I walked out.
What the fuck had that been? Who did he think he was? Who didanyof them think they were? I jogged down the stairs and then out into the evening, the door slamming off the wall as I exited the building.
“Assholes.”
“Rude.”
I screamed in surprise and then turned to glare at Dustin. “What the fuck do you want?” I demanded harshly as I resumed walking.
“Nothing.”
I glared at him. “Why are you following me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” He pulled his hoodie up and lowered his head slightly to avoid being recognized.
I stopped walking and confronted him, hands on my hips. “What are you even doing?” I gestured wildly in the air. “You are on every second banner in this school. Everyone knows it’s you, Slater. What are you so afraid of them seeing?”
He watched me calmly, his head cocked to the side. “I’m not afraid of much,” he said. “People talking isn’t on the list.”
I sighed loudly and resumed walking. “So you came out for a fight. Fun times.”
“Nope. Wrong again.”
I would not give him the satisfaction of asking.
I would not. Nope. Not me.
“Then why are you here?”
Damn it, Hadley!
“You seemed pissed. You’re also not very popular, did you know that?” He seemed genuinely curious.
Asshole.
“I’m not on a lot of Christmas card lists,” I conceded, not really caring at all.
“That video went viral.” He spoke as if the last ten minutes hadn’t happened. “I’m getting a lot of negativity about it.” He also sounded pissed off about that.
I snorted. He deserved it.Manwhore.
“So are you.” Dustin carried on casually as I stalked home, my steps fast and furious, rounding the back of the library, and taking the shortcut. “Not just comments about you being insane, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I muttered.
“Or desperate,” he carried on, like I hadn’t spoken.
“Desperate?” I shot him a look.
“Yeah, you know, running after my fine ass, you don’t look like you’re playing hard to get. It just looks like you’re an easy lay.”
Oh my God.I just . . . Wow.
“I’m surprised you can lift your head off the floor,” I growled. “It’s obviously so big to say something like that and not even pretend to be humble. You blow my mind.”
“I’d totally blow your mind.”
I stopped again. We were half a block from my apartment. A fire exit light flickered behind me, and then sputtered out.