Beauty and the Outcast by Lucy Darling
2
Knox
“He swung first.” I shrug. Oz, my guardian, gives me a Are you fucking serious? look.
“I saw the tape. You baited him.” They baited me too. They called me trash. The word always gets to me.
“I defended myself. They're a bunch of douchebags. They need a good ass kicking.”
“That may be true, but it’s not your job. Now get your ass up and get to class while I smooth this shit over.” Fuck me. He’s not mad. He’s disappointed. I hate that I care. Why can’t he be mad like a normal parent?
“Fine.” I stand, coming to my feet. I shot the hell up over the summer. Somehow I’m now an inch taller than him. Not that he’s intimidated by me. I don’t think there is much that scares Oz.
“One day these antics are going to keep you from something you want in life.” Not sure how that will happen when I don’t even know what I want in life. “Don’t bring this up to your mom unless she asks. It will upset her.” He’s right. It will. Then she’ll be all over me asking me about my feelings. I'm not going to tell her.
“Fine,” I say again before I make my way to class. I remind myself I only have one more year left of this place and then I’m fucking out of here. To do what, I don’t know, but anything is better than dealing with these douchebags on a daily basis.
I head to my first class, dropping down in my seat. I pull out my phone, not paying attention to whatever the hell the teacher is saying. For as much as this fancy school costs, some of the teachers aren’t the smartest. They get extra pissed when you correct them too. It can be mildly entertaining.
I coast through most of the day, everyone staying away from me for the most part. That’s the way I prefer it. I can hear the hushed whispers. I’m sure they are talking about what happened this morning.
Ace drops down in the seat across from mine in the lunchroom. I glance around, wondering what the fuck he’s doing.
“Faith is showing the new girl around,” Ace says, answering my unspoken question. Ace is a rash I can’t get rid of to save my life. When I came to live with the Osbornes he was always around. We’ve gotten into a few fist fights over the years.
His cool, calm and collective demeanor always pissed me off. It takes a lot for me to get a rise out of him. The guy might look like the all-American boy, but he can hold his own. I’ve grown to respect him. It doesn’t hurt that he’d do anything in his power to protect my sister.
I pick up another slice of pizza off my plate, taking a bite. “Shelly is eye-fucking you,” he tells me before taking a bite of his apple.
“What’s new?” I ignore it. She’s been trying to get me to stick my dick in her since freshman year. I think half the school has been inside her pussy already.
“Jennifer Mason was talking about you in Calculus.”
“When did you become a gossip girl?”
“Since your sister thinks that if maybe you got a girlfriend you might not be as much of a dick anymore.” I give him a bored look.
Faith is sweet as hell, but for some reason she has a hero complex when it comes to me. She carries around this guilt of me being lost in the system for so long. She thinks it fucked me up. It did, but that wasn't her fault or problem.
“I don’t need some chick trying to lead me around by my dick.” Ace gives me a smug look. Faith can drag him around by anything she wants, and Ace would follow her. I wanted to hate the kid when I first met him, but he wore me down. He’s so good to my sister too. The two of them are going to grow up and do the whole white picket fence shit together.
“Maybe she’s right. You might need to get laid.” He takes another bite of his apple. I fight to not flinch at his off-handed comment. I don’t care to be touched. He knows that. Hell, everyone around me knows that. Why would I want some random chick's hands all over me?
“So that’s why you’re always in a good mood.” Ace’s whole demeanor changes. I know I crossed the line insinuating shit about him and my sister, but I use it as a defense mechanism.
“Your punk wannabe bad boy shit doesn't fly with me, Knox. All you have to say is fucking no, but you bring Faith up to get a rise out of me.”
“It worked.” I smirk right back.
“You’re really itching for a fight today.” He stands from his seat. “Talk about my sex life again, and I’ll beat you with my baseball bat.”
“You better get the drop on me.”
“I will.” He starts to leave. Shit.
“Fuck. Ace,” I call out after him.
He stops walking, turning back to look at me. “I know, Knox. Get your shit together. You have a handful of people that love you in your life, and you’re trying to push them all away.” His words hit way too close to home. I know he’s right, but I can’t seem to help myself.
“You love me, Ace,” I tease him, not letting him try to make this serious.
“Most days, yeah, I do.” With that, he’s off.
I run my hand down my face. How the hell do he and Oz always do that? With a few words they can knock me right on my ass. They see through all my bullshit, and I think that scares me more than anything, thinking that they could truly like the person underneath it all.
I grab my stuff and throw it into the trash before I head out of the lunchroom.
“Hey, Knox!” I hear a female voice call after me. I lift my head to see Shelly chasing after me. “Are you still a dick this year?” She smirks, stepping into my path.
She’s got her skirt rolled way the hell up, and her shirt is unbuttoned all the way down, showing off her tits. Guessing Daddy got her a boob job over the summer.
“You still want my dick?” I toss back at her.
“Fuck you,” she hisses back, taking a step toward me, her face turning red.
“Pretty sure I already said I wasn’t fucking you.” She raises her hand to smack me. I catch it easily and shove it back. “Can’t take no for an answer? You've been hanging out with the football team too much.”
I know a lot of the girls around here only try to snag my attention hoping to piss their daddies off when they bring me home. A few others think I’m a challenge or something. Want to prove that they can be the girl that will lead me around by my dick. I’m an asshole. They’ve all got to have some serious daddy issues if they are trying to crawl on my dick.
I step around her to head to class when a book rams right into my stomach. The smell of cherries and honey wafts around me.
“Can you watch where the hell you’re going?” I grit out as the person falls to the floor and their books go flying. “Or was that your plan, to try to cop a feel of my dick?” I glance down to see long dark hair fanning all around. The girl has her head down. Her hand pauses for a second, registering my words.
“I’m sorry.” The words are so soft I almost don’t hear them. A weird-ass tightening feeling forms in my chest. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it. That’s not the only thing happening though. My cock hardens too. Shit.
“You should be sorry. Stay the fuck out of my way.” She only nods her head before grabbing the last book from the ground. She still won’t look up at me. My irritation grows.
“Knox!” My sister, Faith, shouts my name. I turn to see her coming toward me. She looks pissed, and it’s directed right at me. I know Ace didn’t rat me out. It’s not his style. But she’s mad about something, and I prepare myself for whatever wrath she’s about to bring. It takes a lot to get her mad at me. But once she’s there, she’s a force to be reckoned with.
“What?”
“Don’t be a fucking asshole.” I raise my brows at her choice of words. Okay. She’s more than pissed if she’s cursing. “I didn’t take you as someone who picks on a girl who didn’t even really do anything to you. It was a damn accident. She’s freaking new and doesn't even know her way around here.”
Oh. I turn back to look at the girl that ran into me but she’s long gone. I can see her dark hair trailing behind her before she slips into one of the classrooms.
“That was too far.” Disappointment is written all over my sister’s face. Fuck me.
I’m on a roll today.