The Third Strike: Rogues of Everly Prep Book Three

by Wendi Wilson

  “Hey, is everything okay?”

  I stopped and turned, waiting for Simone to catch up to me. She pulled me to the side of the doorway, out of sight of all the lookie-loos staring at us.

  “I’m fine,” I said, hooking a thumb over my shoulder. “I just have to go find out what bogus reason I got called to the office for this time.”

  “You want some company?” she offered.

  “No, thanks,” I said, smiling. She and Josh really were the best friends. “No reason to get yourself in trouble. Guilt by association and all that. I’ll text you later.”

  “Okay, good luck,” she said, giving me a little wave before spinning around and heading back into the dining hall.

  Steeling my spine, I turned and headed for the front office. Time to find out what those dirty little bitches set me up for this time.

  The redheaded receptionist gave me a nasty smirk as she waved me through, telling me Headmaster Swain had been waiting for me.

  “Always a pleasure, Mrs. Jones,” I deadpanned as I walked past her.

  The woman hated me on sight, giving me detention the moment I first walked through the front doors of Everly Prep. I should’ve known it was some kind of omen and ran away as fast as I could.

  But, no. Then I wouldn’t have met Josh, Simone, and the Rogues. I wouldn’t have experienced the pleasure of loving Mason Bellamy.

  These people could throw whatever they wanted at me. Everything I’ve gained was worth it.

  “Miss Miller, please take a seat.”

  Headmaster Swain’s voice felt ominous, especially since it was tinged with a barely-noticeable amount of pleasure. He was trying to hide it, but he was going to enjoy this.

  Awesome. Can’t wait.

  “I would like to hear what you have to say for yourself.”

  “About what?” I asked, failing to keep the impatience out of my voice. “I haven’t done anything, so I have no clue why I’m here.”

  “These,” he said, his hand slapping onto a stack of papers on his desk, “are why you’re here, Chastity.”

  He said my name like it was an insult. Like it was a travesty that someone as whorish as me was given a holy name like Chastity. I rolled my eyes and leaned forward, attempting to see what he was getting his panties in a twist over. My eyes widened as I realized it was a stack of Charlotte’s flyers.

  “Wait. Wait. Are you telling me I’m in trouble because someone is plastering naked pictures of me all over school?”

  “This is a rather compromising position, Miss Miller,” he replied, reverting back to a more formal address. “I don’t see how anyone could have taken this picture other than you or your… partner.”

  I pressed my lips together tightly and bit the inside of my cheek. I could’ve shouted about invasions of privacy and hidden cameras, but I was smart enough to know it would do no good. He wanted a reason to punish me. This one was as good as any.

  And the odds were pretty high he knew exactly who was hanging those flyers all over school.

  “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath and releasing it. “So what you’re saying is that I set up a camera to take a picture of myself during sex. Then, I posted it on social media with this derogatory caption.”

  I stabbed my finger against the top page, pointing at the line that read, You can take the slut out of the trailer, but you can’t take the trailer out of the slut.

  “You’re accusing me of saying that about myself. Then, deciding that wasn’t good enough, I felt the need to print out several hundred flyers and hang them all over school. That’s what you’re saying.”

  “That does seem to be the case,” he replied, clearing his throat.

  “Why would I do that?” I snapped, my temper close to exploding.

  “Oh, I have a few theories,” he muttered.

  “Please. Do tell. This should be good.”

  “Watch your tone, young lady. I am still headmaster here, and you will give me the respect I deserve.”

  I fought back a snort. The man deserved nothing but my repugnance. He’d been out to get rid of me from the start, just like Mrs. Jones and half the staff at this ridiculous school. He’d threatened my future by insinuating he’d write negative letters to the admissions officers of any college I applied to, then he tried to coerce Jasper into giving me a failing grade on my Shakespeare assignment last semester.

  Swain was obviously running out of threats and excuses to get rid of me, and he was grasping at straws. But this—this was absurd.

  “You are hereby suspended for the rest of the week. Think about your actions, Miss Miller. I suggest you have a new attitude when you return next week.”

  I gave him a terse nod, rose from my chair, and walked out with stiff, jerky movements. I was beyond angry, and if that redheaded bitch of a receptionist gave me any lip, I was going to fatten it for her. Luckily, her desk was empty, and I headed for my locker.

  Slamming my books inside, I was fuming. That asshole suspended the Rogues and Roguettes for a half a day when I proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’d set me up to look like I slept with a teacher. A half a fucking day!

  Now, with this trumped up, ridiculous accusation that I’d hung naked selfies of myself all over the school, I was suspended for four-and-a-half days? Mother fucker could kiss my ass.

  Grabbing my keys from my pocket, I stalked out into the parking lot, slammed into my Chevelle, and cranked the engine. Pushing my foot on the gas pedal, hard, I revved the motor several times before squealing out of the lot.

  Fuck Swain and fuck this school. I was so done.

  11

  My anger only lasted a few hours before petering out, leaving nothing but despondency. This was so not how I imagined this semester going. I knew it was going to be tough, playing the parents’ games while I formulated a plan to bring them down… but this was worse than I imagined.

