Page 12 (1/2)

Benji is (unsuccessfully) trying to stifle his squeaky guffaws Julio is wrinkling up his nose in a hter as he watches on with sick interest Hoyt, utterly satisfied with hier into the pile ofit around This lone action causes Benji to lose it, doubling over in laughter

When Hoyt’s done, he meets my eyes “Looks tasty, huh?”

The girls next to us have all stopped to watch, half of the in shock I feel the eyes of people behind us, too My face is slowly flushing crimson as I stare at

Hoyt grabs e cluoop from my tray, then cheerily says, “Open up, buttercup!”

I glare back at him, furious

“Oh, you want me to help feed it to you? This is so cute Like you wantanother round of idiotic guffawing from Benji and Julio “Okay I’ll do it”

The next instant, he reaches over the table and takes hold of the back ofmuck toward my mouth like an airplane “Open wide, Toby-Tobes!” I try to pull away, pressing th in Hoyt’s one hand and arhter rings in ainstacross my lips

“HEY!”

Everything stops The noise of the cafeteria drains away at the sound of that one curt firecracker of a word

I open my eyes Vann has risen fro there with his dark eyes on us, fingers clenched into fists

Hoyt still has a grip on my head, but the forkful has lowered back down to the tray “Hey yourself!” Hoyt calls back, inspiring a tiny chortle from Benji—but dead silence from everyone else The uncertainty in the eyes of everyone in the cafeteria is real; they’re all terrified of Donovan Pane, the new senior at Spruce High

“Leave that guy alone,” Vann orders Hoyt, “unless you want to taste blood in that mouth of yours”

Hoyt snorts at hi hiets another short-lived cackle froh-happy Benji