Risk

Chapter Three

Harry's POV:

"Styles!" Jake barks as I stare after the girl rushing away.

I whirl around, unconsciously clenching my fists so hard that my fingers hurt. Jake's startling blue eyes are glaring at me with so much hatred that half of me wants to sock him in the jaw and the other half wants to crawl into a hole.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jake demands, his nostrils flaring in an unattractive way.

A muscle ticks in his neck as he stalks up to me, giving me a heavy shove on my chest so that I stumble backwards.

Fury ignites like a spark in my veins, coursing through me while I narrow my eyes at him. He can't fucking talk to me that way; he may have been my friend for a long time but he needs to learn that he can't always expect me to do what he wants.

"Shut up, Jake," I mutter. It takes all of my willpower not to tackle him to the ground. Jake belts out a humorless laugh as he runs his hand through his hair.

"Why the hell did you just let her get away, you twat?"

I was wondering the same thing.

"I...I don't fucking know, it was an accident," I lie, hoping that he buys it. When his eyes flood with suspicion I continue, "She bit my hand and I let her go. Sorry."

My apology is anything but genuine, but Jake seems to be convinced. His teeth gnash together as his expression admits defeat.

"Whatever," he bites out. "Just don't let that shit happen again, Styles. I wanted to have some fun with her."

The cruel gleam in his eye is disturbing but all too familiar. It's what he does, what we all do- fuck whores and ignore them afterwards. It's entertaining to watch their ten thousan pounds of mascara run down their face like a river after we tell them we don't want them.

I would have done the same with the girl, too, but I didn't. I don't know why I'm being so nice to her. She looks like a prudish, innocent kind of chick, and there are so many of them.

Why am I treating her differently?

A part of me honestly doesn't blame Jake for being mad. That was stupid as fuck and I'm never making that mistake again.

"Might as well head to classes now," I say, breaking the choking silence that cast over us.

The guys boo at me and I roll my eyes. "Yeah, well, I don't want my uncle to get his panties in a twist, I've already been late way too many times."

As I walk away from them, towards the school buildings, I dread going to class. I've already taken the freshman classes- well, sort of. I kept skipping classes and not giving a fuck until it came to the point where I was about to be kicked out.

Since my uncle is one of those snobby, rich, important school board dickheads, he was able to help me repeat my freshman year this year. The only reason I'm doing this shit is for Mum. It's the least I can do to make her happy.

Regan's POV:

"Thanks for waiting for me, guys," I say sarcastically when I plop down into the seat next to Annalise.

I stopped by the office to grab my schedule, and apparently we're starting classes with the usual high school curriculum since this is a liberal arts college. So this is first period science- joy.

"We are so sorry, Regan!" Annalise squeals when she sees me, Lynn nodding vigorously beside her. "We were running so fast, and we didn't even see you were gone until we reached the-"