Chapter 7

I cleared my throat and yelled dramatically.

"Ms. Lee, don't pull my ear like that! It hurts!"

My exaggerated cries drew a crowd of curious onlookers.

The teacher, clutching her limp arm in agony, couldn't free herself from my grip.

I added a flourish, twisting her fingers with a loud, satisfying crack.

"Ah! My fingers!" she screamed.

"And my ear!" I shouted back.

A teacher from the next room rushed in, his face pale.

"Ms. Lee, you can't just pull a student's ear like that!"

Sweat poured down Ms. Lee's face as she struggled to speak, too overwhelmed by the pain.

I leaned in close, whispering in her ear with a chuckle.

"You'd better get that looked at. What if they can't fix it?"

Then I let go.

She stumbled back, cradling her hand, the dislocated fingers trembling as she turned and fled with the other teacher's help.

Wendy, watching the scene unfold, didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. To her, it was just the return of some entertainment.

She pulled a utility knife from her desk drawer, flicked the blade out, and pointed it at me.

"Get over here," she said.

I took a slow step forward, my heartbeat quickening—not with fear, but with excitement.

To everyone else, though, I must have looked terrified.

Wendy grabbed a bucket of dirty water, spat into it, and kicked it toward her friends.

The others followed her lead, spitting into the bucket until the surface was coated with thick, yellowish foam.

Wendy leaned back, arms crossed, nudging the bucket with her foot.

"Here's your welcome gift," she said smugly. "Drink it."

I glanced around. The other students were just spectators, watching with amused indifference. None of them planned to intervene.

Behind Wendy, I saw him: Sean.

The guy who'd caused my sister so much pain.

He was sitting with his head lowered, pretending not to see me.

Carl lit another cigarette, smirking.

"Don't rush," he said. "Light my cigarette first."

I took the lighter he handed me, my face blank as they burst into laughter.

"Look at her! What a dumbass!" someone yelled. "She's so slow, it's hilarious!"

If it were my sister standing in this room, she'd be drowning in humiliation.

But I'm not my sister.

I grabbed the bottle of perfume from Wendy's desk, twisted the cap off, and poured the entire thing into my mouth.

The room fell silent, the laughter dying as they stared at me in shock.

Smiling, I pulled out Carl's lighter and flicked it on.

Before anyone could react, I sprayed the perfume from my mouth, directing the fiery stream straight at Wendy's face.

The fire roared to life instantly, engulfing her smug expression and that perfectly styled brown hair.

The stench of burning protein filled the air as Wendy screamed, flailing wildly, her hair a blazing inferno.

She jumped up and down, shouting for someone to put it out.

"Need help?" I said sweetly.

I grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the desk.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each impact was sharper than the last.

The flames finally went out, leaving Wendy dazed, her head spinning.

She clung to the desk for support, struggling to stay upright.

I smiled, grabbing her arm.

"Let me help you with that."