hand and she lunges at Naked Guy. “Get your filthy ass outa here right now!”
Naked Guy laughs at first, like she’s kidding, and then turns on his heel and runs. He’s out the door before Mel can stab him.
While Mel chases him down the hall, Amber walks over to help me off the floor. Placing her hand under my arm, she lifts me up onto my bed. “Are you okay?” I nod, not wanting to speak. My arm is aching and my head feels like it’s going to split open.
How much did she hear? I want to bury my face in my pillows and cry. Or scream. How did he find Black? My mind is thinking in fragmented pieces. Nothing is stringing together. A high pitched shriek echoes from the quad below. I press my fingers to my temples and ask, “Did she stab him?” I hope not. That’ll totally mess up everything she’s been trying to fix.
Amber moves to the window and looks out. “No, Mel has him pinned to the ground, face-first, and is making him eat dirt.” She laughs lightly. “You should come see.” I walk over and look at the spectacle below. Mel has his face to the ground and is force-feeding him the lawn. The crowd watching is getting bigger, but Mel knows not to stay long enough for a teacher to walk over. She pushes up fast, kicks him in the side, and hurls a clump of grass at his head. Amber doesn’t look at me. Instead she stares out the window at her boyfriend. “I didn’t know he was like that, with you. I mean, I knew he slept around, but—”
“We didn’t have sex,” I blurt out. “I thought he was someone else or I wouldn’t have sent him those messages. They were for this other guy.” I take a deep breath and push my hair out of my face.
Amber doesn’t lift her eyes from the window sill. “I’m sorry. I was the one who put the video online. I won’t post any of the others.” I nod, and don’t look at her. For some reason, I’m not mad. I’m not really sure why. “So, it was a wrong number?” She sounds hopeful, like after what she just saw could be explained away.
“No, he knew it was me, Amber. And he would have broken my arm if you didn’t walk in right then.”
She nods, like she knows. “He has a temper.”
Mel walks into the room and swats the dirt off her hands. There’s a thin sheen of sweat on her face. “Where the fuck is Ferro? I thought you were with him and that’s why I didn’t need to be keeping an eye out for you. I’m gonna rip that boy a new—”