The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2) by Sophia Martin Page B

it.
    “Hey,” Mos said in their direction.
    Caitlin, the figure on top, looked up at them. Beneath her lay one of the boys from the other night. “Hey,” she answered, wiping her mouth.
    “Dude, where’s Rich?” Mos asked the boy.
    “Bedroom,” the boy said. Caitlin went back to kissing him.
    Mos and Shelby headed off into the corridor that connected to the living room, but Lola spent a moment standing where she was, watching Caitlin and the boy. She didn’t enjoy what she saw, Veronica felt. She hated Caitlin. Veronica couldn’t tell what she felt for the boy.
    Maybe that was it. Maybe she liked the boy, and was jealous of Caitlin.
    Finally Lola pushed herself in the direction of the bedroom. She walked slowly through the dark hallway and found a door. She let herself into the room.
    The only lamp in this room had a red lampshade, which colored the light. Rich sprawled diagonally across the bed next to Maricela and another boy Veronica had never seen before. They passed a joint.
    “Nice,” Shelby said, and she sat down cross-legged on the floor at the foot of the bed, taking the joint from Rich.
    Mos tried to sit as close to her as he could.
    Lola groaned. “This is boring,” she said.
    “Shut up and take a hit,” Maricela said.
    “We should go out,” Lola said.
    “The last time we went out you nearly got smeared across the freeway, Lola,” Shelby said with a wicked grin. “Maybe you should just slow down and chill.”
    Lola took a step closer to her and grabbed the joint from her fingers. She put it to her mouth and dragged in the smoke. “Happy?” she said as she let the air leave her lungs.
    Shelby gazed up at her, still grinning. “Absolutely.”
    Lola shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Here,” she said, handing the joint to Mos.
    Lola looked from him to Shelby, and then left the room. She walked back down the hallway, feeling faintly dizzy and loose from the hit. When she reached the doorway to the living room, she stopped and peered in. Caitlin was gone, but the boy still sat on the couch. Lola didn’t wait. She marched across the room and around to the front of the couch. She swung a leg over his knees and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
    She kept her eyes open, watching the doorway to the hall, though. In a moment, Caitlin appeared. Lola closed her eyes and kissed the boy some more.
    “You fucking bitch!” Caitlin screamed. She yanked Lola’s arm, her nails digging in to Lola’s bicep. “You cunt whore! Get off him!”
    Lola allowed Caitlin to drag her off the boy, and she began to laugh. “Couldn’t keep him for five minutes, bitch,” she said.
    “Fuck you, you whore!” Caitlin screamed, and she brought her arm back to swing at Lola. Lola lurched out of the way and used her momentum to punch Caitlin in the stomach. Then she stepped back and brought her fist around, smashing Caitlin in the jaw.
    “What are you doing?” shouted the boy. “Stop! Fucking stop!”
    Caitlin’s tried to scratch Lola’s face. Lola grabbed her wrists and thrust them to the side, jerking her head forward in an attempt to head-butt Caitlin. Caitlin dodged.
    “Stop it!” the boy shouted.
    “Hey!” cried Rich, who had come through the hall. “Hey! Knock it off!”
    Caitlin made an animal sound of rage. She brought her knee up and caught Lola on her right side, bashing her ribs. Lola released Caitlin’s wrists with one hand, using the free arm to elbow her in the face. Caitlin cried out.
    “Lola, stop!” Shelby yelled. “Stop!”
    “She attacked me!” Lola said through clenched teeth. “Imma fucking smash in her teeth!”
    Lola felt hands around her waist, dragging her away from Caitlin. The boy jumped behind Caitlin, grabbing her arms and keeping her from going after Lola.
    “Let me go!” Lola said, looking around at who held her. It was Shelby.
    “Stop it,” Shelby said in a low voice.
    All of the fight left Lola, and she drooped in Shelby’s