Page 45 of Eat. Prey. Love.
Priorities are important—no dead people, no panic attacks, and no slackers.
“Delores Drew, you will be paired with Amity LaPorte.” Asani gives me a smug look as I recognize a girl from my Ballet class making a pissed off expression. “I expect great things from you,cheries.”
I have to swallow back barf as his use of French makes me want to hurl. When Rennie does it, it’s lyrical and romantic whichmakes my thigh clench. This guy sounds like he’s mimicking the chef from the Little Mermaid and it makes me dry as the Sahara. Sucking in a deep breath, I gather my things, moving from my seat to be next to Amity. She hasn’t moved a muscle except to sneer as Asani continued on, so I don’t have much choice.
“You’re in my Ballet class, right?” I say as I sit down. My face is bright with my ‘socializing’ smile and I’m actively trying to project friendly vibes. This situation probably isn’t salvageable, but at least I can say I didn’t make it worse.
She sniffs, straightening her materials fussily before looking up at me with bright amber eyes. “Peut-être que vous n’êtes pas aussi stupide que salope. Excellent.?1”
I blink at her, grinding my teeth so my jaw doesn’t hit the ground at her bitchy response. “Excuse me?”
“Les Américains stupides ne parlent jamais la langue des pays qu’ils visitent. Très bien, je vais passer à l’anglais puisque tu es tellement... handicapé.?2”
The bunny inside of me catches enough of her snooty insult to push at my skin in an effort to be let loose. I grit my jaw harder, keeping the snarl of anger in so I don’t draw attention to myself. My eyes close, and I use the tricks Aubrey and I work on together to help keep our beasts from busting loose. After a few moments, I let out a long, slow breath, then look at the nasty girl with red eyes.
“I don’t know what your problem is, LaPorte, but I don’t allowanyoneto speak to me that way. Show some goddamn respect or I’m skipping the professor to head for the Dean.”
She gives me a saccharine smile, batting her lashes. “Ah, there’s thelapin en colère?3I’ve heard so much about. I wondered what it would take to get you riled and now I know.”
Why the fuck does that matter?
“Look, if you don’t like me, fine. You need better standards, but whatever. I don’t let that shit bother me anymore.” I tap my pencil on the desk, getting her eyes back to mine. “But I won’t toleratebeing called names, nor will I put up with you being nasty. Get it together and act like an adult or I promise, you’ll regret it.”
Her laugh tinkles as she shrugs. “I highly doubt that, Delores Drew. This is my third year atl’Academieand I have the connections to sway anyone I like to my side. You can do your worst, but it will not affect me in the slightest.”
Great. Another one of those girls. Do they mass produce these bitches or something?
“Whatever. Look, I’ll take the first half of this paper—the part about the build-up to the Accords, and you take the back half. We’ll put them together and turn them in at the end after we read over it. Sound good?”
“As if my part would need you to proof it, you talentless plagiarist.” Amity sniffs again and I narrow my gaze at her nostrils, suddenly wondering if her erratic behavior is a symptom of heavy Predstatsy use.
I frown at her, shaking my head. “What the hell are you talking about you crazy woman? I’ve never copied anything in my entire life. I don’t need to. My grades are my own.”
“Not what I hear. You were caught at the school you blew up. I assume you did it to cover your tracks as you moved to a new hunting ground.” The feline shifter arches a brow. “If you think I will not ensure everyone knows of your proclivity, you are sorely mistaken.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I close my eyes. I can guess who spreadthatgem around. Despite themanytimes they’ve been smacked down for slanderous bullshit, the stupid Heathers never seem to understand they’re going to eventually lose it all when I unleash on them. When I open my eyes, my gaze cuts to them, noting their tandem smirks as they see my struggles. I have no idea where the fuck they’re vomiting their bile—I blocked them and their cronies years ago on every platformpossible. But it’s happening again, and I need to address it before it gets out of hand.
“Fine. Do whatever on your part, Amity. I’ll read it and give you notes, but you don’t have to take them. If you can’t take constructive criticism, that’s your problem, not mine.” Irritated beyond comparison, I grab my things and rise to my feet. “I’m going to the library to work for the rest of class.”
I swear to every deity in the sky and all the ones below, one day, I’m going to punch those girls so hard their teeth end up in their colons.
Psycho
Since my twingot to sneak in time during her lunch on Tuesday, I cut loose as quickly as possible today so I can find her on library duty before anyone but the spicy salamander is home. Obviously, I can’t kick him out of hisownlibrary?—
Or can I? I am Fitz Khan, after all.
Grinning to myself as I imagine his rage when I tell him to scram, I almost skip to the Kavarit building we’re living in. Our reptilian friend is doing much better than he used to now that we all have our girl and he’s not hiding his skin slapping with theFrenchman. That doesn’t matter when it comes to his usual buttons, though, and winding him up is even more fun now that people try to calm him. In fact, it’s one of my favorite things that don’t involve death or my mates naked and wriggly.
“Fitz Khan, this is your life,” I boom to myself as I head for the back door of the huge building, chuckling at my own joke. “Man, that’s fucking classic. Too bad no one but me heard it. Wasteful.”
I hold my arm up to the sensor, hoping like hell the flaky gargoyle has finally got this shit on lockdown. Keeping tracking of the fucking card is going to make me insane if he doesn’t get it working— Oh. There it is. Hell yeah. I grab the handle and head inside, waiting until it closes completely before I stride toward the library.
Safety first, baby.
The suite is quiet, so I know no one but our girl and the winged weenie is home. Chessie will get home next, probably, and start a ridiculously tasty smelling dinner that everyone will inhale as if we haven’t eaten in a year. Between him and the Onyx Chef, we’re all going to have to join my big bro on that morning torture run eventually. I’ve avoided it so far because Felix deserves some alone time and he’s most satisfied when he’s in control—that means he has to run with a woody every day, which amuses the hell out me. Why interruptthatamazingly funny shit? I’m definitely going to get it on tape one day and that will let me watch my baby girl bounce all over the trail, too.
Win-win for Fitzy.