Tear

One had a tattoo that covered most of his head. His neck was the size of my thigh, and I immediately decided that if I wanted someone killed, this is the dude I would hire for the job.

The other was a little shorter but by no means smaller. If anything his size was more intimidating. His arms protruded from his body as if his muscles were too big to be kept down. His eyes were a steely gray. A black goatee lined his mouth and chin.

They were both in jeans and black T-shirts.

“Security?” I asked, lamely hoping my voice didn’t sound as freaked out as I really was.

They both gave curt nods.

Demetri was busy texting. I nudged him.

“Sorry, guys, didn’t see you.”

Didn’t see them? NASA could see them! I rolled my eyes in annoyance as Demetri finally put his phone away and gave us his full attention.

“Bob.” He motioned to the guy with the tattoo on his head. Somehow the name Bob seemed out of place, call me crazy. “You’re going to shadow Nat for the remainder of the school year.”

The man nodded.

I felt sick.

“Why am I getting shadowed?” I pleaded.

“Because.” Demetri reached into his back pocket revealing his phone. He flipped through something then held it out to me. I took it in my hands and gasped nearly dropping the thing onto the ground.

The headline read, “Local Girl Bags AD2!”

My hands shook as I scrolled through the incriminating photos. The first one was of me and Demetri holding hands at dinner and kissing outside. It didn’t look so bad, but paired with the picture of Alec on my doorstep leaning in toward my face…

I really did look like a whore.

How they were able to make that picture look like more than it was, irritated and hurt me. Is this why Alec was so mad?

With fury I slammed the phone back into Demetri’s hand. He sighed. “Nat, it’s going to be fine. Even if it means I need to run through the streets screaming and drunk so they don’t focus on you.”

“Wouldn’t you do that normally?” I asked, not sure why I was joking with him after seeing my whole life crumble before me.

“Hilarious.” Demetri rolled his eyes. “Now, Bob has been instructed to keep tabs on you all day, especially when I can’t, oh and here…” He pulled out a sleek iPhone 5. “You’ll need this.”

“I have a phone.”

“You have a dinosaur. Take the phone, Nat.”

“Since when are PDA’s dinosaurs?”

“I thought you had computers here?” Demetri looked genuinely confused. “People don’t use crap PDAs anymore, not when they can have an iPhone. Don’t be mad, but I programmed some numbers in there in case of emergencies. You’ll have to add the ones you need too, and you’ll also have to text the friends you trust and give them your new number.”

I took the phone and nodded. It felt heavy in my hand as if I was taking some sort of bribe money from someone. But I knew they were just doing this to protect me.

I walked to class. Nobody talked to me. Crap, they didn’t even look at me. I blamed Bob.

I told him so, too.

He smiled, which actually gave me hope that he wouldn’t kill me when the brothers weren’t watching.

By the time the lunch bell rang, I was ready to scream. I walked into the bathroom. A girl nudged me and mumbled bitch under her breath. Naturally, Bob went into the bathroom with me, which helped considering he glared at the girl and gave me a look that said, “I’ll kill her if you want. Just say the word.” I shook my head, and once the bathroom was “clear,” whatever that meant, I was able to be left in peace. Great, as if high school wasn’t bad enough, now security had to check the stalls for crazy people.

I stood in line for a salad.

“So, life sucks?” Evan said next to me.

I shook my head. “Only today.”

“I’m sorry, Nat. If it makes you feel better. I don’t believe everything I see on TV, and even if I did, I’m most likely the type that would give you a fist pump or high five for managing to bag two of the biggest rock stars on the planet.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled. “I think.”

“It was a compliment.” Evan laughed and reached for an apple. “So, how long until you decide to homeschool?”

“Not funny.” I nudged him and pushed my tray forward. The lunch lady gave me a tiny bit of salad, enough to feed a small bunny, and put a carrot on top.

“Yum,” Evan whispered next to me.

I giggled again. I had forgotten how much Evan was able to cheer me up when I was feeling slightly emotional and irrational.

“How goes Hell day?” Demetri asked behind me.

Evan answered for me. “A girl called her a bitch behind her back, another called her a whore, and I could have sworn someone just pushed her.”

“Thanks, Evan.” I saluted him and rolled my eyes.

“He’s being dramatic.”

Evan lifted his eyebrows. “Me, dramatic?”

“See?” I pointed at him and gave Demetri a reassuring smile.

He didn’t smile back. If anything his scowl ran deeper. “Who do they think they are? They can’t treat you like that! You’re my girlfriend!”

“Yeah, I don’t think they really care.” I picked up my tray, balancing it with my water bottle. “And to answer your question, they’re high schoolers. Imagine Hollywood only the drugs are cheaper, the women are looser, the men are hornier, and everyone’s hormones are spiked like they’re high on ecstasy.”