  Normally I would’ve reveled in the prospect of a week off from Everly Prep, spending lazy days in bed, watching movies in my pajamas. But with Charlotte feeling like she was back on top, there was no telling what she’d do to try to destroy me while I was gone.

  All while I couldn’t be there to defend myself.

  My phone chimed with an incoming text, and I pulled it from my pocket as dread filled my chest. Would it be another naked picture of me, sent via group text with the whole school? Or some direct threat from Charlotte, now that she had the upper hand?

  My brow wrinkled as I pulled up the message, which came from a number I didn’t recognize.

  Hey, hottie. What are you wearing?

  What the fuck?

  Wrong number, I texted back.

  The response was almost immediate.

  Are you a beautiful blonde with a smart mouth that’s great at sucking cock?

  What in the actual…

  I’m just fucking with you, babe. It’s Mason, came through before I could formulate a suitable response.

  I wanted to feel relieved, but with the way my day had been going, it was likely one of those Roguette bitches pulling some con to get me to spill something juicy they could use against me.

  Prove it, I sent back.

  My phone rang with a video call, and Mason’s beautiful face appeared on the screen when I tapped the icon to accept. He was laughing, so I shot him a middle finger, which made him laugh harder.

  “Promises, promises,” he chuckled as his laughter wound down, and I shook my head. “Cooper brought me, Stella, and Theo these prepaid phones this morning, and this is the first moment I’ve had alone to talk to you. What happened today? Why’d you leave?”

  “Oh, you didn’t hear?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Apparently, I decided it would be a great idea to hang naked pictures of myself all over school. Swain suspended me for the rest of the week.”

  “That son of a bitch,” he gritted out, all traces of humor slipping from his face. “That’s ridiculous. I’ll go talk to him tomorrow.”

  “Don’t bother,”
I said. “It’s not worth it. Besides, I’m eighty-percent convinced your parents put him up to getting rid of me, one way or another.”

  “I’m sorry, Chaz,” he muttered. “This is all my fault.”

  “It is not!” I was yelling, and I took a deep breath to calm my voice. “You can’t blame yourself for the actions of the adults in your life. Even if I wasn’t in love with you, I wouldn’t blame you. The way they play you and Stella like pawns is bullshit, and I’ll stand against them with you for as long as it takes.”

  The speech got a little more impassioned than I’d intended, and I could feel my face heating with embarrassment. But Mason’s expression lit up like a Christmas tree, his eyes glassy with emotion as a real, heartfelt smile tugged his lips up at the corners.

  “You’re amazing. You know that?” he asked.

  “Stop it. No, I’m not.”

  He was shaking his head before I finished. “Yes, you are. You’ve forgiven me for my mistakes. You let me in, getting to know the real me under the rich-asshole façade. You love me for who I am underneath it. You’re not using me for popularity or power, and you don’t give two shits about my parents or their money. You. Are. Amazing.”

  “I miss you,” I said, emotion welling inside me at his praise.

  “I miss you, too,” he replied, suddenly distracted. “Shit. I have to go. Stella is playing lookout for me, and my mom is headed this way. I’ll call you later. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I said, but he was already ending the call.

  I scooted down the bed so I was lying on my back, my phone still gripped tightly in my hand. Mason’s call had done wonders for me. It was easy to tell myself he loved me and everything was going to be okay, while still worrying as the distance between us stretched and lengthened. But being alone with him, even if it was only through the small screen of my phone, did wonders for my confidence.

  He did love me, and we were going to have a future where none of this mattered.

  Hey, the guys got burner phones. Theo just called.

  Josh’s message brought a smile to my face as I read it. While the words were simple and calm, I knew he was probably dancing a celebratory jig in his room. He’d acted strong since finding out Theo’s parents had taken his phone, but I knew it was killing him. Just like me, he wanted to talk to his boyfriend.

  Yeah, Mason called me, too.

  Oh, she finally responds. Ready to tell me what happened today?

  I flinched, squeezing my eyes closed. I’d been ignoring Josh’s calls, sending him to voicemail before texting him that I wasn’t ready to talk… and ignoring all his follow-up text messages.

  Sorry, bestie. I love you, but I was just too pissed to talk. I was suspended for hanging naked pics of myself all over school.

  Four seconds after I hit send, my phone started ringing. Josh’s smiling face popped up on the screen, and I swiped the icon to answer it.

  “What in the actual fuck?” he demanded before I could even say hello.

  “You know Swain’s been looking for a reason to get rid of me,” I responded.

  “Did he actually look into your eyes, and with a straight face, tell you he thought you hung those flyers yourself?”

  “Yep,” I said, popping the p at the end.

  “But… why? What reason could you have possibly had for doing that?”

  “I don’t know, Josh. He said he had a few theories, but I was already in bitch mode by that point. He suspended me and kicked me out of his office. I’m sure he would’ve said something about my inherent need for attention. You know, a trash-whore like me craves it.”

  “What a dick.”

  “Tell me about it,” I said. “I’m sorry I ghosted you today. I should’ve known talking to you about it would make me feel better, but I was just so pissed.”

  “I get it,” he said.

