Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(39)

“What the hell?” Bryn glared after his retreating form.

“Go back to the buffet and get more food,” Ivy said.

It was her food, and she was getting it back. Bryn stalked over to the empty table where he’d taken her tray, pulled out a chair, and slammed it on the tile. The sound echoed through the dining hall.

A muscle in Zavien’s jaw twitched, giving her a strange sense of satisfaction.

He scowled. “That’s very mature.”

She sat, picked up her hamburger, and took a bite.

“You can’t shoot fireballs at everyone who says mean things to you.”

Bryn chewed, swallowed, and pretended she couldn’t hear him.

“You’re lucky the Directorate didn’t kick you out. If they did, your parents would be out of work and homeless.”

Her stomach heaved. She barely kept the hamburger from coming back up. “They can’t do that.”

“Yes. They. Can. The Directorate can do whatever they want. You attacked a Directorate member’s son. Didn’t you think there might be some retaliation?”

“He started it.” And now she sounded like a five-year-old.

“That argument doesn’t work around here. He can do whatever he wants. You need to duck and cover.”

“Fine.” Angry tears filled her eyes. “Are you done?”

“No. I’m not. If you don’t want the Blues coming after you, you need to appear defeated. You need to make it look like Stanton ripped your head off. Do you understand? I don’t want you to laugh or smile in public for the rest of the day. Stay away from Ivy and Clint if you have to.”

Students stood and walked toward the door. Their lunch hour was almost over.

“I have to go.”

“Not yet.” He held out his hand. “Give me the necklace.”

The food in her stomach turned into a ball of lead.

“What?”

“I don’t give presents to immature girls who think of no one but themselves. Give me the necklace.”

His face was a cold mask. He wasn’t kidding.

Her hands shook as she unclasped the chain and placed it on his palm.

Pretending to study it, he opened the dragon locket and removed the key. The necklace went in his pocket. He palmed the key and transferred it to her tray.

“Don’t lose your protection charm. You’ll need it. From here on out, you’re on your own.”

He stood and mocked her by slamming his chair against the table like she’d done earlier. She flinched. A weight settled on her chest. It took effort to breathe. This could not be happening. She’d trusted him. How could he abandon her? She couldn’t do this on her own.

The edge of the key poked out from under the napkin on her tray. She retrieved it and tucked it in her shirt pocket. The sound of approaching footsteps caused her to clench the edge of the table.

“We need to go.” Ivy placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

She couldn’t talk without crying. Keeping her gaze on the floor, she followed her friends to class.

In Algebra, Bryn copied formulas from the board and worked on the assignment. At one point, she heard Jaxon say her name. Her classmates laughed.

She tuned everyone out and concentrated on substituting numbers for letters. She’d do her work one day at a time until she was able to leave this horrid place. Then she’d run away as fast as she could and never look back.

On the way to Proper Decorum, Ivy pulled her down a side hall. “What did Zavien say to upset you so much?”

“He said he’s done with me. I’m on my own.” Repeating his words made her stomach ache. “He took the necklace back.”

“That’s not right,” Ivy said.

Bryn sniffled. “Right doesn’t count for much around here.”

“You don’t need him,” Clint assured her. “You have us.”

…

When she thought her day couldn’t get any worse, she reached a new level of hell.

It was called Proper Decorum.

The woman at the front of the room droned on about utensils. Bryn thought her name was Mrs. Silvertrap, but that couldn’t be right.

Pictures of various forks, knives, and spoons appeared on a screen at the front of the classroom. Each bore the appropriate label and its proper use. Why couldn’t rich people use one fork per meal like everyone else?

“I expect you to label these utensils by Friday. Everything I’ve shown you today is in chapter one.”

The Proper Decorum textbook was an inch thicker than her Algebra book. The world no longer made sense.

“What can I do to get kicked out of Proper Decorum?” Clint asked as he held the door open for Bryn and Ivy to exit the building.

“Electrocute someone,” Ivy suggested.

“Too bad Zavien isn’t in class with us.” Clint cracked his knuckles. “I’d be happy to zap him.”

Ivy shifted her book bag to her other shoulder. “I can’t believe he took your necklace back.”

Bryn touched the hollow of her throat. She missed the warmth of the necklace against her skin. If she wanted to keep the key a secret, she’d have to replace the locket. The sooner the better. “When can we go to Dragon’s Bluff again?”

“Whenever we want,” Ivy said. “We have to sign out at the back gate on school nights, but on the weekends, we’re free to come and go as we please.”