GUTTER GIRL

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

McKenna

"What's going to happen in tomorrow's update?" Victoria asked me.

She had moved to Twin River two years ago and had always been nice to me. Her boyfriend, Todd, not so much. He was a total asshole. Had been since middle school.

Laurel Robinson burst past Victoria and nearly bumped into me. I frowned and looked at the sophomore who had already gotten way too close for comfort.

"You're in my bubble," I said.
My heart started to thump a little bit faster.
Her brows bunched together and she narrowed her hazel eyes. "Huh?"

I pointed to the floor and then drew an invisible circle around me. It was not okay for people to get too close to me. It kind of wigged me out, like they were going to touch me or try to...hug me. I shivered at the thought. It seemed too... intimate, too friendly.

Too close to home.
"Oh." She took a step back and smiled. "My bad."
"I'll give you some space," Victoria said, giving me a quick wave before disappearing down the hallway with Todd.

"McKenna! McKenna!"

I spun around, heart officially racing now. Vanessa Salah, a junior with long black hair that was so shiny it reflected the ceiling lights, was crossing the hallway and making a beeline for me.

"I can't believe you're the author of Kingdom of Swords!" She had a notebook in her hands and was flipping through the pages. "Look, I drew this for you. I thought if you liked it, you might want to share it on your page. You can tag me. I added my username right there." She pointed to the corner, where there was an @ and the username KingdomofSwordsFanatic.

"Ah, thank you." I accepted the drawing and took a couple of steps away from her. It was about ten minutes before classes began for the day, so the hallways weren't super full, but the few students loitering around eyeballed us. Laurel and Vanessa were making a scene.

Maybe this is why Jace didn't want to tell anyone?

The muscles in my neck tensed and then released. "I need to head to class. Thanks for this," I said, holding up the drawing.

"See you later," Laurel said.

Vanessa grinned and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "If you want any more drawings, just let me know.

I'm obsessed with your story."
Desperate to escape, I bolted down the hallway and didn't stop until I reached my locker. I looked over both shoulders before opening the door and throwing my bagged lunch inside.

The cafeteria didn't have anything decent today, so I had to resort to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple. I had a shift at The Hot Dog Shack tonight. I'd load up on food there and be sure to get something for dinner for my mom.