I'd recognize that look on their faces anywhere, because it's how Shannon and her friends used to look at me.
The same smirks, the same evil glints in their eyes.
Zara's got her hands on her hips as she steps around Vivian to get closer to me. The other two follow.
Panic rushes in on me, leaving me even more overwhelmed and off-balance. The vibrations, the shimmering light, the heat, the angry assholes...
They move even closer, crowding me and Vivian, until our backs are pressed up against the railing.
"Repeat what you just said." Zara's voice is cold, and she steps even closer.
I have two choices. I can back down and apologize. Or I can stand my ground. Standing my ground is a stupid idea. It's never worked for me in the past.
"Hello?" Jazmin snaps a finger in my face. "Answer Zara. Repeat what you said."
My brain's all jumbled, and I dart a glance at Vivian. She's staring mournfully at her shoes, her straight black hair hanging in her face.
She was only trying to be nice to these girls. A flicker of hot anger races through me and settles in my gut. I take a step closer to Zara, looking up at her 'cause she's taller than I am in her heels.
Apologize, Lyric. It's my calm inner voice, giving me excellent advice.
I inhale, steeling myself to say I'm sorry, even though I'm really not.
"Hmm." Esme squints at me like I'm some kind of disgusting bug. "I think she's slow too. Another dumb Cerberus inbred. Nice boots, by the way."
Oh, no, she did not.
"I said that you three are the victims of bad breeding. And it's obvious every damn time one of you bitches opens your mouth."
I'm so mad now that I'm shaking. The off-pitch frequencies still vibrating through this room have got me on edge, and I might be more irritated than I've ever felt in my whole life.
The three of them are staring at me wide-eyed, but that quickly shifts to anger.
I raise my fists and flash them a crazy smile. I'm finally gonna get a chance to punch someone!
"Is there a problem here?" Arielle has arrived.
I abandon my fighting stance and quickly clasp my hands behind me.
The viewing platform's a lot less crowded now. She's made another magickal doorway—a shimmering portal of golden light in the wall—and students are walking through it.
"Everything's fine." Esme's voice is sugary sweet, her stupid beautiful face a picture of innocence. "We just wanted a few extra minutes up here. I've been dreaming of seeing the Hall since I was a little girl."
Her friends nod, their faces equally friendly.
Arielle smoothes her white-blond hair and narrows her ice blue eyes at me disapprovingly. My cheeks flush, and I let my clenched fists fall.
She turns to Esme and gives her and her friends a genuine smile. "You three... your parents are ArchGuardians, right?"
They all nod, and Arielle straightens her shoulders and looks way too impressed. "I can give you a couple more minutes up here. But only a few. We do have to make way for the next group."
"Thanks so much," Jazmin says.
Arielle gives me and Vivian a meaningful look, then turns to leave, obviously expecting the two of us to follow.
"Come on," I mumble to Vivian, nudging her.
She starts to move, and I see it too late.
Zara's heeled foot is right in her path.
Vivian goes down hard, and I wince as she lands on all fours on the metal floor.
The Bitch Triplets titter.
I can't hide my response. I can't fix my face. I'm too ADHD for that, so I shoot them all the dirtiest look I can muster as I help Vivian to her feet.
But they don't care. They're all wearing shit-eating grins.
They won this round, and they know it.
They're the kind of people who probably win every round.
Why the hell did I say anything? I won't survive here if I start making enemies like them. I have to keep my mouth shut from now on. I can't believe I let Esme's comment about my boots send me over the edge like that.
But it wasn't just that. It's this whole place—all the grating vibrations and too-hot air.
Arielle and the last of the students are passing through the magickal doorway as Vivian and I reach it. We step into the shimmery portal of golden light and find ourselves back on the top step of the steep, high staircase.
I blink against the sudden brightness and glance behind me. The viewing platform has vanished, invisible again. The other students are murmuring quietly as they file down the staircase, their voices echoing through the enormous empty dome.
The dissonant humming has blissfully faded back to nearly nothing, and my headache quickly fades too. But my nausea doesn't. Nope. Not with the enemies I just made.
Good job, Lyric.
Vivian hurries down the wide staircase, leaving me behind.
Welp, there goes my one and only chance at having a friend.
I let out a sigh and get moving. My bruised body is starting to complain about all this walking and climbing of stairs, so I take it slow, wincing with every step down.
A tinkle of laughter erupts behind me, and I glance back over my shoulder in time to see Esme, Zara, and Jazmin step through the portal and onto the top step.
My stomach sinks with fresh dread, and I'm tempted to make like Vivian and hurry down the staircase just to get away from them.
But I can not let them see that they get to me.
Bullies love to see fear and weakness. You can't let sharks smell blood in the water.
I take a deep, shaky breath and continue down the stairs at my same easy pace.
By the sound of their heels on the metal stairs, the three girls are catching up to me quickly.
Maybe I will join Vivian after all. Maybe the girls won't think I'm running if I'm just trying to catch up with my... "friend." Everyone's walking down the right side of the wide staircase, so I switch to the left and quicken my pace, intending to pass everyone by.
They're on me before I can get away.
They've grabbed hold of my backpack, gripping it so tightly the straps are digging into my chest. I grab the railing to my left, my whole body cold.
Adrenaline shoots through me as I turn my head just enough to see what's happened.
Jazmin and Esme are both holding onto my bag with evil looks on their faces. Zara's beside them, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Let go of me." I croak out.
"She needs to learn some respect." Zara smirks at me and exchanges a devious look with Esme and Jazmin.
My stomach turns, and I let go of the railing to desperately try to pull my straps off, to wiggle out of the backpack, but I'm too late.
Esme and Jazmin release my bag and throw me forward down the stairs.
I try to grab hold of the railing again, but I'm off-balance.
Pain shoots through my body as I bounce face-first down the metal steps.
Time slows to a crawl, but there's no magick involved this time.
This is pure fear.
The floor's gotta be a hundred feet below. Tiles sparkle in the warm yellow light of the dome's globes, promising to crack my head open as soon as I meet them.
'Cause it's a straight shot to the bottom—there's nothing in the way, nobody to stop my quick descent.
All I see is an image of myself on those tiles, bloodied and broken, my head cracked open and bent at an odd angle because I broke my neck.
I keep flailing for something, anything to grab onto, but I can't stop myself.
I'm heading for that floor.
I throw my hands out, close my eyes, and wait for the pain to hit.