Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz [40]
He ignored me, still dribbling the orange ball.
“Anthony Caruso!” I yelled.
Startled, he stepped forward and lost his handle on the ball. It sputtered on the floor, then rolled away. Anthony straightened up, turned around and faced me.
“What do you want?”
Justice? Was that a good answer?
“I want you to tell the truth about my cousin,” I said, my voice loud but calm.
“And just who the hell is your cousin?” Anthony snapped. He wasn’t so calm.
“Ashley? The girl you’re lying about? Saying you slept with? Does it ring a bell?” I shouted back. There went my calm. A small, interested crowd of about ten people started to form.
He laughed and adjusted his shirt. “Sure, I’ll say that.” He leaned in and, loudly enough so everyone could hear, sneered, “It’s not like I’m proud of it. She wasn’t any good.”
Anthony laughed—an evil little cackle that seemed to spread across my skin like flames—and spun away from me to return to his game.
“Don’t you dare turn away from me, you liar,” I screamed at his back, my face feeling hot. “Or do you only harass freshmen and girls a foot and a half shorter than you? Because that makes you a real man, right?”
I heard snickers coming from the guys gathered around us, and Anthony turned back to face me.
“You wouldn’t know what a real man is, but your cousin sure does,” he said, grinning menacingly. “Let me know if she wants another go.”
Henry’s face appeared in front of me. They were so alike—they only preyed on those who were weaker, smaller, powerless, those with no one to stand up for them. Not this time.
“You’re lying!” I yelled, my hands clenched into fists. “She rejected you, and you know it. But tell me another story, Mother Goose. You seem full of fairy tales.”
Anthony glared at me, stepping closer. I only came up to his chest, but I stared straight up, meeting his cold blue eyes. He was just a few inches from me.
“Who do you think you are, you little freak?” He shoved me, both hands hitting my shoulders hard. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. I stumbled when he made contact, losing my footing and almost falling backward. I took a few steps and maintained my balance, staring back at the monster.
“You need to watch your mouth, little girl,” Anthony snarled, his voice low and menacing as he crouched low in front of me, meeting my eyes. “You won’t like what happens to you.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I snapped. “Tell the truth about my cousin. Admit that you didn’t sleep with Ashley.”
His eyes narrowed, and I knew he was going to shove me again. I expected it this time. Like I had with Henry so many times before, I jumped back before he could make contact. He stumbled forward, and I heard the guys in the crowd laugh and jeer at Anthony, getting shown up by a girl. I didn’t think this was a good thing—with his ego, it would only make him madder, I assumed. I hadn’t been looking for a brawl in the schoolyard; all I wanted was for him to admit the truth about my cousin. I realized too late that I should have approached this with some kind of strategy.
I warily glanced at the growing crowd to see who was watching. Oh, everyone. Past them, I saw Brendan pushing open the main doors to the quad. He had his headphones on and was looking down at his cell phone, completely oblivious to the spectacle before him.
Anthony had regained his footing and was advancing, his hulking form filling most of my view. I whirled my head around for an exit strategy and spied the nearest door. If things get really ugly, I can just make a run for it.
“If I slept with your skanky cousin that’s none of your business, Emma,” Anthony yelled in my face. I was surprised that he remembered my name. “What’s your problem, huh? You want a piece? Sorry, you’re not my type.”
“Right, ’cause I’m not afraid of you, remember?” I glared back.
I heard someone yell at Anthony to calm down.
“Back off, man, she’s a girl,” Frank called timidly. He had a black eye and bruised nose from his last encounter with Anthony. But the monster just ignored him.
“You’re going to regret this,