Chloe wrung her hands in her lap. “Yeah, me either.”
* * *
“Did that just happen?” Nero heard Leo ask.
“Fuck this school. Why do we even go here?” Amo added.
Vincent looked at Nero. “That was the most fucked-up thing I have ever seen. Something needs to be done about that.”
Nero was trying to calm himself. Yeah, by thinking of a thousand ways to murder that old-ass bitch. He would deal with that later.
Ho took a deep breath. “Vincent, I need you to do me a favor.”
Vincent smiled. “Strangle the life out of her?”
That sounded nice. “Maybe later. I need you to go buy Elle another lunch, and don’t get the chicken sandwich. I know they didn’t want that shit.” Nero stopped and looked back at their table. “Get them both new lunches.”
Vincent sounded surprised. “Why me?”
“Because Elle won’t take it from me, and she will think I paid if Leo gave it to her.” Nero paused, not wanting the next words to come out of his mouth. “And for some reason, she likes you the most between us.”
Vincent looked over at the lunch lady who had thrown Elle’s tray away. “I’ll be happy to.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Five Stages of Heartbreak
Elle picked her head up from the table as she felt something being set on top of the wood.
“What is this?” Elle looked at the tray being set before her filled with chicken strips, mashed potatoes, and corn. She also saw Vincent set a tray in front of Chloe, as well.
“Lunch.” Vincent then set down a water bottle in front of her.
Elle pushed the tray toward him. “Take it back.”
Vincent let out a breath and pulled a seat underneath him as he sat down. “Listen, sweetheart, I know you don’t want to take it because of what happened with you and Ne—”
“This has nothing to do with that. I don’t want it,” Elle retorted as she pushed the tray closer to him.
Vincent put his hand on the tray and pushed it back to her. He looked straight at her as he spoke. “It has everything to do with that, but what you need to understand is I care about you, too. So, you’re going to fucking eat it and enjoy it. And I will be walking you both to class until you and Nero figure this shit out,” Vincent turned to look at Chloe, “because I’m sick of watching you walk behind Elle. Walk fucking beside her.”
Elle watched Chloe’s eyes grow big. Elle attempted to protest, but Vincent was a little too crazy to tell no. She did like Vincent and could handle him being around her. But there is nothing to work out between me and Nero.
When Vincent was satisfied, he took Chloe’s old plate from the middle of the table and threw it in the trashcan closest to the lunch lady as he stared her down.
“Oh, my God. I think he may need to be admitted,” Chloe whispered.
Elle’s eyes went back to Chloe. “He is a psychopath, for sure, but he is the nicest one out of the three.”
“Sorry, Elle, but he isn’t. Nero is.” Chloe stated it like it was a fact.
Elle opened her mouth. “No, he isn’t!”
Chloe picked up a chicken strip and took a bite. “He is, too. You’re just in the denial stage.”
Elle reluctantly picked up her own strip, thinking it looked too tasty, and took a bite. “The denial stage?”
“Yeah. The five stages of heartbreak.”
Elle rolled her eyes at her best friend. There’s no such thing.
She and Chloe had a good lunch, regardless of what had happened. When it was time to head to class, Vincent came back over to walk them. One look at Vincent’s face and she let him; bringing Hannibal Lecter out wasn’t on her to-do list for the day.
Vincent walked beside Elle and Elle walked beside Chloe. She had to admit it was pretty weird because Vincent had walked behind Chloe before while Nero used to walk beside her. She turned her head and saw Nero and Amo walking a few feet back. Ugh!
Elle was going to have to get over that because, unfortunately, they could walk wherever they pleased.
Turning her head back around, Cassandra appeared before her. Elle came to an immediate stop. Oh, shit.
Elle had seen she was back at English class and wasn’t eager to see what she would do to her for getting her suspended.
“Long time, no see, waitress,” Cassandra’s high-pitched voice rang in her ears.
Vincent slung his arm around Elle’s shoulders. “I figured you would have found out that Nero told everyone not to call Elle that anymore. I guess no one gives a shit about you when you’re gone.”
Cassandra’s mouth gaped open then quickly shut as she took a step forward. “I heard. I just didn’t believe it. I missed four days of school—thanks to you—and you somehow think you’re the queen?” Cassandra looked Elle up and down, laughing hysterically. “You’re wearing the sweater my mom tossed into the Goodwill bin last month. You’re a trashy, little waitress, and that’s all you’ll ever be.”
As Elle looked at the deranged face on Cassandra as she laughed, she wanted to run and get the stupid sweater off her body.
“And you’re just a slutty, little whore who is jealous that your tits weren’t able to fill the sweater out.” Vincent laughed in her face. “I thought it looked familiar, but I guess I’m only used to seeing you without clothes and on your knees.”
Elle couldn’t believe her ears and was shocked beyond belief while Cassandra looked like she had just been punched in the face.
Vincent pulled Elle to move along as he threw his final blow. “Come on, Elle. Don’t worry; no one will recognize the slut’s sweater on you. We’re all used to seeing her naked and swallowing.”
Elle moved with Vincent, still stunned. She looked at Chloe, shaking her head and wondering if it was real, too.
“I think that might have been a little harsh.” Cassandra had never been treated like that in her life. She despised Cassandra, but Elle didn’t wish her own life upon her.