He looks awful. His hair is greasy, his suit is too big for him, and he’s still sporting a fading black eye.
“Wow,” I say. “You look like crap.” I glance up at Zack. “Nice job.”
Zack puffs out his chest with pride. Josh rolls his eyes.
Donny scowls at Zack. “I’m surprised you’re not on house arrest,” he spits. “They shouldn’t let you out in public.”
“Oh, aye,” Zack agrees. “I should be in a cage, I reckon.”
Donny sneers. “Well, enjoy it while you can. I’ve already found a lawyer.”
Zack shrugs, picking up a plastic cup. “Okay, mate. Baby, do you want a lukewarm sauvignon blanc or a two-pound rosé?”
“Surprise me.”
“Aight.” He leans over to pick up the bottle, and then diverts his direction and kisses me hard on the mouth. I gasp against his lips.
“Zack!”
“I was surprising you! Sorry, wasn’t that what you meant?”
I reach up and tug at his man-bun, making him growl.
Donny looks between us with disgust on his face, taking in Josh’s hand on my back and Luke’s fingers clasped with mine. “Seriously?”
I pick up a custard cream and bite into it. “Seriously, what?”
“You’re sleeping with all three of them? I thought that was a bit for the podcast!” He turns to Josh. “You just let her screw other men in front of you? That’s the most beta shit I ever heard. Good lord, she must be loose.”
I choke on my biscuit.
Zack abruptly steps away from the table, squaring up to Donny, who looks startled, staggering a few steps back.
“Zack,” Luke says warningly. “Not again, please.”
Zack puts his hands up. “I’m just looking. I ain’t gonna do anything to him.”
Donny looks between us, sneering. “I guess I understand now how Layla got a spot on your show.” He turns to me. “Sooner or later you need to start working for yourself, you know. You can’t just sleep around to get what you want.”
“Maybe I am gonna do something to him,” Zack says thoughtfully. “Look. Mate, do you want me to punch you again? ‘Cause I gotta admit, I wasn’t in my best form the last time around. You kept all your teeth and everything. Pretty embarrassing. I’ll happily have another go.”
Donny’s mouth falls open. “Did you hear that?!” He raises his voice. People around the hall turn to look at us. “He just threatened to assault me! Again!”
“Donald,” Luke starts. “Please calm down. Zack—”
Before he can finish the sentence, I hear the familiar click of high heels against linoleum.
“Luke? Layla? What is going on here?” Amy asks behind us.
EIGHTY-ONE
LAYLA
A shiver runs down my spine. Slowly, I turn to face her.
Amy looks completely different than she did at her wedding. She’s wearing less makeup, and I can see the age lining her skin. Her blonde hair looks dull and washed out under the fluorescent lights. I breathe out slowly.
“Amy,” Luke says coldly. “You look well. How was the honeymoon?”
“Mrs Martins!” Donny whines, making Luke flinch. “Did you hear what he said?”
“It’s Mrs Tran,” Amy says, looking annoyed. “Luke and I aren’t married anymore.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Donny points at Zack. “But he was going to punch me in the face! You need to make him leave!”
Zack rolls his eyes. “Oh, suck it up, ya big baby,” he booms. “You’re not fourteen anymore. Quit whinin’ to yer teachers, it’s pathetic.”
Amy shakes her head, turning to me. “Layla. Do you want to explain why they’re all here? The invitation said you could bring a plus one.”
“Actually, it said ‘partners are welcome’,” I point out.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “So it’s true?” She sputters. “You… you really are with all three of them?”
I nod. “Turns out, you can have more than one boyfriend! I’m starting a collection.”
“Aye,” Zack booms. “A lovely girl like you deserves more than one boyfriend.” He pours a cupful of wine, sniffs it, grimaces, then takes a gulp. “Gotta check it ain’t bad,” he tells me when I side-eye him.
Amy stands a little straighter. “Zack, you need to leave. I can’t let guests come into this school and threaten to assault one of our former students.”
“Donald here was verbally attacking Layla,” Luke points out. “Shall we throw him out as well? That only seems fair.”
“I was not!” Donny shouts. “I was just saying hello to her!”
“You called her loose,” Josh spits from behind me.
Amy sighs heavily. “You really haven’t changed at all, have you, Layla? You got here three minutes ago, and already the allegations are flying. You must be the most desired woman in London.” She regards Luke coolly. “Do we have any proof that Donald was harassing Layla? I have to say, given your circumstances,” her eyes drop to our joined hands, “I’m not particularly inclined to believe you.”
Luke’s face flushes red. He pulls away from me, squaring his shoulders, but I cut him off before he can really lose his temper.
“Oh, I have plenty of proof,” I say sunnily. “About four years’ worth, I’d say. Don’t worry, you’ve already got it all on file. Just pop into the staff room, you’ll find a folder full of complaints I’ve made, with all the proof you need. Emails. Scans of lewd drawings. Photographs of graffiti on my personal property. Hey, the janitor even helped me rip a couple of CCTV tapes that show Donny here trying to get under my skirt in the car park.” I glance across at Donny. “I think you were eighteen, then. A legal adult. I hear you’re in politics now, right?” I whistle under my breath. “Wouldn’t want that getting out now, would we?”
“What?” Luke barks.
Donny scoffs. “Does the tape also show you kicking me in the balls?”
“Ah. So you do remember it. Funny, you seemed to be suffering from some sort of selective amnesia when the school counsellor asked you about it.”
Amy takes a deep breath through her nose. “Well, this is a very concerning accusation, Layla. I’ll be sure to look into it. Although unfortunately, we’ve switched up our student records system, so it’s unlikely any of this evidence still exists.” She pulls a sympathetic face. “I’m very sorry.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” I say cheerfully. “I have copies of everything. Dated and time stamped. I even got most of them signed off by you and other staff members. I know these things can be tricky.” I smile at her blandly. “I wanted to make sure you couldn’t possibly lose anything.”
“Good,” she says through gritted teeth. “That’s great, Layla. But I don’t think—”
I interrupt her, pointing to the line of green metal lockers behind her. “Do you never get the lockers cleaned? It’s been ten years, and my old one still has skank scribbled on the door. God bless the poor kid who got assigned that one.”
“Of course we have the lockers cleaned,” Amy spits. “They’re scrubbed down every year.”
I squint. “Hey. You’re right. That’s not my locker. This one says dirty slag. Hey, Luke, isn’t that a hate crime?”
Luke draws himself up to his full height. “Yes,” he says, his voice icy. “It is. You know, Amy, this is very concerning. I think it would be best that I make a report to the council, so they can perform an inspection of the school’s student support procedures.”
Amy is livid. “Luke,” she snaps. “You are blowing this completely out of proportion. For God’s sake, you don’t even work here anymore.”
“I’m still on the student board,” he reminds her peaceably.
She turns her scowl on me. “Did you put him up to this?” She demands. “Why? Because I wouldn’t listen to you when you came whining to me every single lunch break, wasting all of my free time? Because I released those pictures of you whoring around at my wedding?”