When Quinn didn’t turn up to classes the next day Reese sought out Cory to have a chat.
“Have you been messaging Quinn?”
“Yeah, of course. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“So you know you need to sort out Mila Buick, right?”
“Yeah, yeah…I’ll have a word with her if you really think she did it.”
“Did she tell you that she goes around telling everyone you’re her boyfriend after you slept with her at that party last semester? She tells every girl you act nice towards to back off behind your back.”
“You’re kidding me?” Cory rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.
“I’m f*****g not…this is all your fault for not keeping your bitches in line.” Reese thundered.
“Hey, easy man, I wasn’t to know…I’ll fix it.”
“You better.”
“Is that the reason Quinn’s not here today?”
Reese’s mouth twisted. “She says she wants to just stay away till the fervor dies down, but I don’t know, it’s hard to reach her when it’s only by message…maybe I’ll drop in on her after my last class, I’ve only three today.”
“Take me with you.”
“f**k off…competition remember.” Reese pivoted to walk off. “Sort that Mila slut out or I will.”
Cory pulled up outside the girls’ house and saw a couple of the cheerleaders on the front drive taking shopping bags out of their car. He jumped out of his truck and walked up.
“Need an extra pair of hands?”
They both startled then their eyes lit up to see who it was offering his help. “Sure.” “Absolutely, thank you.”
As they loaded his arms up one of the girls gave him a sideways look. “Are you here to see Mila?”
Cory’s eyebrow lifted and he gave the girl a once over. “Why would you assume that? Maybe I’m here to see you.” He gave her his roguish smile as she blushed prettily.
“Why would you be here to see me?”
“Aren’t you going out with Mila?” The other girl interrupted, making the first one look away.
“Who says that?” Cory scoffed, so it was true. The two girls looked at each other confused.
“Ah…Mila says so…”
“Hmm…really? Is she in?”
“I think so…” One of the girls said with a huge grin.
God, they were all so catty, they couldn’t wait for a chance to tear each other down. He rolled his eyes. “Don’t sound too excited…”
The girl baulked. “Sorry, but if it’s not true…”
“It’s not.” Cory turned and walked to the front door. “You better show me where you want this stuff…”
“Oh, right…” The two girls rushed in front of him and through the door.
They made a big show of the fact that Cory was with them and bringing in their shopping bags as they made him walk all the way into the lounge before dumping their bags on a seat.
“Thank you.” They both battered their eyelashes at him and hugged his arms.
Mila stood up looking at them with a savage glare. “Cory! What brings you here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, well…should we go up to my room?” She gave him a coy smile, twirling her hair with her fingers.
“No, what I have to say can be said right here.” His tried to make his voice calm but the anger he felt building up was spilling over.
She frowned at him and folded her arms. “If this is about yesterday…”
“No, this is about today…” Cory looked around, there were four other girls in the room and they were all looking on in rapture. “Did you have anything to do with Quinn’s car being vandalized today?”
Mila placed a hand on her chest like she was mortally wounded. “How could you ask that of me?”
Cory’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying you didn’t?”
“Of course I didn’t!” Mila huffed. “Babe…” She went to step over to him.
“Don’t call me babe.” He growled stopping her in her tracks. Her face looking shocked as she glanced around the room. “In fact stop telling people we are going out together, I f****d you last semester, get over yourself.”
Mila’s mouth gaped open as the other girls in the room hid their grins behind their hands.
“If I wanted you as my girlfriend you would know about it, I haven’t even messaged you for a month.” Cory added just as Vanessa walked in.
“What’s going on here?” She asked, seeing Mila start to get distraught from her embarrassment, tears pricking her eyes.
“Are you involved in giving Quinn a hard time too?”
“What? No…I wanted her to move in here and pledge but she wasn’t interested.”
“Well, I’m here to say to those of you that are continuing to give Quinn a hard time to knock it off before you piss me off…and if I do find out any of you had a hand in what happened to Quinn’s car…” He glared at Mila. “Just know you’ll have to answer to a higher power than me!”
“Why are you sticking up for that b***h?” Mila screamed.
Vanessa gave her a haughty suspicious glare.
“Don’t call her a b***h…” Cory grumbled, wiping a hand over his face. “I like her, not you, get over it.”
He turned and walked out of the house and made his way to his car.
Vanessa followed him out and he turned to look back at her with a questioning look. “What?”
She sauntered up to him with a conspiring smile. “I heard you and Reese had a competition going over who gets to f**k that freshman first, is that true?”
“Who the f**k told you that?” Cory asked a little stunned.
Vanessa’s eyes sparkled. “So it’s true…good to know, I won’t say anything…I just think it’s interesting…”
Cory remembered Vanessa was hanging around Reese at the last party. “Did Reese tell you that?”
“No, Reese told me to be nice to the girl, I guess I forgot to pass that message on to Mila…”
Cory huffed. “Well, she’s really gone and done it now, if Reese finds out it was her, and I’m pretty sure it was, he’ll come down on her.”
“Why?” Vanessa asked, confused. “Why do you both care so much if it’s just a bet?”
Cory stared at her darkly, then raked a hand through his hair and looked away over his truck. “Maybe it’s not just a bet to me…”
Vanessa grit her teeth. “And for Reese?”
Cory looked back with a smirk, it was so obvious Vanessa was interested in Reese. “Reese doesn’t f**k cheerleaders, haven’t you worked that one out yet?”
Cory got in his truck and closed the door as Vanessa stood there with her arms folded and an angry scowl on her face.
He drove off wondering if his message had actually got through to them though.