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any respect today. A teacher had picked on her because of her association with him. Now Alex’s on-and-off girlfriend was harassing her. Hell, even the school undesirables were too scared to talk to her. Surely, it had to get better … no. She’d made herself too notorious on the first day of school. This would last until graduation.
    Nicky’s scared face peeped out from the crowd. Adrian stared at her in hurt amazement, but what did it matter? Her sister would never go against the majority, and already, it seemed like Alex had made Nicky one of his hangers-on. Somehow that made everything worse.
    She had nothing to lose.
    Adrian turned her face upward. Her smile was one of the sweetest ones she’d used yet, but inside, she was cold. “Why waste your time bitching at me, Mandy? Shouldn’t you practice being on your knees or something?”
    Mandy’s mouth dropped open. She shifted on her feet, clearly rocked. And maybe, just maybe, there was a suspicious shine to her eyes. Well, it wasn’t Adrian’s problem.
    Alex pulled the redhead to his chest. “Feeling cruel today, aren’t we?”
    Adrian let her eyes run over the other girl. “Mm-hmm. We’ll see how long you keep her.”
    Amusement lit up his eyes. “Oh, we’re good, me and Mandy,” he said easily as he patted Mandy’s back. “I forgot to congratulate you earlier. Melbourne hates you more than he hates me. That’s one hell of a job you pulled off. Couldn’t have done better, myself.”
    She jammed her earbud back in and stared at him haughtily. It was an unspoken dismissal, and from the twitch of his mouth, she knew he’d caught on. Was there anything that Alex Montgomery didn’t find funny?
    He led his flunkies away. A few of them were shooting troubled glances over their shoulders at Adrian. They just couldn’t wait to spread more gossip about her, she’d bet. By today’s end, she’d probably be known as the Wicked Bitch of Varner High. It was a prospect that should have dismayed her, except she had a one-hour detention to serve after school. Her boyfriend was currently ignoring her. And her sister had turned traitor.
    It wasn’t much of a hyperbole to say it was the worst Monday ever.

CHAPTER FOUR
    Not for the first time, Adrian thought they were all jackals. Everyone was watching her with a predatory anticipation that only heightened when Mr. Melbourne came out from behind his desk after he’d concluded the attendance roll.
    “Before we plunge into the depths of Dostoevsky, we have a preliminary matter to care of. Ms. Blake, I believe you owe me a ten-page essay,” he said with a beatific smile that clearly suggested he thought she hadn’t done it.
    Adrian pulled it from her binder. “Yes, sir,” she said, keeping her voice low and even. “Here it is.”
    Her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep. She’d gone home after detention and started looking up information right away. She’d even skipped dinner, just so she could write the damned thing. One or two pages she could have lived with. Ten pages about why insubordination wasn’t allowed? It was an abuse of teaching powers, and Mr. Melbourne knew it.
    He didn’t contain his pleasure when he gestured at her to rise from her seat. “Why don’t you read your paper aloud? I think it’ll be enlightening for your classmates.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    There was a podium in front of the whiteboard, so she stood behind it and laid her paper down. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to rest her head on her arms. The words seemed to swim before her eyes, but she’d be damned if she’d show weakness.
    Her gaze skimmed over her fellow classmates. She hadn’t learned all of their names yet, but she recognized faces here and there. Bri Latimer had her arms crossed as she slouched in her seat. Next to Bri was her twin brother Justin. He flashed a smile at Adrian, but she wasn’t sure what that smile meant. Was he actually being supportive? No, that couldn’t be. He was Alex’s friend, and that said