Chapter 1
Marlene can’t stop thinking about her. About Dorcas. She doesn’t get it. Marlene HATES Dorcas. Dorcas is obnoxious and loud mouthed and totally stupidly hot. It’s just annoying at this point, how pretty she is. And fucking distracting too. Marlene was trying to study before thoughts of Dorcas so rudely interrupted her. Seriously.
She has to ace this next test. Because if she doesn’t, Dorcas and her stupid pretty eyes and her stupid pretty smile will. And Marlene can’t have that. Dorcas has already won too much, too often. But today Marlene would actually try. She’d get there first.
‘So Marls? How do you feel about the maths test today?’ Regulus put his hands on the back of her chair and leans over her head. She looks up.
‘Bad. But it doesn’t matter anyway. Who cares about some stupid test anyway?’ She slams her textbook closed. The whole library glares at them. She glares back, her cheeks pink. Regulus raises a single eyebrow at her.
‘Oh, of course. A test so unimportant that it’s worth revising for.’
Marlene shoves the textbook in her bag. ‘Whatever.’
‘Does it have something to do with Dorcas beating you on the last like, 5 test?’
‘It was only 3! And no, this has nothing to do with Dorcas. Why would it?’ she knew her voice had gone up in pitch towards the end, but she acts like everything’s fine.
Reg sighs. ‘Never mind, Marls. Let’s just go. James owes me some good English notes.’ Marlene tries not to let her irritation show. Instead she stomps ahead of Reg.
Outside their maths class, James and Regulus are quickly engrossed in conversation. Marlene pointedly ignores Dorcas, frustrated that Dorcas has the audacity to ignore her right back. After the jerk stole her studying time, she should at least spare Marlene one of her infuriating glances.
It was the same throughout the test. Marlene tries to remember her revision, but as her revision was 90% attempting to stop thinking about Dorcas, this is hard. The 45 minutes passes regardless and they were finally packing up again.
While they walk away from the classroom, Regulus and James become absorbed in conversation again. Marlene and Dorcas listen intently to their conversation while ignoring each other.
Dorcas cracks first. ‘Hey McKinnon! I aced that one.’ Marlene shoots her a glare. ‘Again,’ Dorcas coughs.
‘In your dreams, Meadowes.’ Ugh. In your dreams? What sort of comeback was that? But Dorcas was already walking to their English class.