I laughed in delight.

Mena had been quiet the entire time, but she murmured now, “I don’t think I could be friends with you guys. You guys have your own rules or something. You’re vicious to each other.”

I caught an icepack from Bryce and chucked it at Corrigan’s back. He turned and glared before he bent to place it over his groin.

“It’s called respect, Mena,” I remarked. “You have to earn it before you can demand it.”

Mena stayed as I pushed through the crowd.

I hadn’t gone far before I spotted Mandy Justice flirting with two guys that I remembered from the cafeteria. One of the guys had been talking to Leisha.

“Mandy,” I called out and Mandy’s eyes widened in alarm. “Hi.”

“Hey, Sheldon,” she replied, guarded.

“Who are your friends?” I asked, flirtatiously.

“Uh…” She shifted and said shortly, “This is Braven and Carlos.”

“Hi!” I stuck a hand out.

Even though I didn’t pay attention to most gossip, I knew my social hierarchy. At first, I thought Carlos was in Leisha’s group, but when I saw him next to Braven—that changed things. That put him in a much higher position. Braven was a Bryce or Corrigan for his grade. That meant that Carlos would be there too and it wasn’t a shock to see some of the more-popular senior girls flirting with them.

Braven looked to be the leader because he spoke up, “Hi.”

Carlos nodded and watched.

“I know your friend Leisha.” I ignored Braven and remarked to Carlos.

“Oh yeah?” Interest sparked in him and he murmured, “She’s great, isn’t she?”

“I like her,” I said meaningfully to Mandy, who moved her hand from Carlos’ arm. “She’s funny. She’s a little nerdy, but it works for her.”

“I had hoped she’d come tonight.” Carlos leaned closer. “But I don’t see her anywhere.”

“Maybe you should call her. She might come then.”

“I don’t know.”

“I do. Call her.”

Braven spoke up, “I thought you were hoping that Cassie chick was here?”

Carlos ducked his head. “So?”

“Cassandra Bens is good for one thing. If you’re looking for a girl with class, I’d lay odds on Leisha any day,” I spoke up.

Braven snorted in disbelief just as he was pushed out of the way.

I found myself staring into Chad Yerling’s malicious eyes. There was nothing innocent in that gaze as he skimmed me up and down.

“What are you doing, Yerling?” I asked, stiffly.

He stepped closer to me and whispered, “I came to collect.”

“Collect what? Another beating?”

“Your boys can come after me all they want, but they won’t be able to beat it out of me what I’m going to do to you.”

Carlos muttered, “Uh, dude…I don’t think…”

“Back off, loser,” Chad snarled.

Braven suddenly pushed in between us. With his back to me, he growled in Chad’s face, “You might want to get out of here before you’re sent to the hospital.”

Chad smiled and it sent shivers down my back.

“Look at you.” He looked Braven up and down. “You think you can hurt me, little boy?”

Carlos stood beside him.

Chad rolled his eyes.

“You two are pathetic.” He sneered and met my gaze. “You and me, Jeneve.

That’s what it’s going to be one of these nights. Scout can’t always be there and even if he is, it’ll be one to all my buddies. You do the math.”

His eyes caught something over my shoulder and he froze.

Bryce stepped around me, grabbed Yerling by the throat, and dragged him out the door.

Corrigan stood at the door and closed it behind them as Bryce passed through.

Neither of them looked at me, but Yerling did.

I felt that shiver again.

Braven and Carlos watched me, guardedly.

My little finger trembled so I stuffed my hands into my front pockets.

I gritted my teeth and pushed through the crowd to follow. Chet was at the door and he caught me around the waist as I reached for the door handle.

“No, Sheldon.”

“Get off,” I snapped and reached again.

“It’s not just you,” Chet reasoned in my ear as he held me back. “We can’t have him here. He’ll hurt someone again.”

“God forbid that you guys say something to the cops about it,” I cried out. “God forbid that he’s not just locked up. That means that you guys would have to nark on him.”

It was a stupid code. The guys ruled and governed each other, but a nark was the lowest of the low.

“Corrigan said something and they didn’t do anything,” Chet sighed. “This is what we can do. Corrigan already put him in the hospital for a few days. We don’t know what else to do, short of killing him. We’re open to suggestions.”

I had none. My only solution was to hide a Colt.45 by my bed.

I turned away and grabbed another drink from the keg. I wasn’t up for conversation and high school drama, so I found an empty room upstairs.

It was gorgeous outside. The sky was cloudless so the stars sparkled bright. With the soft breeze, some leaves were carried over the yard and a few hit the window glass where I stood. I sipped on my plastic cup.

I listened to the party, alone, but it didn’t seem long before I heard Bryce’s voice down the hallway. A second later, he kicked the door open and he walked inside, carrying cups while balancing three pitchers of beer. Corrigan followed behind with another three pitchers of beer and he kicked the door shut with his foot.

Bryce placed the pitchers on the nightstand before he turned and took the rest from Corrigan. As Corrigan bounced on the bed, Bryce poured the beer.

“So is he in the hospital?” I asked, guardedly. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it all.

Corrigan ignored me and continued to bounce on the bed.

“This is a good bed,” he remarked. Corrigan looked at Bryce. “We should steal this bed.”

“Right. And you can be the one to tell Harris who stole it when he’s going to ask around,” Bryce said dryly as he sat against the wall, beside my feet.

“You think he’d even care?”