Butter by Erin Jade Lange Read Free Book Online Page B

even do anything to you.”
    â€œIn that case, I just came out here to give you your lunch.” Jeremy smiled.
    â€œOh yeah? And you called in backup to give me my salad?” I jerked my head at the two boys from the Mustang, the ones not in uniforms.
    â€œI brought something I think you’ll like even better.” Jeremy held his hand out to his older-looking coworker, who passed him something long and greasy wrapped in a napkin.
    â€œI’m not hungry,” I said, eyeing the oil-spotted napkin with fear.
    â€œI don’t care,” Jeremy hissed. He unrolled the napkin slowly, letting the yellow stick inside fall across his palm.
    â€œGross.” One of the boys in plain clothes grimaced—
or was that a grin
?
    â€œI’m not eating that, obviously.” I shrugged at Jeremy, no longer frightened. Clearly he was just messing with me. They didn’t actually expect me to eat a stick of butter. “So unless you’re going to hit me with it or something, I gotta go. My mom’s gonna be here any minute anyway.” I tried to stand up, but the guys in uniforms pushed me back down by the shoulders.
    â€œWhat the hell?” I struggled against the hands holding me down.
    â€œEat it,” Jeremy said, holding the stick out to me.
    â€œFuck you.”
    â€œEat it or I will make your life so miserable this year you’ll wish you’d choked on it.”
    He can’t be serious
. “I’m not eating plain butter.”
    â€œOh. Well, sorry,” Jeremy said, sugar dripping off his tongue. “I would’ve brought you some bread, but I hear you don’t like bread.” Then he crouched in front of me and pushed the stick closer. “Eat it.”
    â€œNo way! I told you, I’m not eating—”
    â€œGrab his hands,” Jeremy commanded. And before I could react, the two Mustang boys were at my knees, pressing my arms to my thighs.
    I craned my neck for a glance at the street. Where was my mom? One of the sets of hands on my shoulders moved to my head, forcing it to face forward.
    It gave me a view of Brian behind Jeremy. “Do something!” I shouted at him.
    â€œHey, Jeremy, that’s enough,” Brian said.
    â€œThat’s it?” My eyes bugged at Brian. “That’s it?”
    He turned a cold stare at me and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
    I wanted to call him a pussy, a coward, and so much worse, but I barely got a word out before something slick and salty rolled over my tongue, choking off my insults. I tried to turn my head, but it was locked between those hands. My gag reflex kicked in, pushing the stick of butter back out of my mouth and onto the ground. I coughed, spraying one of Jeremy’s friends with tiny yellow droplets.
    Jeremy had the stick of butter off the ground and aimed for my mouth again in under a second. This time, he put his other hand behind my head, preparing to hold the butter in place.
    â€œStop!” I managed through a cough. “I’ll eat it! I’ll eat it.”
    Jeremy smiled. “Awesome.” Then, playing the role of a gentleman, he used the discarded napkins to wipe gravel and debris off the stick of butter before holding it out to me. His friends released my arms, and I raised one shakily to take the stick from Jeremy. I figured I could just lick it a little—drag it out until my mom showed up and chased everyone off.
    But she didn’t come, and soon Jeremy and his cronies were threatening to hold me down again. So I took a bite … then two. After the third one, I threw up on my feet.
    â€œSick,” a voice whispered.
    Someone else retched. I couldn’t tell which one was getting sick watching me, because puking always made my eyes water, and they were blurred over now, making the shapes of all the boys swim together.
    Only Jeremy came into focus. Unlike the others, he didn’t sound impressed or disgusted—just