Who’s he calling little? I’m five foot six in three-inch heels!

Ryan looks into the crowd and I shrink back, not wanting phone cameras turned on me. “You know, the one with the big mouth that I’d like to stick my d—”

Aiden surprises everyone, and maybe even himself, when he reaches out and grabs Ryan by the throat. Ryan doesn’t squirm, so Aiden must not be pressing that hard, just enough to get the message across.

“Finish that sentence and we’ll see just how far we can get my boot down your big mouth,” Aiden growls with barely restrained rage into Ryan’s ear. He releases his grip and steps back, leaving Ryan to rub his neck.

“Get out of here.” Aiden crosses his arms across his chest, accentuating the muscles we already knew were there.

Around me, people are whispering about Aiden’s reputation, about how they wouldn’t want to be the one messing with him.

Ryan gestures at Annalisa. “I’ll leave when the murderer’s sister steps outside to have a little chat with me.”

Annalisa shoves past Julian and Aiden, getting up close and personal with Ryan.

“You think I’m scared of you?” She practically yells in his face and points at Kaitlyn. “Ask your girlfriend here—apparently, she’s telling everyone I’ve got the killing gene in my blood.”

Murmurs of “Wacko Anna White” make their way around the crowd, and I clench my fists to remind myself to stay out of it. Kaitlyn stands with Makayla, a frown on her face, like she doesn’t care what happens either way.

“Your junkie brother wanted to get high and killed my dad when he told him he wasn’t selling anymore!” Ryan insists, spittle flying out of his mouth.

“Bullshit!” Annalisa yells. “You think your dad was clean? What did the coroner’s report say, Ryan? There was heroin in his system when he died! Your dad’s a piece of shit in life and death!”

If the vein pulsing in Ryan’s neck is any indication, Annalisa’s really pushing his buttons now. The crazed look in Ryan’s eyes has been getting more intense the more she talks.

“Shut the fuck up right now!” he yells, whipping out a large pocketknife and pointing it at her. “Shut the fuck up right now!”

Aiden and Julian both hadn’t foreseen this new turn of events, and Noah pushes Charlotte behind him. I’m glued to the spot. Aiden and Julian both try to push Annalisa away, but she’s unfazed. She stays right where she is, knife pointed at her and all.

“My brother didn’t kill your asshole father!” she yells right back at Ryan, with so much conviction that her belief in her brother is undeniable to everyone.

I look around. Everyone has moved back but no one is doing anything about the knife that Ryan’s pointing at one of their classmates.

Ryan and Annalisa continue to yell at one other. Aiden and Julian keep trying to get between the knife and Annalisa but she’s persistent, and keeps shoving them away, her icy, blue eyes laser focused on the boy insulting her and her family.