  “So, I’m forgiven?”

  “Yes, queen,” he drawled, laughing. “I forgive you. Just don’t let it happen again.”

  “Deal,” I said, letting a brief silence fall between us before asking, “So, what did you and Theo talk about?”

  My tone was as suggestive as hell, and Josh laughed at the innuendo.

  “I gotta go,” he said.

  “Boo! Party pooper!” I yelled into the speaker.

  “Bye, Chaz. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Josh.”

  When I ended the call, I felt infinitely better. I made a mental note to call Josh immediately next time I was pissed. I should’ve known that by now, but sometimes I was stubborn.

  Most times, I was stubborn.

  I washed my face and threw my hair up into a messy bun, mentally preparing myself for what was to come. Taking a few deep, steadying breaths, I left my room to look for Seth.

  I was going to need him and his support. It was time to tell the parentals I got suspended, and why. This was not going to be fun.

  12

  My suspension flew by without a lot of fanfare, and for that, I was grateful. Mom and Atticus were pissed on my behalf, with Atticus threatening to go down to the school to give Headmaster Swain a piece of his mind…and his fist.

  After Mom and I talked him down, I couldn’t help the burst of warmth that exploded in my chest. This was what family felt like.

  Every day after school, Josh or Simone would swing by to bring me my assignments. I was nearly certain part of Swain’s motivation in suspending me was so I’d fall behind and fail my classes, giving him just cause to kick me out completely. So, I was grateful to my friends for having my back.

  At night, Mason would call me on his prepaid phone, and we’d talk until one of us fell asleep—usually me. By tacit agreement, neither of us mentioned his parents, Charlotte and her girl gang, or anything to do with any of the forces trying to keep us apart. We pretended this was normal, never seeing each other and only talking in secret once the sun went down.

  I missed his face. I missed the feel of his lips on my skin. The strong cage of his arms around me.

  But I tried to continue looking at the bright side—at least we were able to talk to each other.

  On my first day back at Everly Prep, I walked into the building on tenterhooks, waiting for whatever I was sure Charlotte had cooked up to smack me in the face. But the place seemed normal… at least, as normal as it gets for me.

  Girls stared and giggled, boy waggled their eyebrows as they eye-fucked me in the halls. Apparently, seeing me in what amounted to a pornographic picture gave them the right to imagine me that way every time they looked at me. I ignored them all, and eventually the crowds dispersed to head to their first classes.

  I turned to walk to mine, but skidded to a halt as Stella appeared in front of me, tears streaming down her face. Without a word, I hooked my arm through hers and dragged her to the nearest bathroom. After double-checking the empty stalls for lurkers, I joined her at the bank of sinks where she was splashing cold water on her puffy face.

  “What happened, Stella?” I asked her, keeping my voice low and gentle.

  “I didn’t know my parents were watching my phone activity. I mean, I knew they were keeping track of Mason so he couldn’t talk to you, but they’ve never cared about what I do or who I do it with.”

  I nodded slowly, giving her time to collect her thoughts before she continued. She swallowed thickly, then sniffed before pressing her fingertips into her eye sockets.

  “They called me out this morning for texting and calling Seth,” she cried.

  “What did they say?” I asked, a streak of adrenaline rushing through me, making me shiver.

  “They gave me this,” she said, pulling a photo from her back pocket and handing it to me.

  Confusion clouded my mind as I stared at the man in the photograph. He was old, probably in his late sixties or early seventies, with greasy-looking white hair combed across his head in a failed attempt to cover his baldness. His skin was wrinkled and covered with sun spots and moles, the whites of his eyes streaked wi
th red as if he hadn’t slept in weeks. A crooked grin filled with yellow, tarter-covered teeth completed the horror of a shit show this man appeared to be.

  I looked up at Stella with disgust, and she nodded.

  “That’s him. That’s the man they’ll sell me to if I don’t fall into line and stay away from Seth.”

  “Oh, my God,” I breathed, my eyes darting back to the photo.

  “They went on and on about how our firstborn son would be a viscount related to the queen, and would be twenty-second in line for the throne.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with them?” I spew, my anger rising to a near-unbearable degree.

  “It’s all about control,” she murmured. “I know they only gave me that to stop me from talking to Seth. To keep me under their thumb while they control Mason and the others’ lives. But despite everything they’ve done, they’re still my parents. I don’t know how they could do this if they love me. Which means…they don’t.”

  I didn’t know what to say to her. I wished like hell I could assure her that they did love her, but I couldn’t. And even if I could, would I want to? That kind of love was caustic and destructive.

  “I’m sorry, Stella.”

  It was a lame response, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say. She shook her head and cleared her throat.

  “I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

  Yeah. Fucked up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. Sounds about right when your parents are pieces of shit.

  “They aren’t going to act on their threats if I behave,” she continued. “I just have to be more careful.”

  “I’ll have Seth get you one of those prepaid phones like the guys have,” I offered.

  “What if they find it?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears again.

  “They won’t, if you’re careful. Just make sure you hide it somewhere good, like a tampon box, or something.”

  She shook her head. “The maid checks those to see if she needs to add them to the shopping list.”