Mark Johnson stepped swiftly in front of her, blocking her attempt at reaching Devon. Fighting back the fierce urge to groan and roll her eyes, Cassie met his dark, stormy gaze. “Hello Cassandra, I’ve been trying to get you alone for the past few days, but you’re always busy.”
Cassie glanced back at Devon, but now he was encircled by Linda Drake, Helen Potts, and Marcy had reappeared. He was never going to get free on his own now. “I’m sorry Mark…”
She tried to move around him, but he sidestepped, swiftly blocking her path. She frowned up at him, aggravated by the interruption. “I just wanted to congratulate you Cassandra.” Mark always called her by her full name; she suspected it was because he thought it would separate him from everyone else in her life. It did not. His eyes sparked as his gaze ran appreciatively over her. Unable to stop herself, she took an involuntary step back. She hated the way his leering look always made her feel as if he could see right through her clothes. Her skin began to crawl in disgust. “Maybe you’ll be my queen.”
As much as the idea made her stomach turn, Cassie managed a brief nod. “Maybe.”
She tried to sidestep him again, but once again he blocked her path. Her aggravation level mounting, she folded her arms firmly over her chest as she stared fiercely at him. “I was thinking that maybe we could go to B’s and S’s tonight,” Cassie was already shaking her head, but he continued on. “Maybe catch a movie.”
“No Mark, I’m sorry.”
He blocked her path once more when she tried to escape him. This time however, there was no amusement, or leering, in his fierce gaze. Cassie was stunned by the depth of anger that radiated from his deep brown eyes. “Is this because you’ve become the new guy’s toy?”
Cassie blinked in surprise, and then anger flared through her. “I’m nobody’s toy Mark!” she snapped.
“Slut then?”
The word snapped all the anger out of her as shock and horror rolled forth. She had never been called that before, never been verbally attacked like this before. Oh, she had been called many things over the years, but never this, and not with this much anger, and hatred. It was the hatred that shocked her most, leaving her speechless and shaken. She had never been hated before, never thought it would feel like this. It left her hollow and uncertain.
She took a step back, just wanting to escape now, but he followed her. His eyes burned as he bore down upon her, his mouth pursed, and his large shoulders set stiffly. She did not fear for her physical safety, she didn’t think he would do anything here, and she knew that she was stronger than he was. If she could fight off a vampire, she could fight off one very angry teenage boy, but it was the last thing that she wanted to do in a crowded cafeteria. However, she was concerned about what he would say next, and she was certain that she didn’t want to hear any more of it.
“You know what you are Cassandra, you’re just a tease. You’re a twisted bitch that loves to tease people, playing with their emotions and wrapping them around your little finger.”
Cassie’s mind stuttered, searching for words that momentarily failed her. Swallowing heavily, she tried hard to think of something that would somehow ease the tension of the situation. “I have never led you on Mark,” she said gently, fairly certain that he was about to explode.
“You walk around here, strutting around like you’re better than all of us!” he snapped.
Bile rose in Cassie’s throat, her stomach turned and knotted painfully. The words stung like a whip, but it was the cold fury radiating from him that made her want to throw up. She did not know what was wrong with Mark, what had sparked this fury inside him, but she did know that he was swiftly losing control. She looked quickly around; searching for some kind of help, but everyone was busy congratulating the nominees, or escaping for their next class. She couldn’t even see Devon anymore, Mark completely blocked him out.
She was on her own.
“Mark, I’m sorry, I…”
“You’re a whore!”
Cassie’s mouth dropped open as shock and horror once more slammed through her. Her arms encircled her stomach in an effort to try and keep her lunch down. She wasn’t entirely certain that it was going to work as her stomach lurched threateningly. “Mark…”
“A no good whore,” he growled. He reached for her, but Cassie turned aside, just barely dodging his beefy hand. Disgust filled her, slowing her to the point that she could hardly move. Rage blazed through his eyes, it flared his nostrils. For the first time, she was afraid of the fury that suffused him. She was not entirely sure that she could beat someone that was as crazed as Mark obviously seemed to be right now. “Whore! Giving it away to everyone…”
Mark was suddenly ripped back; his feet came off the floor as he was pulled two feet up and away from her. Cassie’s eyes widened in surprise, her mouth dropped. For a stunned moment she didn’t know what had happened, who had grabbed hold of him. And then she saw Devon as he shoved Mark against the wall, his hand wrapped fiercely around Mark’s throat. His green eyes were dark and dangerous, his lithe body taught with the anger that radiated from him.
“Don’t you ever talk to her like that again!” he snarled, his hand tightening around Mark’s neck. Mark coughed, beginning to struggle within Devon’s grasp as his eyes bulged. “Do you understand me?”
Mark nodded enthusiastically, coughing again as he struggled to breathe. His fingers clawed at the tight hold Devon had upon him, but Devon’s grip did not lessen. Though Devon was slightly shorter and not as broad as Mark, it was more than obvious that he was quite capable of beating Mark in a fight. In fact, Cassie was fairly certain that Mark wouldn’t stand a chance.
Devon’s hand tightened briefly, causing panic to flash across Mark’s features. “If you ever even talk to her again,” Devon growled his voice pitched so low that even Cassie had to strain to hear him. “I will make you pay for it, and I will make this look like it was a good time.”
A chill swept down her spine at the threat, a threat she was certain he would make good on. Mark managed another brief nod, his gaze darted briefly toward Cassie, his eyes rolled with panic. Devon shoved him back hard again, releasing him at the same time. Slumping forward, Mark rested his hands on his knees as he gasped for air. Devon took a step toward her, putting his body effectively between the two of them.